Content Development
Once you get your site up and running, it’ll be time to shift your focus to content development. A small amount of quality content is better than a lot of sub-par content. It’s important to lead your audience on a journey through your site–to make them want to sign up for your newsletter, follow your blog, or click on another post. The longer you get to engage with them, the better. Without a plan, however, your content will be haphazard and lack direction, and your audience will quickly lose interest after that first click. This is why you need a game plan for your content development.
Decide what to say
First, make a list of every topic you want/need to cover. Gathering all your ideas in one place can really help define your voice. Then go through and cross out ideas that seem stale. (Don’t write about topics that you wouldn’t read about yourself.) Not every browser has a thirst for knowledge, but they like to feel like an expert after reading one blog post! So teach them something they don’t know!
Decide when to say it
Next, develop a timeline of when you’d like to publish certain content. For example, a coffee shop owners should plan on posting “iced latte recipes” and “top 5 coffee shops to visit” posts during the summer, and save the “3 teas that help you recover quickly from a cold” post for winter. This increases the chances that someone will see your post, because the information people search for shifts depending on the time of year.
Decide how to say it
Everything from your post title to the words you use repeatedly throughout the post matters. Make every word count! Browse the internet and take note of the way popular/highly shared posts are formatted. For instance, which title grabs your attention more?
“Road Trip To Do List”
“5 Things You Need to Do Before Your Next Road Trip”
The 2nd one right? It’s catchy, it’s easy to read, and even though it’s longer, it sounds urgent and worth reading. Consider all of these things when you’re forming a title and composing each paragraph. Look up keywords as well to see which words are most popular on the internet right now. Then weave those (seamlessly and appropriately!) into your post.
Bottom line is, if you’re going to say something worthwhile, teach your audience something, or answer a question of theirs, do it well. Develop a plan for content development and stick with it.