What Does Content Writing Entail? 8 Key Steps For Creating Content People Will Love

If you want to know what content writing involves, this article shows its key components.

It also provides a step-by-step guide to creating compelling content.

What content writing entails: A step-by-step process for content writing

Content writing entails the following 8 steps:

• Step #1: Researching
• Step #2: Planning
• Step #3: Drafting
• Step #4: Editing
• Step #5: Optimising for SEO
• Step #6: Formatting
• Step #7: Publishing
• Step #8: Analysing performance.

Each step is important for creating content people will love.

Here’s a simple breakdown of the steps:

Step #1: Researching

You can’t just set out writing content without learning about the topic.

So before you start writing, gather and verify the facts and information about your content topic.

How to research for content writing

1. Understand the topic.
2. Know the audience.
3. Find relevant keywords.
4. Look at what competitors have written.

Following these steps ensures you create accurate, searchable, and unique content.

To learn more, see our complete guide on how to research for content writing effectively in 4 simple steps.

Step #2: Planning

After gathering the data you need, the next step is to plan the writing.

Proper planning helps you create clear, engaging, and effective written content.

Steps to plan your writing

1. Set clear goals.
2. Define your main message.
3. Create a detailed outline.
4. Determine your tone.
5. Plan the introduction and the conclusion.
6. Gather resources and examples.
7. Set a writing schedule.

Following these steps improves your content creation process and helps you write high-quality content that resonates with your target audience.

See our ultimate guide on how to plan content writing for beginners in 7 easy steps.

Step #3: Drafting

Drafting is the core of content writing.

At this stage, you create your first draft by fleshing out the main points in the outline.

Steps to write your first draft

1. Create an engaging headline.
2. Write the body.
3. Write the introduction
4. Write the conclusion.
5. Include keywords.

Following these strategies ensures you have a solid first draft.

Check out our detailed guide on how to write your first draft in 5 practical steps to learn more.

Step #4: Editing and proofreading

Once your first draft is complete, the next step is to refine it.

Steps to edit your first draft

1. Start with the content and structure.
2. Focus on clarity and conciseness.
3. Refine the sentences and paragraphs.
4. Pay attention to grammar and style.
5. Improve readability.
6. Proofread thoroughly.
7. Get feedback.

When you edit your first draft thoroughly, you make it polished and professional.

See our detailed guide: how to edit your own writing properly in 7 simple steps.

Step #5: Optimising for SEO

“SEO involves improving your website to attract traffic from Google whenever people search for information about your topic or related topics.”

Now that you’ve revised and refined the content, the next step is to optimise it for SEO.

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation.

It involves improving your website to attract traffic from Google whenever people search for information about your topic or related topics.

Optimising for SEO means improving your content to appear on page 1 of Google.

Strategies to optimise for SEO

• Using relevant keywords
• Creating meta descriptions
• Using internal and external links.

Following these SEO techniques makes it possible for your content to rank higher on Google.

And when it does, it’s more likely to attract and get clicks from readers.

To optimise your content for SEO, use this practical guide: 3 SEO optimisation strategies: How to use them effectively in your writing.

Step #6: Formatting

“Organising your content properly makes it more accessible, easy to understand, and engaging for your audience.”

You can create well-written and SEO-optimised content. But if it’s difficult to get through, nobody will want to read it.

So, format your content properly to make it visually appealing and readable.

This means organising the content in a clear and logical structure.

How to format your content properly

• Use headings and subheadings.
• Add bullet points and numbered lists.
• Highlight “extremely important” points.
• Use readable font and size.
• Add white spaces between paragraphs.
• Align text.
• Include visuals.

Organising your content properly makes it more accessible, easy to understand, and engaging for your audience.

Check out our practical guide on how to format your content effectively.

Step #7: Publishing and promoting

What’s the point of creating content nobody will read?

Once you’ve formatted the content, the next step is to publish and share it with your audience.

This involves:

• Publishing on platforms: Upload the article to your website, blog, or social media channel.

• Promoting: Share the content through social media, email newsletters, and other channels to reach a wider audience.

Here’s a fantastic guide on content promotion strategies that work (with examples).

Step #8: Analysing performance

Once the content goes live, track and analyse its performance.

Here’s how to go about it:

• Monitor metrics.
• Gather feedback.
• Adjust strategies.

Analysing your content performance helps you know what works and what doesn’t.

Here are important metrics to track your content performance and how to go about them.

Finally

Content writing entails creating written material that informs, entertains, or engages an online target audience.

Following this guide ensures you write high-quality content that your readers will love and brings meaningful results.

I would love to hear from you

I hope you enjoyed reading this article.

What new thing did you learn from it? And was it helpful?

Did I miss anything?

Have any questions for me?

Let me know in the comments now.

Take the next step to start content writing NOW!

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• simplymoses25[at]gmail[dot]com (simplymoses25@gmail.com).

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