Quality Content: What It Means + How To Do It?

Every year people become more and more demanding of what they read quality content on the Internet. And the point is not even that they are getting smarter, but that information is becoming more and more, but its quality often leaves much to be desired.

Therefore, in order to stand out from the background of competitors, promote your website or social networks, you have to make good, high-quality content.

However, the problem is that there is no clear criterion that says whether the content is of high quality or not, so in this article we will understand what the quality of content means.

WHAT DOES QUALITY MEAN

I'll tell you right away, we're content fans. And our main rule is that content must be of high quality. But the question always arises - after all, quality is an extremely relative concept.

One person may benefit from 5 minutes of video about marketing, and the other will want similar information, but given out within 30 minutes. One person may like the pictures in the article, and another - funny gifs that are not quite in the topic of the article (like this one).

So I searched everything to find a single definition of quality content, but unfortunately I couldn't find one. Each site, each article, each author put their own definition in this phrase.

So I tried to combine all the information into one simple and understandable phrase, sprinkling with my confetti.

High-quality content is material that has a number of characteristics : uniqueness, usefulness, practicality, informational content, and which makes the user stay to study it.

In the future, I will certainly decipher each of the above points, since this is the most important thing in this article. But before that, let's immediately agree on all the definitions.

By the way, what is content in general and what is included in this concept. It's clear that this is material, but what kind? To do this, I have highlighted the main types of content that are considered high quality:

1. Text;

2. Video;

3. Audio;

4. Pictures;

5. Infographics;

6. Presentations.

As you can see, content is understood not only as text (by the way, most articles talk about quality text). But I fundamentally disagree. Content can be anything as long as it's cool. For example, in the AIMagnus group, our leader, instead of a standard text post, made voice acting of this post with a voice.

And as practice has shown, it is this content format that “went in” no worse than the standard text.

MAIN CRITERIA

Okay, we've sorted out the insides of the content. Now we can get to the main point. To the fact that all authors of successful blogs or large groups / accounts (including us) lay in the concept of high-quality and useful content.

It is these qualities that affect the success of the content, how it is perceived by users and how they treat you after studying the materials. In short, how to create quality content.

And I went a little non-standard way. Initially, I will try to highlight key points without reference to sites. And below I will add which criterion, depending on the site, affects this or that factor. And what needs to be done to turn 100% quality into 146% quality (old joke about elections).

1. Useful

In my opinion, this very criterion is the most important. Coming to a blog, a group on social networks or a personal page, and studying the material, the user should receive useful content.

That is, what he can take and apply. As in that joke: “Right now! Immediately!". And it doesn't matter what it will be - practical application or figures from statistics, the main thing is the benefit. From the first point, the second is added.

2. Thematic

The benefit, if we are not talking about entertainment content now, can be given only if it is something specific.

That is, material that first tells about fish, and then abruptly goes to fleas (also an anecdote) will not be in demand and cannot be called quality content. It is the disclosure of one topic within the entire site that can be called the creation of high-quality content.

3. Trustee

The content must be credible. Because of trust, you will be read and naturally bought (otherwise, why make quality content). Trust in materials can be built quite easily.

To do this, you need not only to rewrite someone else's material, but to reinforce knowledge from different sources, such as experiments or statistical data. This is called a professional approach and inspires confidence. And as a result, people come back.

4. Relevant

One of the factors in how to make quality material is to make it relevant. That is, now I'm no longer talking about reviews of recent news or incidents, but about the connection with reality.

If the information from the article has lost its relevance 2 years ago, and you are writing the article only now, then such content is a priority not of high quality.

5. Viral

Virality means that people share your information on social networks.

And in fact, it is this fact that is a vivid indicator of quality content, when the reader is ready to put his reputation on the line and repost / share your material on his social networks.

Each of your material should create a certain hype that users will share and thereby attract new users.

6. Emotional

This is the most underestimated factor, which in our company we consider almost dominant in any material.

The bottom line is that every piece of your material should evoke emotion. The more diametrical it is to the typical state, the better. Emotion makes contact more intimate, which means that a person can sometimes buy your product without any logical conclusions. As usual, the girls buy a new dress at the sale.

DIFFERENCE IN SITES

Remember I wrote that the quality of content depends not only on the criteria in general, but also on the site on which it is hosted?

Well, for example, take the same Youtube. One of the criteria for quality material is a well-shot and edited video based on some key or relevant idea. This all refers to the frequent question of how to make quality content on youtube.

And here you can make at least the coolest and most exciting content on YouTube, but if this visual component is absent, then no other factors will help.

That is why I decided to add several criteria for the sites (in particular, I took the site and social networks), drawing attention to which you can make the content much better not only for people, but also for robots.

