Cooking Up Fresh Content

I like to cook and bake. There is something satisfying about taking a selection of ingredients and bringing them together to create something delicious to share with others.

You can think of creating content as the same thing. You want to create something consumable and leave your audience wanting more. More importantly, you want your audience to share.

For me, both start with a little research. What would I like to create today and share with others? Is it relevant? Is it engaging? Does it provide insight to a problem your audience may have? Once you have decided what you would like to write, it’s time to ignore the blinking cursor and just get started.

The basic rules apply:

• Start with an idea and build upon it. We have all learned this in school. If you forgot the basics, there are many resources out to get you started.
• Sentence structure counts. There is something off-putting about a poorly structured sentence. Spelling and punctuation also make a difference. I always keep my CP Stylebook handy.
• Make you sentences digestible. Use jargon if it is absolutely necessary but explain what the jargon means to those who may not know.
• Use your own voice and write using language that is easy to read and contains a little of your own personality.

 Like preparing a dish, I want my content to be fresh. I want it to reflect the present and not be some re-heated leftovers passed off as something new. The easiest way to create content is to ask what people want or need. Remember, your content should be about your audience; not you. Are there Frequently Asked Questions that can be turned into helpful content? Can the content be portioned out into a short blog series, breaking a large topic into smaller digestible posts for your audience to follow? This is where your content can work for you. Once it has a place on your website, you can share via various social media platforms and your newsletter. While you may not to ‘re-heat’ your content, you certainly can re-visit it if there are new developments to a particular topic.

Like food, presentation matters. Use images to add texture to your content and to make it visually appealing. Your audience will relate an image to your message much quicker that just having text alone.  Take your camera with you and take lots of pictures. Catalog them to coincide with future blog posts. If you don’t have the right image, you can find many sites offering free images. If you copy an image, remember to include your source.

The key ingredient to remember is, ‘inform’; don’t ‘sell’. No one wants to read a hard sell message. This will keep your audience coming back for more.