So by now you already understand the importance of creating killer content when using content marketing in your online business. After all, isn’t that what the web is about? Content?
As you well know, the Web is far from lacking resources on how to become a better writer and create “killer” content. In fact, the Web is spilling over with this type of advice. But what good is good advice if you don’t have a way to apply it?
Here Comes Some Practical Application For Ya
I don’t know about you, but I consume so much information that unless I break it down in a way that is useful to me, it just sits in my memory bank collecting dust. So to avoid wasting all of the precious information I intake, I always create guides and checklists that help me apply the things I’ve learned consistently and effectively.
I’ve created many guides like this to help me establish processes (which are great for your online business), and I plan to share many of them with you over time. But today, I’m going to give you the only guide you’ll ever need to ensure that your Web content is top-notch. In this guide I cover pre-writing considerations, content analysis, and final draft considerations. All you need to do is print it out and use it when you create content to make sure your work-product measures up.
Get The Killer Content Guide Here
Here’s what the guide looks like, but click here to snag a pdf version.
I hope this guide to creating “killer” content will prove incredibly helpful to you. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it the comments below. If I left something out, let me know and I’ll add it! If I made a mistake (forgive me), and tell me so I can fix it!
And…if you love it…share it! Tweet it. Like it. Let’s make the Web a better place by helping everyone create the kind of content we want to read.
P.S. Are you signed up to get Kick-A$$ Tips?!?! If not, get em’ here! KATs drop the first week of every month and in April we are going to be talking social media. But don’t worry…I’m not going to vomit a bunch of social media chow chow all over ya. I’ll keep it real and make it useful. Don’t miss out. HOLLA!
{ 41 comments… read them below or add one }
I think that this content guide is a very useful resource for anyone who writes content. It is also an effective piece of link bait in my opinion on your part.
Lol! Thanks, Caleb. Feel free to link to it.
Your video is awesome, you are slow spoken and cool in front of the camera. Looking forward to connecting with you, best regards from Alpha Efficiency.
I love outlines like these because it really streamlines the process. I always hated keeping records at work but the more I find myself blogging the more I realize that I need some kind of workflow – this is spot on!
Hi Marlee,
First time I’ve visited your site. I’m glad I came when I did because this guide is beautiful. Have it printed and sitting on my desk now.
Hope to stop by often,
Bryce
Glad you like the guide, Bryce. It’s a great jump starter for those days when your content won’t flow naturally.
Marlee: What a great resource! Thanks so much for sharing it and passing it along. Also, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the new look of the blog. Have I been gone that long? I didn’t even realize you were planning a change. Congrats. I know these redesigns are always a lot of work. It came together really good.
Tips like these should be broadcasted! They are great! I can’t think of other questions that were not included in this post. If someone’s in doubt about their content, these questions are the pecfect guides. And I also agree with Martina that practice, practice and practice would lead you to the horizon you aim to reach.
Hi Jared!
Welcome to Metamorphoself! Glad you like the killer content guide. I hope you will find it very useful!
Martina is a smart girl and anyone would be well to take her advice!
Your checklist takes a lot of ideas and puts them all into one convenient list. Thanks for doing that!
So far I have not been methodical about how I create my content and I want to be so this will help focus my thoughts.
Hi Ann!
I’m glad you like the guide and I hope it proves to be a great tool for you!
Welcome to Metamorphoself!
I love cheat sheets of any kind. Thanks, Marlee. Your “Killer Content Checklist” is wonderful. You’ve hit all the highlights and organized it in a concise way that’s super simple to follow.
Wow — you’re really a MONDAY kind of gal! I view every Monday as a fresh start, too, but lots of online marketers don’t agree with my train of thought. Mostly they tell me my way of thinking is too ‘corporate’ in nature. That’s okay. I say whatever floats your boat!
Miss Melanie! I’m so glad I have a fellow Monday compadre’! If my memory serves me correctly I think out beloved Marcus @thesaleslion likes Mondays too.
Sometimes it good to buck common sentiments and conventional wisdom – even if we are getting all corporate on em’
Thanks for you comment Melanie!
Sweeeeet checklist Marlee, downloaded and printed out.
I was just speaking to Marcus the other day about how we both build our posts and since you are working on the HOW, we both discovered that each have different approaches. He starts with the headline and I start with the story then add the headline.
I think that the solution is that there is no one size fits all, we each have a HOW but your checklist certainly covers all the points that need to be in a post in order to make it a great one.
Thanks Marlee for this amazing tool.
Hey John,
I’m like Marcus I start with the headline, BUT if I find that at the end it’s not a good fit I’ll revise it in a snap.
Glad you like the checklist!
As bloggers our success lies in our contents. And recently I have began to understand that our contents, goes beyond our blog posts and also include our comments on other people’s blogs as well as ours. So I am advocating we consciously begin to apply the same killer content strategies to the comments we leave on blogs. We are only as good as our contents.
Thank you for sharing.
Hello Tito! Welcome to Metamorphoself.
It’s a pleasure to make your virtual acquaintance!
I love what you have share here and couldn’t agree more. We are only as good as our contents!
Both on paper and as people!
Thank you for visiting and don’t be a stranger!
Hey Mrs. Marlee! Could I have been any later? NOPE! Busy-busy-busy start to the week…but it’s good week! You kill me with your Monday-love! Honestly, I commend you for it. My issue with Monday is this – it marks the end of having two-full days with my family…work free! Besides that – I can handle the dark day of the week. I actually get a lot done on Mondays.
Okay, on to the point of this great post.
