How to write consistently good content

It seems simple. You want to improve your startup’s SEO, so you create a relevant blog for your website, with a schedule in place for 2 or 3 blog posts a week. For this to work, the content in your blog needs to be high quality so that readers flock towards it and consider it worthy of sharing. So simple. And yet, you find yourself staring at that blank screen wondering how on earth are you supposed to come up with enough quality content to keep up with that schedule. How do you write compelling posts consistently?

1. Research is key to writing content

In one sense, this means researching your topics thoroughly enough to do an exam on them, but it also relates to researching your audience and your competitors. Your readers will tell you what they want to read about in online spaces such as comments on other blogs, forums, on social channels, and in case studies done by competitors. From conducting some social listening, you will be able to figure out what questions they want answered. Find the gaps in the information they are seeking and fill them. 

When investigating your competitors, see what content they are putting out and their popularity. Is it any good? Can you do it better? Are there any topics they have missed? See how you can replicate what they have done well (without copying) and fill in the gaps on what they have missed out to ensure that you are producing valuable content for your audience. This is a great way to find inspiration when you're stuck in a rut.
 
 

2. Make your posts as unique as possible

Hone in on one area of research and then hone in some more. Find a niche (but relevant) subject and explore it to the best of your ability. This will keep your writing relevant and, above all, help it stand out. For example, there are likely to be a million posts floating around Google on marketing, so use your industry knowledge in your specific sector to write a great piece about how to market ice cream to elderly people (or something relevant to your company).

After writing, you can also optimise your blog to include an audio version or slide deck summarising the content. This is a great way to increase accessibility and a content avenue many do not explore.

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3. Get ahead of the game

Nothing is worse for a writer (whether a novelist or a blogger) than an empty page and a looming deadline. When you feel inspired to write then write as much as possible and keep a pen and paper close by to jot down any shadows of an idea. Don’t stop writing until you really have nothing left to say. Even if half of it is simply ramblings and musings about the current day’s news it will at least be something to start from when you get stuck tomorrow. Build up a catalogue of posts that you can use at any point and this will keep your posting consistent.
 
 

4. Stay focused on your reasons

You won’t be able to continue churning out good content if you don’t have any motivation behind it. Constantly remind yourself why you are writing blog posts and how they fit into the larger scale of things. It is a long process and takes a while before you will see results so whatever you do, don’t give up! And if you can't think of how your blog is adding value? Don't write it and realign your content. 

5. Be realistic

If you can't write 3 blogs in a week - don't. Always, always choose quality over quantity as one meaningful, insightful blog a week is more likely to lead to greater conversions and a larger readership than 3 thrown together listicles that have been done before. It is not worth the stress of posting several times a week if it will compromise the value of content and impact your creativity. So, be realistic about your output and stick to the schedule you know will work best for you.

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*Editor's note: This blog was originally published in 2016 and has since been updated.