Successful content marketing requires a lot of skills, but there’s one that’s more important than the others.
According to Jeff Bullas (and common sense), “There is one skill that all content marketers need to learn. The art of writing.”
Even if you choose non-written forms of content marketing, writing — and thinking — skills are still critically important to bringing an idea to life in a way that people will react well to.
Whether you’re writing blog posts or long-form content, developing a video, infographic or podcast, the way you communicate is critical to inciting action — or even consideration. No matter what form of content you’re developing, you’re telling a story and that story needs to be coherent, clear and well considered, which is why strong writing skills are key.
Beyond the storytelling aspect, it’s important for content marketers to be able to create attention-grabbing headlines, impactful meta-data, and great introductions. A question, quote, or story are great ways to introduce your content.
Follow that with an easily-digestible content structure (lots of sub-headings and short paragraphs), and avoid adding too much fluff to your content. Read the full list of tips to mastering the art of writing, here.