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Research Done Write (Pun Intended): A Guide for Aspiring Content Writers
Note: This guide is 1700 words in length, so it may take some time to read.
If you're a webmaster looking to populate your site with fresh content, or a writer tasked with writing about unfamiliar topics, conducting proper research is crucial to creating a compelling article that does justice to your website or client.
While it may be easy to write about popular topics like dogs and gadgets, what if you're asked to write about more unconventional topics such as "The Quickest Ways to Have an Orgasm Using the New Virgin Destroyer X5000 Dildo" or "How to Kill Somebody and Hide the Body with a Mattress and Some Water?"
You don't want readers to open your article, quickly scroll through it, and call out its inaccuracies. That's a surefire way to fail.
To avoid this, you must do your research diligently, ensuring that your article is well-informed, authoritative, and engaging. This is especially important if you're a new content writer seeking clients. You don't want to make any mistakes early in your career, particularly if writing is your intended profession.
So how can you create top-notch content that is well-researched and authoritative? By following these four steps:
Many people fail to recognize the significant distinction between content writing and copywriting. Content writing involves creating blog posts, informative articles, or any other type of content intended to engage and entertain readers. Copywriting, on the other hand, is focused on direct marketing or promotion.
The term "direct" is appropriate for copywriting because it is intended to persuade people to buy a product or service or to take some other form of action, such as submitting an email address. Although informative blog posts may also have a marketing objective, it is not as apparent.
During the research phase, the first step is to identify the intended purpose of the content for your client or yourself. Will it be published on a website, printed for offline use, or used as a sales copy, guide, or informative article? Gathering as much information as possible about the target audience is crucial.
It is essential to know who the content is aimed at. Are they experts, people seeking knowledge, or those looking to buy or sell something? How will they access the content, whether it be on a webpage, social media post, email, or printed poster? When will they read it, tomorrow, the day after, or years from now? Are they expected to take any action after reading the content?
2. The next step is to locate credible resources for your content.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Wikipedia cannot be considered a dependable source of information. The reason being, it contains a vast amount of data on numerous topics, which makes it difficult to determine the accuracy of its content. Moreover, it can be biased in several instances.
While it may be acceptable to quote Wikipedia occasionally, it is not advisable to rely on a platform where anyone can edit its content when producing a 500-word article for $100. It's essential to impress your new client and turn them into a long-term revenue stream (sorry, clients).
However, Wikipedia still has its uses. It can provide a general understanding of a subject, and the fact that each wiki page has links to similar information can be helpful. Nevertheless, the most valuable feature of Wikipedia is its "Citations and References" section located at the bottom of the page, which can be a hidden gem.
After obtaining a basic understanding of a subject through Wikipedia, it's time to move on to more credible research sources. The research resources required will depend on the content's topic.
For example, if your article concerns potty training for children, authoritative parenting sites and blogs (such as www.naturalchild.org and www.ahaparenting.com) and relevant parenting books would be the best sources to use.
If you're tasked with creating the homepage for a travel agency's website, it's essential to discover the latest travel trends. This can be achieved by examining social media profiles of current influencers, although not an authoritative resource, it can provide valuable insights into what topics to cover. You can also read recent articles from reliable travel blogs, such as www.expertvagabond.com and www.joaoleitao.com.
However, when writing about a medical condition or issue, thorough research is essential to maintain ethical writing standards. Ensure that you check all relevant authoritative medical reports, official government sites, and medical studies. Resources such as www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ and omnimedicalsearch.com can be useful for obtaining medical information. It's crucial to ensure the accuracy of your sources when writing about medical subjects.
Examining recent press releases and social media sites/posts can be advantageous when searching for trends. Additionally, Reddit is a valuable resource to gather insights from your target audience. There is a subreddit for almost everything, providing a wealth of information and topics for discussion.
Finally, if possible, conduct interviews with experts in the specific field you're researching to enhance the credibility of your content. Using authoritative sources repeatedly throughout your research and content is recommended. It adds relevance and authority, and linking to those sources is beneficial for SEO purposes.
Step 3: Establish a Research Plan
After compiling a list of all the resources to be used, the next step is to establish a research plan. It's crucial to organize your research effectively if you want to be a successful content writer.
Don't let the term "plan" intimidate you; it's not like building a rocket or anything. Essentially, you need to visualize or document how you plan to extract the most value from your resources.
When using Google for research, ensure that you skim through the first search results (which are often similar due to competitive marketers), the last search results, and several pages in between. The reason for this is that some random pages in the middle may contain valuable information that can significantly enhance your content. These pages may not have enough budget to attain top positions on the search engine results page (SERP).
