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#ContentWritingChat Recap: The Value of High-Quality Content for Today’s Brand Audiences with SPROUT Content

by | Aug 19, 2016 | ContentWritingChat

#ContentWritingChat Recap: The Value of High-Quality Content for Today’s Brand Audiences with SPROUT Content

Did you miss #ContentWritingChat this week? There’s no need to worry! We’ve put together a recap of this Tuesday’s chat so you wouldn’t miss a thing.

#ContentWritingChat Recap: The Value of High-Quality Content for Today’s Brand Audiences with SPROUT Content


Our guest host this week was Debbie Williams. Debbie is the Co-Founder and Chief Content Officer at SPROUT Content.

Q1: Why is it important to create the highest quality content for your audience?

You hear people say all the time that you need to create high-quality content for your audience. Why is it so important? Here’s what some of the participants in Tuesday’s chat had to say:

Debbie said your content can act as a 24/7 sales team. It helps you to directly connect with and provide value to your audience.

High-quality content helps to establish you as an authority figure in your field and can also build trust.

If you provide quality content for your audience, they’re going to keep coming back to you for more.

Alesia said you should aim to educate and excite your audience with your content. How can you provide value to them?

Great answer from Jenn! She said time is our most valuable resource and we shouldn’t waste the time of our readers by sharing irrelevant content.

High-quality content can help build the credibility of you and your brand.

Our CEO, Julia, knows the content you publish is a representation of your brand. Make sure you’re putting your best foot forward by sharing only the best with your audience.

As Atulmaharaj said, he feels his audience deserves the best. Your audience does too! Make sure you provide top-notch content every single time you publish.

Why wouldn’t you want to provide the highest quality content? Zachary said you should strive to be the best.

Q2: How can your content position you as an authority in your field?

As you build your brand, you’re likely seeking to become an authority in your field. How can your content help you do that? Let’s find out:

Debbie said you should create a content strategy so you can plan and optimize the content you’re sharing online.

Sarah’s advice is to become a resource for your audience. Be helpful and credible.

Aim to answer the questions your audience is asking or solve the problems they’re facing. This will help you become an authority in your field.

Kristen feels great content is filled with actionable tips, detailed examples, and explanations. When you go that extra mile, it really helps to build your authority.

Consider sharing case studies with your audience. Not only does it show off your expertise, but it helps establish you as a reputable source.

Q3: How can you figure out what kind of content your audience is looking for?

Now that you know why it’s important to create high-quality content, how can you figure out what you should create? Here are a few tips to find out what your audience is looking for:

Great advice from Debbie! She suggests reaching out to the sales team for your brand to find out what prospects are asking. Create content that addresses those concerns. If you don’t have a sales team, you can still tune into your audience by checking responses you receive on email or social media.

Sarah knows that it can take a little trial and error to figure out what your audience is truly interested in. Make sure you’re keeping an eye on your analytics to see what people are engaging with and where they’re converting.

Quite a few of you had the same answer for this question. Ask them! Don’t be afraid to reach out to your audience and ask what they’d like to see. Ask what they’re struggling with and what they’re interested in. There’s no guessing involved here. They’ll tell you what they want.

Determine the pain points of your audience and provide content that helps resolve them.

You can use your social media analytics to see which posts get the most engagement. That’s a clue to what your audience enjoys.

Q4: Discuss features that make up a high-quality, readable online content piece.

So, what makes a great piece of online content? Here’s what some people said in Tuesday’s chat:

Debbie recommends writing a great introduction to your content. You want to hook them in the beginning to keep them reading. She also said to focus on quality over quantity. Don’t add more words to make your piece longer. It’s just fluff.

Julia said you should create the most in-depth piece of the topic. Do your research and write the best piece you possibly can.

Don’t forget formatting when writing your articles. Kristen suggests using headings to break-up text and bullet points for detailed lists and ideas.

You should also write in a way that’s understandable and relatable for your audience. Always keep them in mind whenever you’re creating content. Don’t forget to use proper grammar!

Including images, videos, and examples that are relevant to your content are also helpful for your audience.

Make your content easy to share as well. You can choose specific quotes and add a social sharing link to make it easy for readers.

Edanry knows the power of long-form content. Try creating longer blogs for your brand and see how your audience responds.

Q5: What tools help you create top-quality content for your audience?

Luckily, there are some tools that make content creation a little easier. Here are some of the ones our chat participants like:

Debbie said that SPROUT Content relies on HubSpot for publishing, monitoring, and metrics.

Julia shared a few tools we rely on here at Express Writers. They’re definitely worth checking out!

When it launched, Copyfind is sure to be a must-have tool for all content creators!

News aggregates, IFTTT, Google Alerts, and publications specific to your industry can all be helpful.

Yoast is a simple, but effective, tool that will help you optimize your content for search engines.

As Kelly said, Pinterest can also be a great tool to find out what your audience is looking for.

If you need help with creating graphics, Jim is a fan of Canva. We are too!

Q6: What are some things to avoid when creating content online?

When you create content online, make sure you avoid these things:

Debbie’s advice is to provide your own insights. Don’t just copy what has already been said many times before. Be unique. Make sure you also take the time to optimize your content for search engines. Debbie also said you shouldn’t leave your reader hanging. Tell them what to do next by providing a call to action (CTA).

Don’t be a copycat! This is one piece of advice we can all agree on. Never plagiarize someone else’s work.

Halle said you should never post just for the sake of positing. Make sure you focus on providing quality content over a quantity of content.

Keyword stuffing is another big no-no!

If you’re quoting someone or citing someone else’s idea, make sure you give credit.

David’s advice is to ask yourself if your content will make people think, feel, or act. If not, you have to change something.

Q7: How can you ensure your brand is consistently publishing great content online?

Check out these tips from Tuesday’s chat:

Debbie knows how important it is to have a content strategy. Develop one for your brand so you can stay on track and produce the best.

Jenn suggests asking yourself these questions to ensure you’re publishing great content.

Know your audience. What kind of content resonates with them the most? That’s what you should create more of.

Get your team together to brainstorm ideas. Two heads are better than one after all!

Varun said to make sure you check your analytics and feedback you receive from your audience. What are they enjoying?

Our Content Manager, Katria, knows having a reliable and passionate team behind your brand makes a huge difference. They can help you create amazing content your audience will love.

As Kristen said, you should never sacrifice quality for quantity.

Q8: Which brands do a great job at sharing amazing content?

If you’re looking for brands that share amazing content online, check these out:

Mashable is definitely a great example!

Who doesn’t love Buffer? They share amazing blog posts!

We’re big fans of Moz as well!

These are all great brands that are worth checking out!

Jenn knows that it’s not just the content powerhouses that make a difference. The ones who see things differently and provide their unique views really stand out.

Here at Express Writers, we’re focused on having more team members contribute to our blog. It’s a great way for you to see who is behind the brand. Make sure you keep an eye on our blog for more!

We look forward to seeing you at the next #ContentWritingChat! Mark your calendars weekly for Tuesday at 10 AM CDT for great chats centered around content writing and marketing. Follow @ExpWriters to stay updated on our new topics and guests!

Tags: creating content