What is high-quality content? Everyone knows that you need it in marketing, but what makes a piece of content high-quality, and how do you create it? A high-quality piece of content is typically valuable to the recipient, easy to understand, and has a clear, set purpose. Around 6 million new posts are published on the internet every day and everyone is fighting for their audience’s attention. To stand out in this ocean of original content, the content that you’re creating cannot be average.

The problem is that most articles on the subject claim to give you tips on writing high-quality content but never actually walk you through a key part of the process- where to start. How many articles have you seen with titles like ‘5 Tips to Make Your Next Email Campaign Great’? One of those generic tips inevitably states ‘include high-quality content’ but never expands on how to do that. Helpful, right?

So, let’s walk through what different types of high-quality content can look like and also HOW you can create it. 

Step 1: Have a goal

As with any good marketing strategy, you should start with a clear goal in mind for your content. This goal is likely to differ based on your industry, company, and specific marketing objectives. What is it you want this content to achieve? Are you trying to generate leads? Increase your customer’s LTV (lifetime value)? Or simply get more visitors to your website? Ensuring that it has the framework of a SMART goal can be a great place to start! Once you’ve established a goal, you can start narrowing down the different types of content that cater best to it.

Step 2: Decide on the type of content

Some marketing mediums and channels resonate with certain marketing and business objectives better than others. For instance, if your company’s business is based on a subscription model, you may heavily value the LTV of your customers. Considering this, the goal of your content may be to provide additional value outside of your standard product/services, giving your customers more reasons to stick around and thereby increasing LTV. A few examples of content that might fit this scenario include:

• Informative Videos (Interviews, Webinars, Event Highlights)
• Useful Guides (Industry Best Practices, User Guides, Tutorials)
• Infographics (Historical Data or Trends)
• Downloadable Tools or Templates 

 These types of content can also work beyond driving LTV. Not only will current customers get additional value out of your partnership, but if you make these types of content public-facing on your website and promote them accordingly, you can entice new customers to use your services by showing that you go the extra mile and are always releasing new, valuable content. 

The type of content you leverage will invariably hinge on your business model. An e-commerce platform may thrive on product reviews and behind-the-scenes footage, while a consultancy firm might bank on case studies or white papers. Remember, the true north of your content strategy should always be defined by your business goals and audience.

Step 3: Create the Content

From there all you have to do is create great content………….. Now onto the next step! Kidding, of course.

So, how DO you create content that makes a difference and exceeds industry norms? Well, once you’ve decided on the type of content you’re going to create, you need to pick a subject that will resonate with your customers. Start by getting into the mind of your current and potential customers. Ask yourself questions like:

• What do my customers care about?
• What problems and challenges do they face?
• What are my customers’ needs?
• What do my customers need that might be missing from the industry?
• How do my company’s products/services meet their needs and address their challenges?

If you don’t know the answer to some of these questions, don’t sweat it! If you don’t have a great idea of what your customers care about most (honestly even if you think you do) creating a survey and requesting feedback from your industry’s community or current customers might be a great thing to consider.

Transforming this customer intelligence into content isn’t as daunting as it might seem. As an example, let’s say your research indicated that a large portion of your customer base struggles with managing their time efficiently, and your company happens to sell project management software – use this to develop a blog post about ‘Top Time Management Strategies’. You can artfully mention your product and how it serves as a useful tool in tackling the problem.

Or if you’re selling health supplements and your research reveals customers care deeply about immune health during the cold months, create a series of social media posts on ‘Boosting Immunity in the Winter’ and subtly infuse your product’s benefits into this narrative. Be sure not just to outline their problem but also present a viable solution.

By integrating your understanding of what your customers care about into the fabric of your content, you will drive higher engagement. Content developed along these lines tends to stand out from the crowd, gaining more attention and engagement from your audience.

Step 4: Putting it all together

Finally, you must decide how to promote it within a chosen marketing channel. In this example, we’ll assume you are using email. Some types of content you can more naturally include within an email than others- like a video. However, depending on your email platform, showing a teaser rather than embedding the video within the email itself may be your best choice. For example, if you chose to create video content, but your email platform doesn’t have a feature to embed video, writing an enticing description of your video linking to the content on your website is still a great option. That being said, if you’re able to embed a video, that would be ideal.

If you chose to create blog content, that’s probably not something you’re going to include in its entirety within an email. So, maybe get creative with how you promote it in the email campaign, driving recipients back to your site to reach the full article. Maybe consider writing a short description, but leaving out some key details to spark your audience’s curiosity. Or you could include the article’s introduction to hook your audience, with a ‘Read More’ CTA attached. This is where testing is going to come into play.

Remember, it’s not solely about what you say; it’s also about how you present it. So, experiment and test different strategies to find what strikes a chord with your audience. The fusion of well-rounded customer intelligence, quality content, and impactful presentation is your golden trio, elevating your brand to an industry benchmark. Don’t just meet the content bar, raise it.

Step 5: Just Send It

Regardless of the adventure that you chose along your marketing journey, the important part is to create the content and release it. There are a few types of content that are trickier to create than others (like video) but the only way you’re going to get better at it is by doing it. The same goes for writing, but you don’t need me to tell you that. At the end of the day, many marketers are hesitant to put their original content out in the world for critique. 

Just as it’s said “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” similarly, no content has ever made an impact by staying in your drafts. Yes, every piece you send out there creates a ripple and a chance for dialogue, feedback and even criticism. But that’s precisely how you refine, optimize, and trend towards excellence. Choosing not to publish for fear of critique is a zero-progress game. You create no opportunities for connection, learning, or improvement. So don’t hesitate. Take the plunge, hit that send button, and turn your content into a tangible impact. Remember, your content can’t make a mark if it never sees the light of the inbox.

Final Thoughts

Building high-quality marketing content is more than an art – it’s a craft that requires practice, strategy, innovation, and a good deal of courage to hit the ‘send’ button. It’s about understanding your audience and tailoring content that brings value, creates engagement, and drives action. By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way toward creating meaningful, high-quality content that resonates with your audience and gives them a worthwhile reason to engage with your company. Keep in mind, this guide is, well just a guide, and just like any good recipe, you should find ways to make it your own.

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