KISSmetrics has a good post about how to create a publish content that draws in readers. I believe that one of the most important steps is number four:
The Nine Ingredients That Make Great Content
4. Be Able to Provide Answers
What is the ultimate purpose of a search engine? Most people would be correct in saying “to deliver sets of answers.” Google is great at this. Type a query into Google and you’ll be presented with links, pictures, and videos.
When people use a search engine, what they ultimately want is an answer, and it’s the search engine’s job to deliver that answer.
It’s the same when people are reading a blog post, viewing an infographic or watching a video — they want an answer so they can gain knowledge. An additional tip here is: people don’t just want answers, they want answers fast. So make your content easy to scan so people can pick up the juicy, important bits quickly.
Read any title and subtitle of a non-fiction book or article. Ultimately, what it leaves the reader with is a question or a sense of curiosity. It is then the author’s job to deliver answers and have supporting information.
FAQ posts and mining your email for post ideas are fantastic ways to create interesting content that people want to read and will have them coming back for more.