While conducting research, it's important to note down every relevant piece of information along with the source link for future reference. As mentioned earlier, authoritative sources should be prioritized for accuracy and SEO benefits.
If writing about a controversial topic, it's vital to examine the opposite point of view to include counter-arguments and promote healthy, relevant discussions with the readers.
For high-ticket clients, consider going the extra mile by conducting interviews with subject matter experts. For instance, if writing a blog post about a beauty procedure or product, seek out renowned beauty experts for personal or online interviews.
Similarly, if writing an article about the best places to visit in the Maldives, contact famous travel bloggers and experts to obtain valuable insights.
If you decide to conduct interviews, it's crucial to prepare a set of relevant questions and topics to be covered during the interview. This helps to ensure that the discussion remains focused and time-efficient, avoiding irrelevant tangents like your grandfather's adventure with hookers.
The specifics of the research process will vary depending on the person case. Therefore, it's important to allocate sufficient time, depending on the complexity of the topic and your learning speed. Quality should be prioritized over quantity.
Step 4: It's Time to Write!
It's time to flex your fingers and get started on writing. You've gathered a wealth of information, and now it's time to filter through it all. Consider the length of your piece, the necessary information, and the sub-topics you need to cover.
There are four key points to keep in mind as you write:
The Conclusion
Although the steps mentioned above may seem obvious to some, it still pains me to see poorly researched articles or complaints about low-quality content. While my writing may not be the best in the world, I take pride in providing high-quality work and want to share my writing process with fellow content creators and webmasters.
For aspiring writers, I urge you to conduct thorough research before beginning the writing process. Your clients and future self will appreciate the extra effort.
Webmasters, remember that your readers expect quality content, so keep that in mind when creating your articles or copies.
It's important to note that I am addressing content writers who take their work seriously, not those looking for a quick profit. It's unrealistic to expect high-quality content when paying low rates such as $2 or $4 per 1000 words. Remember, you get what you pay for.
Lastly, if you're interested in more writing-related posts and guides, please let me know. I'm happy to share the tips and processes I've learned throughout my content writing and copywriting journey.
Note: This guide is 1700 words in length, so it may take some time to read.
If you're a webmaster looking to populate your site with fresh content, or a writer tasked with writing about unfamiliar topics, conducting proper research is crucial to creating a compelling article that does justice to your website or client.
While it may be easy to write about popular topics like dogs and gadgets, what if you're asked to write about more unconventional topics such as "The Quickest Ways to Have an Orgasm Using the New Virgin Destroyer X5000 Dildo" or "How to Kill Somebody and Hide the Body with a Mattress and Some Water?"
You don't want readers to open your article, quickly scroll through it, and call out its inaccuracies. That's a surefire way to fail.
To avoid this, you must do your research diligently, ensuring that your article is well-informed, authoritative, and engaging. This is especially important if you're a new content writer seeking clients. You don't want to make any mistakes early in your career, particularly if writing is your intended profession.
So how can you create top-notch content that is well-researched and authoritative? By following these four steps:
- Determine Your Content Goals
Many people fail to recognize the significant distinction between content writing and copywriting. Content writing involves creating blog posts, informative articles, or any other type of content intended to engage and entertain readers. Copywriting, on the other hand, is focused on direct marketing or promotion.
The term "direct" is appropriate for copywriting because it is intended to persuade people to buy a product or service or to take some other form of action, such as submitting an email address. Although informative blog posts may also have a marketing objective, it is not as apparent.
During the research phase, the first step is to identify the intended purpose of the content for your client or yourself. Will it be published on a website, printed for offline use, or used as a sales copy, guide, or informative article? Gathering as much information as possible about the target audience is crucial.
It is essential to know who the content is aimed at. Are they experts, people seeking knowledge, or those looking to buy or sell something? How will they access the content, whether it be on a webpage, social media post, email, or printed poster? When will they read it, tomorrow, the day after, or years from now? Are they expected to take any action after reading the content?
2. The next step is to locate credible resources for your content.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Wikipedia cannot be considered a dependable source of information. The reason being, it contains a vast amount of data on numerous topics, which makes it difficult to determine the accuracy of its content. Moreover, it can be biased in several instances.
While it may be acceptable to quote Wikipedia occasionally, it is not advisable to rely on a platform where anyone can edit its content when producing a 500-word article for $100. It's essential to impress your new client and turn them into a long-term revenue stream (sorry, clients).
However, Wikipedia still has its uses. It can provide a general understanding of a subject, and the fact that each wiki page has links to similar information can be helpful. Nevertheless, the most valuable feature of Wikipedia is its "Citations and References" section located at the bottom of the page, which can be a hidden gem.
