Creating Scalable, Quality Content
This is one for the English fan base… but I remember sitting in front of the TV with my dad, many years ago, listening to Irish legend Frank Carson cracking terrible jokes on TV and using his catchphrase It’s the way I tell ’em… And my wife still rolls her eyes at me to this day, when I get into dad joke mode 😂😂
But there’s a valid point in it, and a lesson we should all take. Often the problem isn’t in the content we put out, but in the way we tell ’em.
Today, I wanted to walk you through a base example of how a good post should be constructed. As ever… don’t just copy me and my style. Find your own, experiment, and find what works for you. But please, PLEASE. STOP writing paragraphs of text with no line breaks!
Layout, Format, and Process
“I’ve no idea where to start” is usually where most people are right now. Then an idea pops into your head – somebody says something, or you hear something, and you’re away, furiously typing away at the keyboard, like I am now! 20 minutes later, you’ve created a masterpiece, and you hit send. And it gets…. crickets.
Often, the answer is in your formatting and layout, but if you follow this process, you’re off to a good start. There are as many different ways of writing a post as there are influencers – and they all claim to be right. There’s no such thing. There’s only right FOR YOU. OR. Right for YOUR AUDIENCE.
Step 1 – Get it written
You’re gripped by writing fever and you’re furiously typing away. Don’t stop. Get it all down, no matter how it looks or sounds. But DO NOT HIT SEND. Wait for a bit. The important thing is to get it off your chest and get it down on paper (the screen, Paul. The screen!). Then double check to make sure you can’t add any other viewpoints to consider, some questions for the audience to think about, or any additional backup proof of what you’ve said.
Step 2 – Formatting & Layout
Consider carefully the impact your post layout has on your readers. Information that’s too bunched up into paragraphs is hard to read on any device, especially a mobile – which is where almost two-thirds of content is consumed. Adding line breaks between paragraphs, and potentially between important sentences is equivalent to adding importance.
It also helps with folks who are neurodiverse, and struggle to consume large blocks of text at once (I know this first hand!). It’s not just a gimmick. And yeah, some people hate it. It does depend on your audience, and your own preference a little. And we’re not saying you should add a line break after every sentence.
Step 3 – Simplify
Look back at each chunk of text, and ask the golden marketing question. If I removed any of these words, would the sentence still make sense? Because if so, you don’t need them. I struggle with this – I’m a big over-communicator, and a fan of why use 1 word when 1000 would do. I love to tell the WHOLE story, and make sure I lay out the narrative for my readers. So even I don’t always follow this step. So sue me.
Step 4 – What have I missed?
Consider adding alternative viewpoints. What if people don’t agree with you? What would they say? How can you counteract that in your content? SHOULD you?
Step 5 – Where’s the value?
It’s SUPER important that each piece of content has a point. I could write posts all day long about things that happen (and I’d love to!) but we have to remember, you can only write 1-2 posts per day without penalty from the algorithm. With only 2 posts, you need to make sure that your content targets your ideal client, and helps them somehow.
For more insights, check out Talking with Authority: Elevate Your On-Camera Presence.
I’d love to be giving advice on leadership – I’m super passionate about it… but my ideal client doesn’t see me as an expert in content by writing about it!
Step 6 – Hook Line and CTA
A good hook line does what it says on the tin – it stops the scroll. After you’ve written a good article, go back to the top and think about what you’ve said.
What could you say in a short sentence that would be polarising (you can always row back a little), inflammatory, surprising, or unexpected? What would make YOU stop scrolling?
- “When the CFO knocks on the door…”
- “3 tips for writing super engaging posts that educate your customer” (People love numbers and stats)
- “96.5% of people don’t do this in their content”
There’s loads of examples. Lastly, the CTA – the Call to Action. Give your audience 1, or at max, 2 things to do on the back of your post. TELL them what you want them to do. Should they comment and engage? Tag people? Reach out to you? Read an article?
Step 7 – Hashtags & Follows
Make sure to use 3-5 hashtags ideally (although recently, it’s debated that the limit on hashtags has been uplifted altogether, I still keep it to 5 max). My advice from experience, is to research them, and use 2 hashtags relevant to your industry that have a high following, 2 that have a low following (get in front of a more targeted audience) and 1 that’s unique to you – that people can follow and find your content.
Add a request to follow your profile by ringing the bell, signing up to your newsletter, or whatever your process is for your funnel progression.
Save this last section in a note file somewhere (or use Briskine templates!) and make sure to repeat it on every post for uniformity.
Step 8 – Sit back, post, and enjoy!
Make sure you stick around. Don’t be that person who tells a really good joke on stage and then walks away before the audience laugh. Stick around, engage, and make friends! If you don’t see anyone commenting, tag someone you know will comment, and get them to engage with you to set the example… others will follow!
For further tips on creating compelling profiles, see Revamp Your LinkedIn Profile to Convert Leads.
