6 tricks to making your content as tasty as pie

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” – Ernest Hemingway

While Hemmingway may have slightly understated it, the best trick to dish out great content – be it text, audio, video or otherwise – is simply giving it your hundred percent. Great content is available, and more importantly accessible, in heaps across the world today. While you may aspire to be the Hemingway or the Steven Spielberg of your generation, you need to understand that these legendary minds are now being written about because they dared to write differently.

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Arguably, the brightest minds of the current generation have been trained to ‘think and act different’, but in the harsher light of the day, only a small fraction have their work stand out. To help tackle this, here are a few basic tips on how content creators can enhance the quality of their work to fare well in an exceedingly competitive market.

Make it relevant

Studies prove that people prefer to consume content that is relevant to them over that which does not. This is because the average online reader is busy and possibly spends only a fraction of his or her day scrolling through the useful content. It is in light of these changing reader and viewer habits, that content featuring survival strategies and human-interest stories have been popular since they either help or inspire. Keeping this trend in mind, it is advisable for content creators to carry out a survey of topics that will engage their target audience on a personal level proceed accordingly.

Keep it crisp and entertaining

Nobody likes long winded sentences that don’t offer any direct value to them. Similarly, most users don’t even end up watching a video all the way till the end. Keeping in tune with the known fact that the average online user is both impatient and busy, you have to ensure that your content is well-structured, short, and interesting. In this way, you reduce the risk of having your audience abandon your post mid-way, and simultaneously build a better reputation for your personal brand.

Make it actionable

The best kind of content is that which is applicable in one’s everyday life. This is again why content that uses keywords like ‘tips’, ‘tricks’, and of course, ‘survival strategies’ will always do well, because it offers one a chance to actually try it out.

Ensure strong and snappy headlines

According to Forbes, 59 percent of users look first at the headline to pre-determine whether the rest of the content is worth venturing into. The longer and more vague the headline, the greater are the chances of the user ignoring the post. This is why the headline is perhaps the most important part of the content. This is why you need to make the best effort to make it powerful and exciting. The best way to do this is by using popular keywords.

Try taking a fresh approach

Nowadays, almost all content revolves around popular social media trends. While these posts definitely increase the chances of receiving greater views and shares, they also risk clashing with similar content produced by other players in the market. To stand out from the collective opinion, try and offer the user a unique and fresh approach to the same subject that could offer them an entirely different kind of perspective.

Leave them wanting more

There is reason that the word ‘cliff-hanger’ exists in our vocabulary today. Everyone loves a good mystery and the thrill of the unknown. The average reader or viewer’s curiosity can be piqued by ending your content with a cliff-hanger. This could be through the use of a question, a half-offered solution promising greater results or even a short, well-structured riddle. This kind of content will, more often than not, guarantee that your user will return to your page to unravel the rest of the ‘mystery’, and in some cases even go back to the original piece to track the development.

On a closing note, here is an inspirational quote to motivate you to stay true to your creativity.

“Don't delay acting on a good idea. Chances are someone else has just thought of it, too. Success comes to the one who acts first.” – H Jackson Brown Jr