Content Writing Questions to Ask Yourself
As a content writer, there are several important questions you need to consistently ask yourself to produce high-quality, effective content. Taking the time to thoughtfully consider these questions will help ensure your content is on-strategy, targeted to the right audience, and provides real value. While there is no definitive formula for content success, regularly reflecting on these core questions will strengthen your writing process and ability to craft meaningful content.
What is the goal of this content piece?
Every piece of content you create should have a clear goal or purpose in mind. Is the goal to inform, educate, persuade, sell a product/service, build awareness, or something else? Understanding the overarching goal will guide how you craft the tone, structure, key messages and calls-to-action. Goals like generating leads require different types of content than building thought leadership. Take the time upfront to crystalize exactly what you want the content to accomplish before beginning.
Who is the target audience?
Closely related to defining the goal is identifying your target audience as specifically as possible. Are you writing for B2B decision makers, aspiring entrepreneurs, hobbyists, a niche community, etc.? Really get inside your audience’s mindset so you can speak to them where they are and address their specific wants/needs. Use demographic research, analytics and customer personas to develop a clear audience profile that will inform your word choice, examples and how you frame the content.
What problem does this content solve or question does it answer?
Every piece of content should provide value by either solving a problem or answering a question for the reader. Start by considering the REAL problems or questions your target audience faces that are keeping them up at night. Your content idea stem from there. Don’t just cover generic topics – zoom in on addressing audiences’ pains with specific, actionable solutions and insights. Give readers a clear reason to invest their time reading beyond just being interesting or entertaining.
What are the key messages or talking points?
Outline 2-5 central messages or main discussion points you want readers to walk away having learned or understood. These main talking points will inform your subheadings and how you organize the content flow. They represent the most important takeaways relative to solving problems or answering questions. With each point, also determine any supporting facts, stats, stories or examples needed to fully explain and drive it home.
How will the content be structured and organized?
Once you have your main messages clearly outlined, determine the optimal structure and flow to share that information effectively. Will it be broken into sections? Follow a problem/solution format? Use a Q&A or step-by-step approach? Choose the structure that best suits your goal and audience to present complex ideas in a logical, digestible way. Proper organization creates clarity and makes the content easy to scan and consume.
What tone is appropriate?
Your content tone should match your target personas’ personality and communication preferences. B2B buyers prefer professional, solution-focused writing while hobby enthusiasts want an informal friend’s guide. Consider tone on a case-by-case basis vs a one-size-fits-all approach. An upbeat, cheerful tone could come across disingenuous if topic is serious. Think like your readers and write how they want to be spoken to.
How will readers benefit?
Clearly outline the takeaways and benefits readers will gain. Will they walk away more knowledgeable, have a solution to a problem, be closer to making a decision or taking action? Paint a vivid before-and-after picture of how their situation improves thanks to consuming this piece of content. Relatable benefits are the most persuasive.
What calls-to-action make the most sense?
All content should prompt some kind of next step toward further engagement. But not all calls work for every scenario. Which CTAs like downloading an asset, requesting a consultation, signing up for a trial or webinar are most applicable given your goal and reader’s stage in the funnel? CTAs need to feel natural versus stuffed in awkwardly. Test different options to see which better resonates.
How can this content be shared on other platforms?
Consider how the content could live beyond a website. Summarize key points into social-friendly snippets, images and videos for channels like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook. Long-form content can power email newsletters or be broken into a series. Spin off different types of assets like infographics, lists, mini ebooks, etc to extend reach and shelf life. Mobile formatting is also essential in this multi-device world. Cross-platform distribution maximizes impact.
What support can others provide?
While initial content conception comes from you, don’t be afraid to tap teammates for support. Subject experts, marketers and designers all play crucial roles. Bounce drafts to SMEs to validate information accuracy. Marketers can provide strategical feedback. Designers add visual elements for social sharing appeal. Collaboration breeds better alignment across an organization and often improved content quality as well.
How will success be measured?
Define concrete metrics to gauge if the content achieves its purpose before launch. Track leads and conversions if goal is sales. Assess social shares for awareness pieces. Measure on-page time and interactions to ensure reader engagement. Consider survey responses or testimonials to spotlight impact stories. Data analysis keeps content efforts focused and aligned with business objectives. Regular reporting inspires future optimization.
Does the content require updates?
With the constant evolution of buyer personas, industry trends, technologies and organizational goals – content has an expiration date. Plan for refreshes, rewrites and ongoing promotion. Set calendars for periodic review dates based on analytics and need. Keep valuable evergreen content timely through small enhancements. Major overhauls may be necessary for competitive replacements. View content as dynamic not static. Maintenance is key to long term success and measurable value.
With a habit of consistently asking and answering these core content marketing questions, you’ll be well-equipped to develop effective, results-oriented content your target personas will love. Remember that quality and strategy are equally as important as volume. Thoughtful consideration upfront creates rich user experiences and strong performance downstream. So take the time to reflect on each question thoroughly before hitting publish.
Andrew Stroud