The key to successful content generation is fulfilling an informational desire and publishing into relevant spaces.

However, there are some important copywriting rules to follow to help ensure that content is consumed.

1. Eliminate boffin speak

Unless people are technically orientated, chances are they don’t understand (or care) about the codes, abbreviations or tech language endemic in “boffin speak”.

Talk to your audience in their language. Understand what makes them tick and have a conversation with them. More than anything else, they buy into your brand because your positioning and what you say resonates with them.

2. Sell the sizzle

Features are boring; benefits are what matter to your market. They generally don’t know or care about the technical differences between two models. They want to know how the output differs. Deliver them solutions to their problems, not statistics about your offering.

As the old saying goes, sell the sizzle not the steak. Sell the hole not the drill.

3. Make it snappy

Classy copywriting. It delivers messages without waste and gets to the point. Adjectives and adverbs are used sparingly and only when they serve a purpose.

Eliminate anything irrelevant to your audience’s informational desires. Most customers do not wish to spend time wading through fluffy content describing the manufacturing process of a product, or grand detail about its history. They want to know what’s in it for them!

This doesn’t mean your copy should be only 50 words. It should be long enough that it delivers solutions, addresses potential objections and provides social proof. However it shouldn’t waffle. Waffles belong in America.

4. Get the headline and first sentence spot on

A good headline and first sentence is often the difference between copy that is read and copy that is ignored – especially online. People browsing websites are notoriously flighty. Dancing cats are only one click away.

Create a hook and reel them in. Create value, concern, intrigue or surprise and use these very words to convey it.

5. Use the active voice

The subject should perform the action. “The woman read the blog” not “The blog was read by the woman”.  Active sentences are shorter, more direct, engaging, authoritative and less ambiguous. In rare cases, the passive voice should be used depending on the emphasis required.

6. Track and measure

In the age of analytics, the performance of each piece of copy and content can be measured for engagement. Test and polish your content. Measure its success and track what is working and what isn’t.

7. Be realistic

Promise your readers the world and guarantee specific results or solutions and you will be greeted with scepticism. Honestly discuss challenges or problems your market might face and how your product or service might serve to assist them and you’ll see heads nod. It will show you understand your market and their problems, creating rapport and trust.

8. Power words

Use words which are scientifically proven to influence. Use the name of your audience where possible and justify requests using “because”. Perhaps offer something for “free” but beware the tyre-kickers who will come with the word. Know that people love something that is “new” and they want to receive it “instantly”.

Other words found by The Curtis Circulation Company, an American newsstand sales agency, to increase sales are:

9. SEO Keywords

Using keywords and phrases based on what your market is searching for online is also important in ensuring your content is reaching the right people.

However Google’s SEO algorithm favours expertise, authority and trustworthiness, so delivering quality content is still more important than keywords alone.

The Complete Content Marketing Guide is a 30-page white paper detailing all aspects of developing, refining and implementing a content marketing and marketing automation strategy.

Content Marketing Strategy Development
Establishing Content Marketing Goals
Audience Analysis
Marketing Automation
Content Metrics and ROI
   – Digital Content Distribution:
   – Social Media
   – SEO
   – Video
   – E-Newsletters
   – Content Seeding and Amplification
Print Content Considerations
Legal considerations