Research makes your content credible and is the cornerstone of content writing. It’s where you delve deep into the topic, uncovering credible and actionable insights to guide your content creation. As a beginner, remember that content research starts with curiosity. Being curious about the client, the brand you are working with, and what your audience is looking for? If you are a beginner at content writing, keep a checklist of all these points. It will help you decide on the writing style, content, brand-specific keywords, etc.
8 effective ways to research before content writing.
Well-researched content is crucial to building rapport as a good content writer. Research the muscle a good content writer exercises with every piece of writing. Here are eight effective ways to get started.
The audience decides the Search Intent.
Your content has to have a uniform tone, audience group, and purpose. We start with the type of content and where it needs to go on a blog post, landing page, article, or product detail. Once we know this, we can decide the tone of the content. It can be conversational, informative, opinionated, formal, or business-like.
Content research changes with the type of content.
Different types of content have their unique tone and structure. One has to do the research, keeping that in mind. For example, a blog post is an educative deep dive into one topic, bringing forth individual experiences.
A Case study consists of a problem, challenges that arise, solutions, and results. There are many other types of long-form content, such as white papers, landing pages, emailers, category pages, etc. All have different tones and structures and require different content research approaches.
Also Read: Content Writing Strategies For Small Businesses
Competitor analysis for content research
Skimming through top-ranking pages can help you determine what pages people see at the top when they search on Google. When you go through competitors’ articles, the things you should look for are:
- Gap in their article or blog post.
- Structure of the piece
- Novel insights
- Effortless readability with charts, illustrations, graphs, and images.
Surveys serve as good content research.
When conducting surveys for content research, it’s important to create clear and concise questions to provide you with the necessary information. Platforms like social media or Google Forms can be used to distribute these surveys. There are also paid surveys or audience research tools, like SurveyMonkey and Pollfish. However, conducting them on social media platforms, communities, and forums is easier and more accessible.
Interview, Subject Matter Expert
People often do it by posting on social media that they are looking for SMEs who are open to being interviewed. Sometimes, it works as simple as posting a story on Twitter or Instagram that you are looking for an SME for a specific topic. Insights from SMEs’ are a failproof way to add credibility to your content research as a beginner.
Explore Social Media for Research
Social media contains a lot of information through posts and conversations. This includes problems, ways to solve them, industry trends, gossip, etc. Leverage social media as a resource to deep-dive and understand your audience’s perspective. Different social media platforms can be used for this; let’s look.
Quora is a question-answer platform or a discussion forum where people sometimes ask basic questions. The unique thing about Quora is that you can find straightforward answers and explanations to those questions given by individuals. Quora is a perfect place to research blogs and articles on ‘how to’ or myth-bursting themes.
Reddit is also a discussion forum where you can get different perspectives in one place. You can find a subreddit for almost any niche. Reddit is also a good place to uncover information on new trends and do quick searches for insights. Reddit is where you go when you are writing a hip blog or even an investigative piece.
LinkedIn is full of coaches, subject matter experts, and free learning resources. It is a perfect place to research for educational, business, and goal-oriented blogs. Besides, social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Threads are great for content research. Twitter is an excellent place to find keywords and opinions. Pinterest stands out for lifestyle and DIY-related topics and product details.
Skim through case studies, reports, blogs, and newsletters.
Depending on the topic of your content research, reading the top few search options on Google is a simple way to put your thoughts together before making a content outline. Find the top ten articles, blogs, or case studies on your search topic and skim through from the 10th ranking to the 1st. By reaching the top 3, you will find different ways to put forth the same information. The most straightforward and synchronous content is often at the top.
Look for where you can add value.
One of the most significant ways to add value to your content is by making it simple and user-friendly. It is important to ensure that content is informative and easily digestible for the audience by filling the void of complexity with straightforward writing, infographics, and relevant facts.
Final thoughts
Content writing, or any part of content creation, is enriched by content research. The time you spend at the beginning of writing a piece in research, analysis, surveys, and interviews pays off. This groundwork makes the rest of the work 25 % easier with a good outline. A bonus point here is to take notes while you research. Not just what you find but also note down the ideas that come to you.
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