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#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Create Influential Content & Become a Strong Editor with Stephanie Stahl

by | Jun 7, 2019 | ContentWritingChat

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Create Influential Content & Become a Strong Editor with Stephanie Stahl

Want to learn how you can create influential online content?
Wondering how you can strengthen your editing skills and polish everything you write before hitting publish?
Well, you’re in the right place! In this month’s #ContentWritingChat, we talked all about becoming a better writer and editor. Let’s dive into the recap!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Create Influential Content & Become a Strong Editor with Stephanie Stahl


Our guest host for this chat was Stephanie Stahl. She’s the General Manager for our friends over at Content Marketing Institute. And we were so thrilled to have her joining us to share some of her top content creation and editing tips with us!

Q1: What qualities make a piece of content influential?

We all want to create influential content that resonates with our target audience, right? But you might be wondering what exactly makes a piece of content influential and which qualities you should embody. Here’s what you need to know:


Stephanie feels influential content contains three key qualities: credibility, creativity, and emotion. Does your content have these things?


For Gaby, it’s all about having a solid understanding of who your audience is. You simply cannot create the content they’re searching for if you don’t take the time to get to know them!


Jason feels influential content should trigger an emotional response in your reader. This is a huge part of establishing a connection with your audience.


According to Gene, influential content should be well-written, well-researched, and show deep insight.


Authority is a must for influential content! Kristen feels you can show your authority through your own experiences, but also through research and opinions.


Rebecca also feels that influential content should have an authoritative voice.


Lexie said that content is influential when it makes you think and act. Is your content inspiring your readers to take action?


Alexa’s advice is to make sure your content is engaging. She also said you should provide something useful to your audience, not something redundant.

Q2: How can you be sure you’re creating content that resonates with your target audience?

It’s important that our content is written with our target audience in mind, but is there a way to make sure it’ll resonate before hitting publish? Check out this advice:


As Stephanie said, you need to treat your audience like your best friend. Get to know what they like and what they don’t so you can create the content that’s most appealing.


Kylee knows that you can’t start writing unless you’ve done your research about who your target audience is.


Lexie agrees that it’s all about getting to know your audience first. Talk to them and build a relationship first so you can understand their needs.


Active listening is where it’s at! Gaby knows this is a great way to discover what your audience is interested in and what they need help with.


One thing you can pay close attention to is whether or not your audience is converting on your content. As Sarah said, you want your audience to take some type of action after reading your post. If not, it’s time to make some changes.


Like Michelle said, sometimes it just requires a little trial and error to figure out what works best for you and your audience when striving to create influential content.


You’ll want to pay close attention to your metrics if you want to figure out what’s truly performing the best. Caitlin suggests looking at the common qualities that your most popular pieces of content share. You can even ask for feedback from readers.


While you’re doing some trial and error, your analytics will become your best friend. As Alexa pointed out, the data you find here will help you create content that resonates.

Q3: What are the essential elements that every great piece of online content should have?

So, you want to make sure your content stands out! Well, there are a few things that great content always has. Here they are:


For Stephanie, great content has credible research, compelling interviews, an empathetic voice, and a little bit of drama. She also said it’s important to help your reader understand any facts and figures you quote so they’ll see why it matters.


Gene knows that a winning headline is key to a great piece of content! If your headline isn’t grabbing attention, people won’t bother to click. Just avoid clickbait titles!


Sarah said content should speak directly to your audience, include a CTA, have credibility, and be easy to read. She also suggests having a good visual layout and overall experience for website visitors.


Headers, images, and links! All three of these elements are essential according to Rebecca. Use headers to split your blog post into sections and break up text. Images help provide captivating visuals. And links give readers more content to consume on the topic.


Lauren agrees that visual elements are a must for influential content. Plus, they’re great for sharing on social media.


Claire’s advice is to make sure your copy is friendly and relatable. This will draw your audience in, not repel them. Plus, she mentioned the importance of cutting down on jargon, particularly if it’s something your audience won’t understand. Write in a way that’s easy for them to get what you’re talking about.

Q4: Are there any key things editors should keep an eye on during the editing process? Tips to make it easier?

