Making Good Content Great: How to Improve Content Marketing

“Let’s make good better.”

One of my favorite journalism professors had a way of working with students that was respectful and positive while still instructional. During our weekly reporting assignment, he encouraged each of his students to bring a draft of their article to him during office hours. This session was invaluable. He would offer feedback on the story and guidance on how to improve it.

These meetings were the most useful when the story had already been given a lot of attention but needed a little extra polish to truly shine. In those situations, my teacher would compliment the story and discuss its merits. Then he’d say, “Now let’s make good better.” 

Influencing the Future

A teacher who encourages a student and helps them produce their best work leaves a lasting impression on that student, and intrinsically influences their work for years to come.

A web company that works with its clients to produce the most effective, engaging, and optimized content possible helps the client achieve the maximum impact on their site, positively influencing their business for years to come.

Good Content vs. Great Content

There is plenty of good content on the web. Good web content is reasonably well-written, follows conventions in grammar and punctuation, and presents some information. But, as my professor said, there’s a lot of room to make good better. Good web content is sufficient, but not extraordinary. Great web content is powerful.

What is great web content?
Great web content:

• Clearly and quickly presents information
• Engages the audience
• Enables online reading—scanning and skimming
• Organically incorporates SEO keywords
• Directs visitors to the information they seek
• Tells a story
• Features sharply written text with:
  • Innovative turns of phrase
  • Fresh language
  • An engaging, appropriate tone

What does great content do?
Great web content:

• Delivers relevant, current, accurate information
• Attracts a targeted audience
• Retains visitors to the site
• Establishes the credibility of the site

Why is great content important?
Great web content:

• Presents targeted key messages 
  (supports a business’ initiatives)
• Fosters communication between the site owner and its visitors 
  (a business and its customers)
• Encourages and assists visitors to take action 
  (converts visitors into customers)

Powerful, optimized content—combined with smart development and effective design—helps create a successful website. Content is a key component of a holistic, integrated approach to web development and design. Great web content elevates an entire website. 

Without great content, a web site can certainly be good. But to make good better—to make a site that is truly great—great web content is essential.

How do you “make good better?” Tell us about it below.