Until I finish updating the SIx Stories website and blog, enjoy this post throwback that I wrote in 2012. Amazing that it still proves true today! -Kelsey
Is it just me, or is the content that is getting published online becoming more and more enthralling? Features that normally would have been reserved for the pages of the New York Times are now getting posted on private blogs and online communities that didn’t exist as little as 5 years ago.
Who knew, that when given an open platform where you can publish anything and have the power to be heard by millions of people in a single day, would give writers around the world license to create amazing and brilliant content.
I believe that press isn’t dead. It just moved to another medium. There are still high-quality journalists and reporters who can still do a great (or even better) job of reporting the stories that matter most. They are just doing it online instead of through a newspaper that, when published, translates into a day-old story.
I think businesses and writers alike should work together collectively to keep pushing the journalistic integrity of the internet forward. Genuine and ingenious thoughts need to be captured, and with the internet, it makes it possible to expose more people to great ideas.
So what are some of the ways companies and writers alike can increase the quality of their content? Here are some pointers:
- Don’t Make SEO Your Top Focus. Yes, SEO should always be in the back of your mind when writing for a company blog or website, but let it occur naturally. If you are covering topics that directly relate to your customers’ interests, this will happen. Just let great content happen and everything else will fall into place.
- Answer The Questions People Are Asking. You can find this out by looking at terms people used to get to your website through Google Analytics or with the Google Analytics Keyword Search Tool. If you constantly receive the same questions repeatedly, write a blog post or feature about it.
- Make it Great. Don’t phone it in by quoting questionable websites just because they support your idea. Get actual quotes. Find the perfect infographic or photo to go with your story. Go beyond the basic issues and get down to what would make things better.