Writing engaging and meaningful content is one of the most important aspects of creating an effective personal website. Your content is what will attract potential clients, customers, employers or collaborators to your site and compel them to take action. With so much noise online, your content needs to stand out from the crowd and convey your unique expertise, personality and value proposition in a compelling way. Here are some tips for writing standout content for your personal site:
Consider Your Goals and Target Audience
Before starting to write, take some time to thoughtfully consider your goals for the site and who your target audience is. Are you looking to generate leads for your business, showcase your portfolio/services, find a new job, or build an audience and platform? Define your objectives and audience personas specifically in terms of demographics, interests and pain points. Crafting content tailored to your ideal reader will ensure it is engaging and persuasive.
Establish Your Brand Voice
Developing a distinctive brand voice is key to creating memorable, consistent content. Your voice should reflect your personality, expertise and values. Is your tone friendly and approachable? Objective and professional? Witty and casual? Determining your unique voice and style early on will make all future content efforts much smoother. Experiment with different takes until you find your authentic brand voice.
Write With Your Readers In Mind
Always keep your target audience top of mind as you write. Consider what information or kind of content would be most useful, interesting or entertaining for them. Answer questions your readers likely have and address their needs/challenges directly. Tell stories and provide tutorials, checklists, case studies and other formats that deliver value immediately. Show, don’t just tell, how your knowledge and skills can specifically help visitors achieve their goals.
Prioritize Keywords for SEO
While natural, human writing should come first, including important keywords that your target customers are likely searching for can help with search engine optimization over time. Do keyword research to identify related long-tail phrases people search for within your industry or topic. Weave those keywords into your content in a logical, readable way. Just don’t over-optimize or stuff keywords unnaturally.
Keep Content Sections Short and Scannable
With short attention spans online, it’s important to break up content into well-structured, bite-sized sections of 3-5 paragraphs maximum. Use clear headings at the top of each section so readers can easily scan content. Include plenty of whitespace and highlight key points in bold, italics or subheadings to make dense info scannable. Generous use of images, videos, bullets and charts also makes content more visually engaging and readable.
Optimize Your Content For Sharing
Make it easy for readers to engage further by optimizing content to be viral and share-worthy on social platforms. Include memorable quotes, startling stats, and provocative questions worthy of comment. Multimedia like photos and GIFs autoplay well on social. And end with a clear call to action prompting readers to share if they found it useful or thought-provoking. Tracking social shares can provide actionable insights into what kinds of content resonate most.
Promote Your Articles on Social Media
Driving traffic starts by promoting your fresh content through the social platforms your target audience uses most. Share one article teaser or excerpt per day on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc. with an enticing subject line or question to pique interest. Optimize images for each platform, and include relevant hashtags. Engage comments by answering questions thoughtfully. Goal should be to generate shares, followers and subscribers with top quality, share-worthy content over time.
Repurpose Long-Form Content
Long-form articles and tutorials can provide tons of valuable information but aren’t optimal for busy social media feeds. Repurposing content into more snackable formats like:
Individual tips/highlights as short Twitter threads
Related images/GIFs with captions on Pinterest and Instagram
Video tutorials by recording yourself discussing key points
Series of short blog posts breaking up long-form
This extends the life and reach of your in-depth content across multiple platforms where readers consume info differently.
Refresh Content Regularly
Internet users regularly check sites they frequent, so keeping content fresh and intriguing with new articles and updates prevents visitors from losing interest over time. Aim to publish 2-5 high quality, unique pieces of content each month relevant to your target readers. Refresh older evergreen articles periodically with newly published studies or stats as well. Committing to steady, engaging content is crucial to developing authority and trust in your industry or topic over the long run.
Evaluate and Optimize Continually
Quality should never be compromised for publication speed. But continuously evaluating metrics like reader time on page, bounce rate, and social engagement can reveal which content and formatting methods resonate most. Use these actionable insights to optimize future content based on what readers are responding to. And be open to experimenting – trying bold new formats or angle can pay off with the right audience. Regular evaluation and willing adaptation will make your content stronger over time.
This article covered some key principles and best practices for writing engaging, optimized content required to attract and retain an audience on a personal website. With the right strategy, focus on the reader experience, and continual evaluation, quality content can successfully showcase your skills and personality online in a way that inspires connections and opportunities.
Andrew Stroud