Then he said something else – something disturbing. “Tabloids will be the only print items to make it.” Wow!

Why are tabloids like National Enquirer so riveting? They use such sensationalized headlines that often have nothing to do with the article inside. They do their best to show the worst in people. And really, can we be sure that they do not make up stuff?

Tabloids are adept at playing to our emotions. They reel us in before we even realize what has happened. And we all have some reaction to those crazy headlines. Whether it be the latest Angelina / Brad scandal, or something about the White House, we are drawn in by the headlines. How do they do it?

Headlines need to be intriguing and easily understood at the same time. Tabloid headlines are great examples. They create all sorts of emotions, even if you believe they are complete garbage.

The next time you are stuck on a headline, or want some practice writing a good one, take a tabloid headline and rewrite it to fit your subject. You’ll learn how they use emotional words and topics. While the resulting headlines may not be fit for use, you will have delved into writing a more emotional, controversial headline. Good practice for when we need to craft a compelling headline for your own use.

It’s important to understand why you want, and need, good content. Yes, it’s good to have a writer who understands SEO, keyword placement, and all that ranking stuff.

But…it’s very important to have content that speaks your target market’s language. You spend all the time and effort driving people to your web site, then you should give them content worth their while.

Content is helping your readers understand how you can ease their pain, or fulfill their dreams, or make their life easier. It’s sharing your expertise so that browsers become regular readers, and even better, clients.

So, yes there are a lot of pieces you need to get that primo ranking. Make sure your content is ready to speak to your readers. Think of it this way – if you have a great old car you have completely redone with new paint, tires, and even a souped up engine, but you forgot to put in a driver’s seat – what’s the point?

For example, if you spend a lot of time writing for the Internet, like I do, use a pen and paper and just write a letter. Make it to a fictional person, or a famous person, and really get something off your chest. Maybe you want to write to your congressman about some boneheaded thing he did recently, or maybe you want to write a love letter to Brad Pitt. Whatever it is, make it entirely different.

Try poetry, fiction, short stories, or even a screenplay. Really try to stretch your writing skills. Who cares if it’s bad? You don’t have to show anyone. The important thing is to really push yourself to do something different. You may find you like it, or you have a knack for another writing style you did not know you have. Or maybe…you’ll find that you should stick with what you do best! Either way, you’ll have given yourself a break from writing the same thing, and that will refresh your approach. The most important thing – have fun! It’s not meant to be frustrating, but simply a way to break up your routine and keep your creative juices flowing.

Happy writing!

Content is not about what your reader wants, nor is it about your company. It’s about your customer. It must be relevant to your potential customers and delivered to them in a compelling way. The voice should be based on a strong understanding of your target market so they feel you relate to them. You can assist this process with an editorial style guide that provides guidelines and examples to help anyone craft content and messages in a similar style.

There are several criteria that you want your content to meet in order to ensure the highest of quality. This is beyond the typical marketing or sales writing. Not every page on your site is about selling to someone. Sometimes it is about providing information to educate that person on how your product or service is the best solution for their need. A balance of sales copy writing and education is needed.

The content should be more useful to search engines, so you want to not only utilize keywords and phrases appropriately, but also create relationships through cross-linking.

Content should be comprehensive and cover the requirements for the web site, as well as any third-party applications that are needed. Part of this process is a gap analysis between what exists and what needs to be written. Placing all pages in the site map and outlining their overall function within the site helps ensure that all topics are covered, as well as any new topics that should be considered for the future.

At the end of it all, though, it is important to remember what your customer wants from you. Then write it down in a way that they truly understand how you deliver on that desire. Your content is better and your customers are happier.

A big help to me in this area has been participating in peer reviews. This can be with writers you know or don’t know, or even people you trust who understand what you are writing. Just like your muscles, your must exercise your writing in order to improve.

I ask for a lot of help to improve writing from both peer reviews, friends in the industry, and my husband, who happens to be a great editor. When I know that I’m having to present something to a tough critic, I always let the person know who is helping me so that he can be overly critical of what I’ve done. It is important to get it right, whether you are submitting work to a client, or submitting to a publisher.

Writing exercises take many forms, whether for creative or business. One of the biggest mistakes we can make when writing is to do so in a bubble. Ask for help! After all, wouldn’t you rather have a tough critique from a friend or peer than from a client, or publisher? It’s always much nicer to hear only good things from those who receive our professional submissions!

• Goals of the site
• How to use the Internet to achieve these goals
• Who is the target market
• What do you want to say to this target market
• Why this site will be better than the competition

Without answering these basic questions, a client will flounder in his or her attempts to have the web site built, and as writers we will not have the best information to write great copy.

Understand Repurposing Web Content

Another important piece of information to understand is how the content written will be reused. Some basic questions to ask include:

• Does the site need a blog?
• Should articles be written and posted on other sites?
• Are white papers or manuals needed?

Defining the type of content to be written early on will streamline the writing process, save the client money, and give us an opportunity to do our best work. Plus our clients will have a better idea of what pages need to be on the web site, and how the site should be structured saving time and making sure everyone is on the same page.

Web content must be pertinent, interesting, well written, and most importantly, current.  Customers will flee from a web site with old information in lieu of one with more updated data, even if the data is very similar or the same.  The Internet moves so quickly that your target customers are accustomed to having their information immediately, and they expect that information to be focused directly on their needs. 

An important part of the strategy is to determine the appropriate format for the content.  For example, in addition to the typical static informational pages, you will want to consider including articles, press releases, photographs, charts, customer reviews, blog posts, order forms…the list is extensive.   

Each type of content requires its own method.  Articles and blog posts need to be timely, and are usually more conversational.  Press releases have a specific format and not only reside on your web site but are typically published via an Internet service. 

The content you employ enables you to communicate more effectively to your target market and existing customers.  Spending time developing an overall web and Internet content strategy saves you time and money, and most importantly ensures your message is clear regardless of where the content resides.

The primary purpose of an Internet presence is marketing your business.  Give your target market an easy road-map to follow.  Whether reading an article on a third-party site or one of your web pages, your company will receive a higher return on your online marketing investment and greater success in converting those web browsers to buyers if you have spent time developing and implementing a web content strategy.