The Most Vital Thing Writers Need To Create Great Content

The Golden Nugget

Have you ever wondered why some things you read just really seem to “nail it” while others, well, don’t quite meet the mark? There are many things that can contribute to this discrepancy. Ask 10 content writers what they need most in order to deliver outstanding content and you are likely to get 10 different answers.

As important as each of those 10 things would be, I believe that each them is actually intimately related to the one true essential need. Let me explain. Following are some of the things you could expect writers to say they must know before they can write your content:

• Audience

It comes as no surprise that many a content writer would cite a clear understanding of the audience as a highly critical piece of information needed in order to properly write anything. In his Search Engine Journal blog post titled The Anatomy of a Great Content Strategy, Mike Volpe talks about this very concept.

He urges writers to “get persona-fied” and get away from lumping people into generic categories. All moms, for example, he suggests are not the same. Nor are all CEO’s. Volpe goes so far as to suggest that writers give names to their target audiences in an effort to personalize them—and the content—to the fullest extent.

• Word Count

Knowing how long a piece of content should be can help writers craft the right message to fit the need and delivery vehicle. Direction to writers should always indicate whether a landing page, white paper or social media post is requested. The difference in word count for each of these is quite dramatic and will directly impact the effectiveness of the final product.

• Voice

The tone of any piece of content sets the mood and creates an ambiance and character not just for that content but for your company. This is at the heart and soul of branding and that is most certainly a vital reason for you to create content. Neil Patel urges writers to create conversations with readers in How to Get Your Blog Posts Read, featured on Search Engine Journal.

• Message

Certainly writers must be clear about what message or topic they are to communicate to readers. Background information may be needed in some cases as well as allowing time for research. Smart writers will always make sure they know what you want them to say.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the nuts-and-bolts information that guides writers to create great content but it is representative of the types of things most critical to getting what you want. However, as I mentioned above, there is one thing that trumps all of these.

The Leg Bone is Connected to the Hip Bone

At the end of the day, writers must have clear strategies to follow. Without understanding your ultimate goal, they cannot possibly give you what you want. This inherently includes marrying all of the above items—and more—but all within the framework of those final visions. A recent Copyblogger.com post titled The Prepared Writer’s Process for Creating Excellent Content Every Day appropriately identifies this as the number one need of any writer.