Editing your content doesn’t have to be stressful! If you can outsource it, that’s great. But if not, this important tasks falls on your shoulders. These tips will help you polish your content so it shines:


This is great advice from Stephanie!


Lexie suggests reading through a piece of content in its entirety before making any edits. This way, you can see if it paints the full picture you envisioned. If not, you’ll have some changes to make.


Gene loves to use the Hemingway app to make sure his writing is clear and easy to read. The app helps him keep sentences short and understandable. And since he keeps paragraphs short, it makes his content more readable.


Reading your content aloud can make a huge difference! This helps Lauren spot any mistakes she might have missed.


One piece of advice that Gaby shared was to use a style guide. You can create one for your own content or refer to one if you’re working with a client. This way, you can be more consistent in the voice you write with and the overall appearance of the content.


Think about the education level of your readers before you begin writing and while editing. As Caitlin said, sometimes the writer can be more advanced in an area than the reader. This can lead to the usage of jargon or complex ideas that your audience might not understand.

Q5: What are the top mistakes writers make when editing their content and how can editors help them?

When it comes to editing, we sometimes make mistakes! To avoid them, check out these mistakes shared during the chat so you can be on the lookout:


Being too wordy is definitely a no-no! Stephanie knows a great editor can help cut out any unnecessary words while still keeping the main points in tact.


Not editing your work is definitely a mistake! While it may be tedious at time, it’s worth it to review your content before hitting publish.


Since Sarah edits her own content, she knows how challenging it can be sometimes. Her advice is to step away for a bit and come back to it with fresh eyes. This way, you’ll be more likely to catch mistakes and spot places for improvement.


Michelle’s advice is to read your work aloud, take some time away and then return to it, use a tool and/or a human editor to catch mistakes, and change the font to better spot errors.


Lauren says you shouldn’t rely on the same old words and phrases all the time. Don’t be afraid to switch things up a bit!


When it comes to editing, you also have to recognize when enough is enough.

Q6: When editing a blog post, how can we determine its readability and whether or not it will captivate our readers?

Readability is very important when it comes to your blog posts. But what exactly makes a post readable? These tips will help!


If an editor stumbles over details, gets confused by the point, or gets bored… That’s a sign something needs to change. If your editor feels like that, there’s a good chance your reader will too.


Lexie suggests reading through your content from start to finish without making edits. Were you able to get through it or did you get bored? Boring content needs some work!


Jennifer suggests using the readability analysis in WordPress if that’s where your site is hosted. It can provide some helpful insights into where you can make improvements.


Kylee knows that big chunks of text are definitely a NO! She also said to make sure your content flows from one paragraph to the next.


Having big chunks of text makes your posts harder to read. Break things up into smaller paragraphs, utilize headings, bulleted lists, and images to enhance readability.

Q7: Are there any tools you rely on to be both a better writer and editor?

There are plenty of tools out there that can improve our writing and editing skills. Which ones are worth trying out though? Here are a few suggestions:


Stephanie knows there are plenty of great tools out there, but sometimes it just doesn’t compare to a red pen!


Julia suggests taking in reader feedback, get critiques from a pro, and to read and write often.


Lexie knows that it’s all about practice. To be a better writer, you have to consistently practice writing.


Gaby is definitely a fan of Grammarly!


Lauren relies on Google Docs because it’s easy to use when editing content. It allows you to leave notes and see where changes have been made.


Danielle’s go-to tools include CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer and the Hemingway app.


Mara is also a Grammarly fan, but she also knows that her co-workers make all the difference when it comes to editing.


Never stop reading! You can get so much inspiration from reading what others have written. But as Lauren suggested, just try putting your own spin on things.

Q8: If we want to strengthen our content creation skills, are there any resources we should check out?

While you’re checking out all of those suggested tools, here are some additional resources to use:


Gaby suggests taking online classes, reading case studies, collaborating with others, and more. All are great options for strengthening your skills.


Danielle loves to listen to the interviews on the Longform podcast.


Influential content just isn’t the same without great graphics! Our favorite is Canva, but Michelle also loves Pablo by Buffer.
Ready to join #ContentWritingChat for yourself? We chat on the first Tuesday of every month at 10 AM Central! Just follow @ExpWriters and @writingchat for all the latest.

Tags: content creation | editing tips