One thing I’d like to share about myself is that I’m not a writer. I can type pretty fast – but I’m not an esteemed writer. I have a lot of work to do and I know it. I received a terrible education before college. In college I did well on writing assignments and what not, but they were always structured, lacked creativity, and honestly always boring. After college, my writing consisted of either poorly written emails or highly structured, emotionless business memos and letters.
Blogging has a completely different requirement – if you want to be successful. you have to captivate, give value, hold attention, tell stories, and the list goes on and on. This is all new to me.
I share that, to share with you how much I appreciate information such as this that you’ve shared. The PDF really is extensive and something that I will put to practice. One fear that I have is that when I set boundaries for artistic types of things (such as writing in a blogging format), I tend to get extremely rigid and critical. This is something that I simply have to get over…well, simply stated, but it’ll take time.
Overall, I feel as though I’ve progressed this year – significantly. It’s been by challenging myself and being mindful and honest of my reality.
So, thank you for presenting us with this. Given the names that you researched in order to put this together I know it can’t be missing something. Plus you put your legal-detailed eye on it.
If I come across anything additional to add, I’ll let you know.
PEACE
Could Ihave been any later is the question!?!?! I’m responding to your Monday comment on a FRIDAY!
I hope that you’ll find the PDF to be a guide rather than a structure. Even though I tried to organize it in a logical manner, it doesn’t have to be used in a particular order. In your case I’d recommend using it after you’ve already written the article. Then go back and look for the elements. This way you won’t stifle your creative flow and get stuck in a box.
PEACE!
This is a great checklist Marlee! It’s really intimidating for entrepreneurs who are not professional writers to tackle the whole content creation thing. Your checklist is a great resource. Armed with these points and the willingness to practice, practice, practice, killer content is surely on the horizon
Hey Martina!
Great to see you here! You make a great point. Practice, practice, practice. You only get better by doing!
Thank you for your comment!
A) Informative video: check
B) Kick-A$$, Free PDF guide: check
C) Creative prompts:check
Content that’s clicky and sticky (that doesn’t sound right) is the only way to go. We’re all striving to create an experience at our home sites and your guide really DOES ask the right questions.
@Peggy: I definitely agree we should have a purpose for each piece we write. Otherwise we take a shotgun approach to content that will just burn us out and confuse our audience.
Thanks everyone…
Jon
Hey Jon!
I actually like it: “clicky and sticky” It’s fun to say. I’ll have to find a way to use that one some time.
Glad you like the PDF!
Hi Marlee,
Not only do I love the sound pragmatism of the checklist I love your overall mission. The availability and freedom to express our ideas and opinions over the internet is at once awesome and inhibiting. Teaching folks how to focus their thoughts will help them express themselves authentically and joyously and thus “make the internet a better place.”
Thanks Rob! Love keep the positive flow moving.
Thanks for sharing this!
Marlee – very kicking PDF, but I’ll be honest, you don’t really need it. I think you put out some pretty great content without any help.
Just thought I’d give some encouragement there.
Awww Bryan…you are too kind. Glad you had a great vacation!
The words of encouragement are ALWAYS appreciated.
I love checklists and I am already getting yours
Well, actually I went through it so I can comment.
Anyway, I love it and it will help so much to get my thoughts in line without me scattering all over the place when I write. Although I blog, I am not a writer (not a native English speaker) so files like these are a tremendous help for me. Thanks!
Hi Brankica!
Welcome to Metamorphoself! So nice to see you here.
You write very, very well for not being a Native English speaker! I enjoy your articles very much.
I hope this outline will prove to help you keep kicking out awesome work!
Wow – where do you get the energy Marlee?
Always looking for tips on killer content.
Will download your killer content cheat sheets as soon as I’ve posted this comment.
BTW – just started a mini series over on easyP on using video in blogging.
Paul Wolfe has kicked off the series with a guest post.
Would be great to get a comment from someone like you who uses video all the time.
If you get a minute……
Hi Keith!
I hope you like the checklist and get a lot of use out of it. I’m on my way over to your neck of the woods. Can’t wait to see your take on video!
Got your comment Marlee.
Can’t thank you enough.
Keith
Hi Marlee,
I’m a big fan of actionable checklists and this is a great one! Way to go!
I think the only thing I would add in pre-writing is to decide what your purpose is for the article before you write. It might be to educate, pre-sell, give back, entertain, send viral, etc. This matters because it helps structure the article and point it in the direction you intend it to go.
Thanks,
Peggy
Great point Peggy! Thanks for the addition.
Glad you’ve found the list helpful.
Thanks for visiting!
You know, Marlee… that PDF is so awesome. I’m a very structured person, so I really like how you laid it out and made it easy for someone like me to glance at and work through. Thanks!
Yay! I’m glad you like it Dustin. I developed this habit of synthesizing things in this manner when I was in law school. It was the only way to get all of the concepts to stick and tie things together. I hope to publish more of these type of documents down the road.
Yes! Few things excite me more than a free pdf
That is a freaking awesome guide, though. I’m definitely RTing this sucker. I like how you really are specific. This is actionable stuff, not just generic feel-good BS.
Kudos for a great resource, Marlee, and thanks!
Hooray for FREE pdfs!
So glad you find this useful Tristan. Coming from the King of AWESOME free pdfs it’s a real compliment! Thanks for the RT!
I’m with you, Marlee – you know you’re doing the right stuff when you look forward to and get excited about Mondays!
The checklist is great – no wonder, being influenced by such a smart group of people.
Thanks for sharing it, Marlee!
Hi Danny!
Woot woot for the crazy Monday lovers! Just imagine how much happier people would feel if they could look forward to Mondays!
Glad you enjoyed the checklist. Let me know how it works for you!
My pleasure Keith. You’re welcome. I’ll be back around!