Blogging is something of an art form. If you know what you are doing, you can create an incredible audience base that loves interacting with you and your content, and if done properly, that can be incredibly lucrative. For this reason, affiliate marketers that run blogs are always searching for every possible thing they can do to optimize their blogs and make them as interesting as possible to their readers.
One of the best things a blogger can do is create valuable and interesting content that readers want to interact with and find out more about. But, this task is easier said than done. Finding the right topic and writing it in a way that is both informative and interesting can be quite difficult. Some bloggers spend years perfecting the craft of writing compelling articles, and some simply never master the skill at all.
There is one thing that is certain, it's that creating effective content requires a lot of work and effort, but there are things you can do to minimize guesswork and follow patterns that are certain to show positive results right away.
Why Is Great Content Important For Blogs?
If you have been blogging from the beginning it's likely that you already understand why good quality content is important. With great quality, come great audiences that are ready to interact with your content, click on your affiliate links, and buy products you promote on a regular basis.
If you want to succeed as a blogger, then you need to create content that will be both insightful and useful for your readers. You can do this by ensuring that the information on your site is accurate and up-to-date as well as interesting and entertaining.
If you manage to hit the sweet spot of writing great content on a consistent basis, you can expect to experience benefits such as:
Audience growth
More customers
More sales and higher profitability margins
Unique opportunities
Broader reach and influence
Basically, without great content, blogging wouldn't be worth much. And if you ignore this fact, you are very likely to experience the bitter taste of failure when it comes to blogging.
What Makes Great Content?
So what are the key ingredients that make great content? There is no definitive answer to this question, but there are several factors that you need to consider.
1. Always keep your target audience in mind
Remember that every time you write an article you're talking to someone specific, so try to always keep the needs and wants of that specific individual in mind. For example, a 20-something male will generally want to read different things than a 30-something female, so you need to ensure that when you write content it's targeted at the correct audience.
Before committing to a specific content type completely, do some research to see who your actual audience is, and what you think your ideal audience would be. Knowing who already follows you is important, as you need to please those people as well if you want to make sure they stay. But slowly pivoting to your desired audience is important. You will just need to make sure that the transition is smooth and well-timed for optimal results. If you play your cards right you can keep your old audience and add your new ones to them as well!
2. Keep readers interested
What makes people lose interest when they are reading your content? Well, using advanced vocabulary and an excessively formal tone when you are writing can turn off a lot of people. Instead, keep things simple, easy to follow, and always try to ensure that your content is engaging.
There are a lot of incredible marketing books online that can help you understand the basics behind how to keep people interested in something. Concepts like "the slippery slope" can change the way you write and give you incredible results in the long run.
3. Use the right keywords
If you want your content to be found online then you must use the right keywords in your content. But, don't overdo it. Search engines look for effective keywords to place in search engine rankings, so if you include too many useless or irrelevant keywords then you could actually be hurting your rankings instead of helping them.
Before you write your content, do some research on what keywords rank well and have low keyword difficulty. Then slightly adjust your content to better match those keywords and start writing. Write in a natural voice and don't focus too much on the keywords, include them every now and then, and try not to overdo it!
4. Make sure the source is credible
One of the most important things that search engines look for these days is the source of your content. If you include quotes or references make sure that they are accurate and credible sources. Search engines want to rank the most useful and reputable sites, so keeping this in mind will always help boost your rankings.
Try mentioning every source you use and link it somewhere in your article. This will increase the number of links that point back to your site, which is very helpful in the long run.
5. Include stories
Stories are a powerful way to engage readers with your content. If you need to create great content, then try including personal experiences and stories told from your own perspective. Use stories to add a little bit of entertainment while still passing on useful information that your readers will appreciate.
The only problem you could face with stories is that you deviate too much from the original content. Try to stick to the topic of your article and write stories that are relevant to the main topic. Doing this will ensure that you can pass on information without losing your readers' interest!
6. Engage with other bloggers
Affiliates often think that it's always "every man for himself". But this couldn't be further from the truth. When done properly, partnerships and friendships in the industry can be incredibly beneficial for all parties involved. So it is always a good idea to have a couple of friends with whom you can interact on your blog.
You can include forms of engagement into your content such as guest blogging and sharing content from other bloggers. This lets you widen your reach and also helps establish relationships with other successful bloggers. If you manage to do everything right you will gain a part of other blogs' audiences and vice versa! It's a win-win situation for everyone!
7. Write interesting headlines
The first thing readers see is your headline, so always try to ensure that it's tantalizing enough to make them want to click. How do you write great headlines? Just remember these five universal rules:
Be specific
Use numbers
Include useful keywords
Make it catchy
The headline must match the content
Your headlines need to be eye-catching and thought-provoking, but try to stay away from pure click bait titles. Those will work for a short time, but then your audience will realize what you are doing and you will do far more damage to your brand than you might expect.
The best way to stay on the safe side is to write titles that are true to your content. While this might not always yield the highest ROI in terms of traffic, it will surely help you build a loyal audience in the long run!
Remember that the content is what matters, but an intriguing headline will always encourage people to click!
Honorable Mention...
Invest some time into creating effective creatives
This doesn't mean you always have to hire a professional designer. You can come up with some interesting ideas on your own, or just do something simple that still packs a punch!
Just remember the basic rules of design: keep it simple, don't overdo it with colors and effects - stick to one or two colors maximum, use high-quality images and always add a link to your website somewhere in the picture!
Final Words
Creating great affiliate marketing content can seem like a daunting task at first, but these tips will help you get started. Keep in mind that the quality of your blog will directly determine what kind of audience you attract (if any) and how that audience will interact with your offers.
Treat your blog like you would treat any other business investment and you will reap the benefits in no time!
What are your tips for having great content? How does content quality impact your projects? Share your experience with us in the comments below!
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