When it comes to content marketing, ultimate guides can be an incredible weapon in your arsenal. They’re long, in-depth, and can build your authority and rankings with search engines.
To ensure your ultimate guide stands out from the crowd, make sure you do your research and write from the reader’s perspective. That way, you can make sure your instructions are clear and easy to follow.
1. Know Your Topic
If you’re writing an ultimate guide, the first step is to know your topic. This will help you choose what to write about, as well as how you will structure your information.
Before you even start your research, make sure to choose a topic that’s interesting to you and is appropriate for the audience you’re targeting. This means it has to be something that you can explore in depth and isn’t boring or too easy to understand.
Getting an idea of what you’re interested in can be as simple as asking yourself which topics or issues initially piqued your interest in a certain subject. Then, do a little further research on those topics.
2. Make an Outline
An outline is a tool that helps you organize your thoughts, ideas and research. It can be used for many different types of writing, including essays, articles, presentations and books.
Outlining is an important step in the writing process because it helps you organize your topic and ensure that all of the information you need is included in the final product.
An outline can be written on paper or on a computer, depending on your preference. You can also use a variety of formatting options, including font and size, color, bullets and lists, and more.
4. Write
If you’ve got an important skill or expertise to share, a step-by-step guide can give your audience a huge boost. They’ll be more likely to buy your products, subscribe to your newsletter, or even recommend you to their friends and colleagues!
Creating the right content can take time, but it’s well worth it. A great ultimate guide can stand out among the countless other posts and websites that exist on your topic.
Start by jotting down what’s missing from other posts and research your topic. You’ll be surprised by how much extra detail you can find to fill in gaps and make your guide stand out.
5. Test
One of the best ways to find out if you have a hit is to put it up for grabs. This can be done in a variety of ways, from asking someone who knows you to do the honors to putting it up in the best light with your best friend. The latter can be a bit daunting, but it can also make for some snarky one-ups in the name of the game. A word of caution though: the wrong type of beer might spell disaster. Using the right sort of brew will go a long way toward ensuring that you are actually proud of what you have created.
6. Proofread
Proofreading is a vital step in creating accurate and well-written copy for your business. Not only does it ensure that the content you’re producing is up to scratch, but it also creates a positive impression about your company.
While it’s tempting to put proofreading tasks on the back burner, a poorly-written piece of copy can be a real turnoff for customers. Whether you’re writing marketing copy for your website or social media, sloppy content can leave an impression of carelessness and low quality.
