5 questions to ask yourself before publishing content

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"Content" is anything that takes up space on a page.

Content is an article, an infographic, a video or an image.

Publishing content on the web is easy. In fact, millions of people have published something on Facebook since you began reading this article. 

Creating good content, however -- valuable, interesting, compelling content that garners attention -- is hard. 

Good content can drive millions of people to your website.

Bad content, meanwhile, can damage your brand. 

That begs the question:

How can you tell if your content is ready for publication?

Below are several questions that'll help you view your content objectively. 

Ask yourself, is this:

1. Appropriate?

Appropriate content will help your target audience achieve their goals, giving them the information they need to solve a problem or assuage a fear or accomplish a goal. 

2. Useful?

Useful content has a purpose.

The more specific the purpose, the more useful the content. For example:

• "Selling a product" is less useful than "Selling this product"
• "Selling this product" is less useful than "Showing the benefits of this product"
• "Showing the benefits of this product" is less useful than "Show how this product can help managers schedule employees more efficiently"

Specificity is key. 

Nobody is interested in connecting with selfish people.

3. Selfish?

Jargon and fancy words can alienate people.

Sculpt messages that your target audience understands and relates with. Anything less than that is self-serving. And nobody is interested in connecting with selfish people.

4. Clear?

If your message isn't easy to understand, you risk losing people, especially online. 

Want to start writing clearer content in minutes? Read this.

5. Consistent?

Consistent content minimizes distractions, which maximizes comprehension. 

If you keep your grammar, punctuation, voice, and tone consistent throughout, you will keep your audience focused on the message, not the delivery. 

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

Remember the golden rule: Less is more.

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LEARN TO PERSUADE

WRITE BETTER.
MARKET BETTER.
SELL MORE.

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