Last week, I wrote about low-quality content and how to spot it in the wild. So this week, it only makes sense to explain high-quality content.

As someone who’s worked in marketing for ten years, I’ve seen the full gamut of content. From well-researched content that screams Forbes-worthy… to clickbaity content that I wouldn’t even pitch to the National Inquirer.

And now with more content than ever (hey, AI lords), quality is the only differentiating factor.

In this blog, I’ll explain:

• What high-quality content is
• Why content quality matters
• How to recognize good content

What is high-quality content?

High-quality content is well-researched and written in a way that’s easy to follow. It delivers value to the reader and creates a positive experience. It also positions the author as a thought leader and trusted source.

Why does high-quality content matter?

High-quality content improves your brand reputation, engages your audience, and establishes you as an industry expert. Ultimately, this type of marketing reinforces your trustworthiness, helping you generate high-quality leads.  

Regularly publishing solid content will help people find you through searches, social media, and shares from others. Eventually, people will recognize you as a trusted source of knowledge. Better yet, they’ll want to buy from you (hooray for non-sleazy sales).

What does good content mean?

Similar to anything written or visual, good content is subjective. But, some characteristics make it more effective than others. In general, it creates value with new or useful information.

Here’s a breakdown of seven ways to recognize and create your own high-quality content:

1. Creates audience engagement

One of the easiest ways to recognize high-quality content is to see if it captures and holds your audience’s attention. If it creates engagement, your audience is more likely to revisit it, interact with it, and share it with others.

In practice, this can mean a lot of different things. For example, on LinkedIn or Instagram, it could look like a post with many comments, likes, or saves.  Alternatively, for a blog post, it could look like high clicks and a long session (users spend time reading).

At the end of the day, solid content turns your audience into loyal followers by building trust over time.

2. Builds authority and credibility

Similarly, quality content helps to establish authority in your industry. By talking about similar content repeatedly, you become a reliable source of information.

Delivering credible information attracts influencers, industry experts, or authoritative websites. This makes it easier for people to find you online.

3. Reaps SEO Benefits

Content that’s optimized for search and sharing makes it more effective. Why? Because this type of content is created in a way that makes it easy for search engines and algorithms to prioritize it.

Many technical elements come with SEO copywriting. But, the gist is that it should answer questions and solve problems. 

By delivering genuine value, more people engage with it and find it useful. Eventually, search engines and algorithms recognize this and rank it higher.

4. Reports evergreen information

Evergreen content is content that maintains relevance. Unlike trendy or seasonal topics, it avoids the risk of going obsolete by retaining value for a long time.

Because evergreen content doesn’t rely on current events, it requires minimal updates to maintain value This saves you time and resources compared to constantly refreshing content based on current trends.

By producing fewer, higher-quality pieces, you can better manage your resources. This can help you focus on a few pieces of content that deliver real value to your audience instead of trying to keep up with trends.

5. Promotes brand reputation

Similar to building authority, high-quality content fosters a positive brand perception. A brand perception is the way your audience sees your brand. So, if you publish quality content, people will have a favorable view of your brand.

And customers are more likely to choose your brand over competitors if they have a positive perception.

6. Connects with loyal customers

Valuable content is the bridge between your brand and loyal customers. Similar to any meaningful relationship, transparency is key. Being honest with the public about how you can help them and avoiding spammy or salesy practices will help you build trust with your customers.

High-quality content will help turn your customers into advocates. In practice, this can look like:

• Having a problem-solving focus: High-quality content addresses your audience’s pain points and offers solutions. This shows your understanding of their needs and positions your brand as a trusted advisor, not just a seller.
• Building a community: By consistently providing valuable content, you attract like-minded individuals. This fosters a community around your brand, leading to stronger customer loyalty.
• Going beyond promotion: Valuable content focuses on informing and educating your audience, not just pushing sales messages. This shows that you care about their needs beyond just making a transaction.

7. Cuts through the noise

Cutting through the noise with high-quality content requires a strategic approach. But, fulfilling this presents an opportunity to stand out in a saturated market. To do this, with every piece of content you create, the goal needs to be to inform, educate, entertain, or inspire them.

Eventually, consistently producing high-quality content will resonate with your audience and cut through the online clutter.

Your turn: Start creating high-quality content

Now that you know what solid marketing content looks like in practice, it’s time to start marketing! Choose your channel (social, website, email, snail mail, morse code, ok I’m done) and begin creating. 

Anddddd and if you need a content strategist or a copywriter to support you, I’m here! Reach out if you need help coming up with a content strategy, building a content calendar, or creating content.