When it comes to online marketing, it’s a pretty simple statement: You need traffic. Targeted traffic. This is what generates the profit that allows you to continue running and growing your business. 
But equally important is what generates that traffic, right? Whether it’s a banner ad, text ad, PPC ad, articles, blog posts, guest posts, email… you get the idea. Content is involved in just about every fiber of a an online marketing campaign. You better get comfortable with writing, and you better do it now.
Truthfully, writing great content is not as intimidating as it should be. At all. This isn’t writing for the New York Times and this isn’t professional journalism. Writing content for your business is about being yourself – on paper (or screen). And delivering value.
I call this Killer Content.
Again, don’t think it’s complicated. It’s not.
Imagine this: Take your topic you’re going to write about, and imagine you’re explaining it to a good friend. Face to face.
Now, imagine you’re explaining it to that same friend. And you’re doing it with passion.
Can you do that? Of course you can. Some people like to just sit down and start writing. I like to make a rough outline of my topic and then elaborate on the bullet points. There’s no wrong way. Try different methods if you’re new at this and find what works for you. The most important thing is to be yourself and provide killer content.
Here are some basic points. Keep these in mind and I think they’ll serve you well.
- Sound Like Yourself
- Leave the fancy vocabulary in the dictionary. Use terms a 5 year old can understand. Let the reader focus on the new ideas or concepts you’re sharing, and not have to worry about new words.
- Write in the same way you talk with your friends and family. Let your reader get to know you.
- Be Transparent
- Don’t pretend to be more then you are. If you’re just starting out, let your audience in on it and let them share your journey with you. They’ll be even more loyal.
- By that same token, share your failures. Use them as teaching tools. You’re not perfect, so don’t portray that image. People learn just as much – if not more – from failures, too.
- Know Your Stuff
- Don’t write B.S. Know your stuff. If you don’t feel you know enough – then learn! Everyone has to start somewhere. You should be building something you’re passionate about. Researching your passion should be fun!
- Be A Student Of Copywriting
- Don’t try to figure it out yourself. Learn from the Pros that are already doing it. Figuring it all out alone is a waste of time and foolish. Get on Google, study headlines in magazines, newspapers, sales pages, etc.
- One book I recommend and use it Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples.
- Add Value
- Your audience should want to read your content again. It should be that good. Have you ever read something and thought ‘Wow, this is awesome stuff!’? That should always be the quality of what you deliver. Not necessarily the quality of your writing – but the content.
- Help your reader. Give them value, something they can use and something that will improve where they are today. Don’t hold back!
Be yourself. Be transparent. Be charitable with your information. Think of yourself when you were starting. Think of yourself now, as you look to take the next step with your business. Be that person you wish would show up and share everything with you.
We all spend so much time reading, searching, buying and trying. Different blogs, newsletters, the latest course to promise riches, clickbank products that promise everything from endless traffic to automated businesses. People want success so bad they will buy and try almost everything. And they’ll eventually get jaded and lose their passion.
Don’t do that to your readers. When they read your content, you want to be that person that makes them think ‘finally!’ Their search for information and direction should end with you.
There are thousands and thousands of people trying to make a buck online. Marketing online is not new anymore. People have learned to tune out the scams and the desperate salespeople. The online community are a much more intelligent bunch now.
These people want someone to learn from and someone to trust. You have to earn that trust. Give them everything you know in earnest, and you’ll get it. If you’re writing for your own blog or email newsletter, use it to your advantage. Make your writing part of a larger tutorial. A step by step lesson plan. The way a teacher plans out her lessons for the school year.
Earn their trust and make them want more. Make them want to bookmark your blog and keep coming back to it. Make your readers want to scan their junk email to make sure yours didn’t get marked as SPAM by accident.
THAT is Killer Content.
Adel (‘Oddle’) is a longtime internet marketer and online marketing coach. Far from perfect, he has spent many years (and many dollars) learning just about every mistake there is to know when it comes to online marketing… all just so you, dear reader, won’t have to suffer through that same agony.
He now works online full time, doing things the right way. You can visit his newest blog – www.RecruitingForMLM.com – for more helpful information, to contact him or to add his Facebook page and follow him there!