Written by: Jamie Caroccio, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Are you tired of wasting time and energy figuring out what content to create for your audience? Or, maybe you know you need to create assets like articles, lead magnets and e-books, but you don’t know where to start.
You want to build trust and authority in an authentic way, not sleazy or spammy.
If that's you, you're in the right place.
In this article, we'll dive into how you can:
Win the goodwill of your readers honestly and authentically.
Pick content topics that attract prospects and build your audience, even if you don't have a massive email list or following.
Specific copy tips to avoid adding more "fluff" to the internet and create instead must-read, highly valuable content that builds instant trust and authority.
We'll start by defining educational content, also known as informative or long-form content.
This content style provides value, educates your audience in-depth on a specific topic, and nurtures your relationship to build the know, like, and trust factor so they'll be more likely to buy from you. There are two main types of content: long-form and short-time.
Long-Form Vs. Short-Form Content
You can think of long-form content like a meal. It's typically 700 to 1800 words long. It's intended to be a more in-depth read and is sometimes gated (requires an email to access, like a free download). Moving forward in this article, I'll refer to long-form content as educational content. On the other hand, short-form is more like a snack, typically 400-600 words long, is intended to be skimmed and is usually free.
Additional perks of educational content include the opportunity to:
Share your insights and know-how
Win the goodwill of your readers
Create and share evergreen pieces
Improve your rankings in search engine results
Examples of educational content:
White paper
Case study
Newsletter (email or LinkedIn)
Articles (LinkedIn or blog)
E-books
Guides
Youtube videos (scripts)
Podcasts (scripts)
The go-to basic structure for your content
Whether you're new to the content writing game or have been writing for years, this go-to structure will serve you every time you need to upgrade or create something new:
Hook headline
Engaging introduction
Value (lesson/myths/tips/etc.)
Introduce yourself and what you do
Call to action
Let's dive a little deeper into each section of the structure above…
Hook the reader with your headline.
Nothing else matters if you don't grab the reader's attention with your headline.
No matter how good the rest of the copy is, they won't read on. You don't have to reinvent the wheel or spend ten hours crafting the perfect headline. There are millions of tried and true templates you can work from.
Create an engaging introduction.
Start your content piece by meeting the reader where they're at. Highlight their specific challenges (or pains) related to your topic. Let them know they're not alone and that you have a solution for them. Share a high-level overview of what you will cover in the copy and how it will benefit them. This will keep them engaged and motivate them to read on.
Share Value
This is where we get into the educational part and where you get to show off your expertise on a topic. This can be in the form of the following:
Myths
Mistakes
Strategies
Guide
Lessons
Story
Examples:
Top 5 [myths/mistakes] that [ideal client] makes that holds them back from [what they want to achieve]
5 strategies to achieve [what they want]
Introduce yourself and your work.
After you share value and educate, tie it back to who you are, who you help and how you help them. This will position you as the authority and can be as simple as "Hi, I'm [name plus your role] and who you help and how you help them."
Example:
Hi, I'm Jamie Caroccio. I'm a Copy Coach and Copywriter. For the past 7+ years, I've enjoyed working with hundreds of coaches (business, executive, leadership, life, and more.) I've helped write copy for six and seven-figure campaigns at one of the top marketing agencies in the personal and professional development space. I help you take your ideas, truth bombs and decades of wisdom and translate them to copy on the page. Through my Copy Trainings and Copy Critiques, I help you make copywriting simple, fun and profitable.
Close with a Strong Call to Action
What is the specific action you want someone to take after reading? Avoid generic "contact us today" language. Be clear and precise.
Examples:
Training - Discover how to get [what they want]. Check out our free training on [topic].
Call - Want help with [what they want]? Apply for a complimentary Discovery Call now.
Podcast - Check out our latest podcast episode on [topic] to [how it will benefit them]. Listen here now.
Article - Want to learn more about [topic]? Check out this article.
Download - Tired of [pain/challenge]? Get our free report on [topic]. Download your copy here.
Examples of Long-Form Content
Here's the headline and subheadline from a whitepaper I created for one of my clients, a career coach:
5 Biggest Mistakes That Will Sabotage Your Career & How to Avoid Them
Plus, 4 proven game-changing strategies to become more influential at work
Here are a couple of examples I would use for articles for an Executive & Leadership Coach:
5 Proven Strategies for Mid to Late Executive Leaders to Stay Relevant in the Ever-changing Business Climate
5 Steps to Build a Career that's Wildly Successful and Deeply Satisfying
Tips for Writing Educational Content
1. Pick evergreen topics.
What kind of questions is your ideal audience Googling (or are you getting over and over again on sales or client calls)?
For example, a career coach might frequently get asked:
How to negotiate a pay raise with my boss
How to navigate office politics
How to have a challenging conversation with an employee
2. Use "power words" in your headline AND body copy.
There is a direct link between the number of emotional words used in a headline and the likelihood that it will be shared more than 1,000 times. This shouldn't be surprising ‒ human brains are hard-wired to respond to emotions.
In copywriting, power words or "trigger words" are emotion-rich words that evoke emotions. They're usually words we don't use every day, like "devastating" or "mind-numbing," which is why they grab readers' attention.
I found an excellent resource of 401+ Ridiculously Useful Power Words To Increase Conversions.
3. Make your content scannable.
Readers don't read online; they scan.
Eye-tracking studies by NNGroup prove this. Readers follow an 'F-shaped' pattern when looking at web pages, scanning down the page quickly. Therefore, no matter how good your content is, only 20% of your content will be read on average. This is why you need to make your content concise and scannable to ensure readers get all the essential information without having to read the entire thing.
This means
Short paragraphs
Short sentences
Bullet points
Items in bold
Let's recap ‒ everything you need to know to create educational content in 5 bullet points.
Lead with an attention-grabbing headline
Meet the reader where they're at in the introduction
Share value and educate (lesson/myths/tips/etc.)
Introduce yourself and what you do
Include a specific call to action
Use this structure for your next content piece to write better copy faster.
To learn how to write better copy in just 5 minutes a day, sign up for my free "Coffee & Copy Tips ☕📝" and get one new insider tip every week to transform boring, bland copy into tasty treats your audience craves—only for subscribers!
Jamie Caroccio, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Jamie Caroccio is a Copy Coach & Copywriter. She helps coaches attract more high-end clients online with copywriting that is simple, fun, and profitable. Over the past 7+ years, she’s worked with hundreds of coaches across industries (business, executive, health, leadership, and more.) She’s helped write copy for six and seven-figure campaigns at one of the top marketing agencies in the personal and professional development space. She was a guest speaker for the Be Social Change Future of Social Impact Marketing panel. She’s also the Founder of “Coffee & Copy Tips,” a free newsletter that teaches you how to write better copy in just 5 minutes a day.