Yes, I'm talking about that same SEO promotion. It may seem unexpected, but it is high-quality content that helps in promotion.

1. Blog on the site

1.1 Uniqueness. I think you yourself belong to the class of people who will not read information if you have already read it somewhere. That is why the content must be unique.

This is the default, of course, but things like quotes or excerpts from a book diminish its uniqueness. And for websites / blogs this is damn important. That is why the uniqueness of your text materials should be at least 95%. And check this out, you can use the service - Copyscape.

1.2 Optimization. Here I will not focus too much, since I am not a technical specialist. To do this, you can read our article.

It describes in some detail how to create quality content from a SEO point of view.

But in short, the text should contain: the title and keywords, the structure and hierarchy of the text and, of course, linking with other articles on the site.

2. Social networks

2.1 Visibility. On social media, one of the important criteria for the quality of social media content is cool visuals.

For example, it can be well-shot and edited videos or professionally shot and processed photos (for the same content on Instagram).

One of the solutions for the visual component of the AIMagnus group is specially shot video files in gif format, which visually distinguish our content from competitors.

2.2 Unusual. This can be not only the uncommonness of the content itself, but also the uncommonness of its presentation.

For example, in one of our sales training projects on Instagram , instead of standard photos or pictures with captions, we use videos and non-standard pictures that are weakly associated with sales, but arouse interest.

And so that you have an understanding of high-quality content on social networks (since we have noticed an increased interest in them lately), I decided to break them down by specific sites and give recommendations:

YouTube. This social network (since June 2018 they added a couple of services and officially became a social network) was created for fun.

And even business channels do it in this style. Therefore, users consider a coolly edited video with a splash and effects, no more than 30 minutes long, to be quality. Humor and jokes are highly desirable.

In contact with. Users prefer topics related to business and motivation. The text of publications should be both large and small in length, but most importantly - broken into paragraphs.

It is also important to accompany with pictures and music. But the emphasis is still on the meaning, not the visual part.

Facebook. The inhabitants of this social network are inclined to content from the series of science, politics and big business.

Therefore, high-quality content here is considered to be a long, decorated post (longread), structured, supported by facts, quotes and always with conclusions.

Instagram. Here people tend to prefer content aimed at motivation and inspiration.

These should be processed photos of good quality or high-quality edited video up to a minute in length. The text is also important, but the visual part first.

Important. These are guidelines for a typical project. Of course, you can even attract people to watch one-hour videos on Instagram. But the question is, is it worth doing if this is a movement against the tide (or there is not enough knowledge / resources).

HOW TO CREATE QUALITY

Good. You understood that you need to make quality content. It remains to figure out how to make it right. And then it will be possible to fill the site with quality content.

Of course, there are several options: write it yourself or buy it.

But as practice shows and the old saying: "If you want to do something well, do it yourself." Therefore, I recommend the following option.

1. Freelancer

Depending on the format, you order material on various freelance exchanges.

For example, it can be contentmonster, copywriting exchange . Or sites where performers can create infographics or create a quality photo like kwork. And here the important point begins! Remember I said that you have to do everything yourself?

In the case of content, even the best article will still need to be finalized and designed in your corporate style, seasoning with practice and usefulness, since most copywriters write well, but often these are common words or rewriting.

2. Independently

The best option is to do everything with your own pens. Yes, it's boring. Yes, it takes a lot of time. Yes, it's kind of difficult. But people need your experience, your style, and not just another abstract from the institute. Therefore, hands in feet and start working on your perseverance, because it will be very useful to you.

Moreover, the most interesting thing is that at first everything will be good for you, then everything will be bad (creative crisis, general burnout).

And then you, like Phoenix, will be reborn and begin to quickly and efficiently produce high-quality materials, just like a assault rifle. This has been tested on myself for 2.5 years while I am writing this blog.

Life hack. If you don’t know what is better “go to your subscribers in social. networks”, you can monitor successful groups of competitors using the service : feedspy and select the desired format.

BRIEFLY ABOUT THE MAIN

As you can see, making quality content is not so easy. You need to find a hot topic and play with it. That is, find useful and interesting information on it, spice it all up with practice and decorate it beautifully.

And if we are talking about a blog and SEO, then it is also correct to optimize. That is why high-quality content is appreciated by users. For what you are trying. It is these efforts that will sell your goods or services (after all, it is for this that all content is made), since this is where human psychology comes into play.

"If a person is so concerned about creating content for his website / group in social networks, then how will he work on my project."

As I wrote earlier, it is not only the fact that you are a professional in your business, but also your approach that inspires confidence. In this way, quality content builds trust and sells.