After obtaining a basic understanding of a subject through Wikipedia, it's time to move on to more credible research sources. The research resources required will depend on the content's topic.
For example, if your article concerns potty training for children, authoritative parenting sites and blogs (such as www.naturalchild.org and www.ahaparenting.com) and relevant parenting books would be the best sources to use.
If you're tasked with creating the homepage for a travel agency's website, it's essential to discover the latest travel trends. This can be achieved by examining social media profiles of current influencers, although not an authoritative resource, it can provide valuable insights into what topics to cover. You can also read recent articles from reliable travel blogs, such as www.expertvagabond.com and www.joaoleitao.com.
However, when writing about a medical condition or issue, thorough research is essential to maintain ethical writing standards. Ensure that you check all relevant authoritative medical reports, official government sites, and medical studies. Resources such as www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ and omnimedicalsearch.com can be useful for obtaining medical information. It's crucial to ensure the accuracy of your sources when writing about medical subjects.
Examining recent press releases and social media sites/posts can be advantageous when searching for trends. Additionally, Reddit is a valuable resource to gather insights from your target audience. There is a subreddit for almost everything, providing a wealth of information and topics for discussion.
Finally, if possible, conduct interviews with experts in the specific field you're researching to enhance the credibility of your content. Using authoritative sources repeatedly throughout your research and content is recommended. It adds relevance and authority, and linking to those sources is beneficial for SEO purposes.
Step 3: Establish a Research Plan
After compiling a list of all the resources to be used, the next step is to establish a research plan. It's crucial to organize your research effectively if you want to be a successful content writer.
Don't let the term "plan" intimidate you; it's not like building a rocket or anything. Essentially, you need to visualize or document how you plan to extract the most value from your resources.
When using Google for research, ensure that you skim through the first search results (which are often similar due to competitive marketers), the last search results, and several pages in between. The reason for this is that some random pages in the middle may contain valuable information that can significantly enhance your content. These pages may not have enough budget to attain top positions on the search engine results page (SERP).
While conducting research, it's important to note down every relevant piece of information along with the source link for future reference. As mentioned earlier, authoritative sources should be prioritized for accuracy and SEO benefits.
If writing about a controversial topic, it's vital to examine the opposite point of view to include counter-arguments and promote healthy, relevant discussions with the readers.
For high-ticket clients, consider going the extra mile by conducting interviews with subject matter experts. For instance, if writing a blog post about a beauty procedure or product, seek out renowned beauty experts for personal or online interviews.
Similarly, if writing an article about the best places to visit in the Maldives, contact famous travel bloggers and experts to obtain valuable insights.
If you decide to conduct interviews, it's crucial to prepare a set of relevant questions and topics to be covered during the interview. This helps to ensure that the discussion remains focused and time-efficient, avoiding irrelevant tangents like your grandfather's adventure with hookers.
The specifics of the research process will vary depending on the person case. Therefore, it's important to allocate sufficient time, depending on the complexity of the topic and your learning speed. Quality should be prioritized over quantity.
Step 4: It's Time to Write!
It's time to flex your fingers and get started on writing. You've gathered a wealth of information, and now it's time to filter through it all. Consider the length of your piece, the necessary information, and the sub-topics you need to cover.
There are four key points to keep in mind as you write:
- Do not copy and paste from other sources. Instead, write your own unique perspective using your own words.
- Adjust the language you use based on your readers' expertise and location to ensure your writing is easy to understand and accessible.
- Focus on creating content that is helpful and informative for your readers. Don't waste their time with useless fluff.
- Always aim to produce quality content that your readers will appreciate, rather than a piece filled with irrelevant or nonsensical information.
The Conclusion
Although the steps mentioned above may seem obvious to some, it still pains me to see poorly researched articles or complaints about low-quality content. While my writing may not be the best in the world, I take pride in providing high-quality work and want to share my writing process with fellow content creators and webmasters.
For aspiring writers, I urge you to conduct thorough research before beginning the writing process. Your clients and future self will appreciate the extra effort.
Webmasters, remember that your readers expect quality content, so keep that in mind when creating your articles or copies.
It's important to note that I am addressing content writers who take their work seriously, not those looking for a quick profit. It's unrealistic to expect high-quality content when paying low rates such as $2 or $4 per 1000 words. Remember, you get what you pay for.
Lastly, if you're interested in more writing-related posts and guides, please let me know. I'm happy to share the tips and processes I've learned throughout my content writing and copywriting journey.
