Informative blogs, infographics, and social media posts form the backbone of an effective content strategy. They help educate and inform readers and work alongside promotional content to demonstrate expertise and industry knowledge.
In fact, informative content is often more persuasive than promotional ads (if written correctly) and should account for at least 60% of all digital media you publish. But what is it about informative content that makes it such an essential part of content creation?
The Meaning of Informative Content
Informative content, sometimes also called informational content, exists to help answer questions your customers might have on a particular subject. Most of the time, this type of content will address key search intent, educating readers on the topic and helping them solve a problem, inform future purchases, or simply settle their curiosity. Not only does informative content establish your business or brand as an authority in your industry, but it also acts as a trusted companion to promotional content.
Most types of informative content fit into two categories: evergreen and time-limited. Examples of evergreen content include:
- Tutorials
- E-books
- How-to guides
- Product reviews
- Infographics
Examples of time-sensitive content include:
- News bulletins
- Industry trends
Of course, one of the most significant differences between promotional and informative content is the length—with the latter typically featuring a thousand words or more. That’s not to say that all informative content is long-form (infographics certainly aren’t), but it depends on the complexity of the topic. With most subjects, a greater word count is needed to effectively explain a common problem, the factors leading to that problem, and, finally, the solution.
Informative content, such as blogs and infographics, is vital for educating readers and demonstrating industry expertise. It helps answer customer questions, supports promotional material, and can be evergreen—like tutorials and how-to guides—or time-sensitive, like news updates.
How Do You Write Informative Content?
Given that most of the content you publish should be informative, you must know how to write engaging, interesting, and click-worthy material. Below are several key factors all informative posts should adhere to.
Know Your Audience
Knowing your audience is arguably the most critical factor in creating informative content. After all, if you don’t know who you’re writing for, then how do you know what problems they have or information they need?! A deep dive into target markets and ideal customer profiles will give you a wealth of insights, including core values, language, motivations, and more.
Understanding this information allows your content to speak to readers, resonating with the issues that matter. Language use is also crucial, as you want your informative content to use everyday language, avoiding jargon and overtly technical terms. While this may seem like a lot of work from the outset, once you get a feel for your audience, writing captivating informative content will come naturally.
Choose the Right Format
Once you’ve mastered the art of tone, style, and language, you still need to present information in a way that makes sense and is visually appealing. Keeping paragraphs short is one consideration, but don’t forget about other equally simple (but highly effective) formatting elements such as:
- Bullet points
- Lists
- Segmenting text with H2/H3/H4 headings
Together, these elements improve readability and presentation. You want to capture the reader’s attention and keep them interested, which is where a model such as the inverted pyramid comes in. Start your post with “must-know facts” to get readers interested, then keep the momentum by using “nice-to-know” facts throughout the remaining paragraphs.
Use Audio and/or Visuals
It’s an age-old adage, but a picture really is worth a thousand words—provided, of course, it matches the topic and adds value to the post. A randomly placed stock photo adds little value, but with the rise of AI image-generating tools, it’s easier than ever to create something bespoke for your content. However, don’t forget the power of audio, especially if you are addressing an industry-specific topic.
Having a leading figurehead or expert speak on the topic you’re writing about will supercharge credibility and trust. Moreover, it doesn’t need to be a dedicated podcast or hour-long interview either. Soundbites, carefully placed at corresponding points in the text, are a fantastic way to add more depth to your informative content.
Write Strong Headlines
The headline or title is what readers will see (and click on) first. As such, it needs to be as impactful as possible while clearly explaining the content of the blog or post. It’s a delicate balancing act, but creating a strong headline will significantly improve click-through rates. But what exactly do we mean by a strong headline?
A catchy headline needs to tell the reader something useful or explain the article’s purpose. It also helps to include the article’s most dominant keywords in the title while trying to keep it under sixty characters (to avoid it being cut off in Google’s search results). Framing your title as a question can also help, as it will resonate with problems or queries your audience is searching for.
Keep It Simple
We mentioned this earlier, but simplicity, especially in language, is crucial if you want your content to be accessible to your audience. That’s not to say you cannot address technical subjects, especially if they are relevant to your business or industry. Still, you’ll need to find a way to break the topic down into its core components and make it more manageable for readers.
For example, if you want to address the manufacturing process of one of your products, it might be worth splitting the topic into several shorter posts, each explaining a different stage of the process. This keeps the word count shorter and the subject more accessible for readers. Also, don’t forget how impactful infographics can be. Often, a simple illustration explains far more than several paragraphs of text.
Provide Structure
Just like a good book, informative content must have a logical structure. It’s no good starting a blog post with a ton of technical details before you’ve provided any context. Likewise, you don’t want to spend 500 words setting the scene only to skim over the solution in the final paragraphs. The key to establishing a reader-friendly structure lies in the research and brief stages.
Before putting pen to paper (figuratively, of course), you should clearly understand common search intent and high-volume search queries. Then, you can begin structuring your blog post so that it follows a logical order and the relevant parts of the content are weighted accordingly.
Be Mindful With Figures
Figures are great. They add weight to an argument and can help solidify your position as an industry expert. However, numbers are easily misrepresented, open to interpretation, and quickly become outdated. If they are concise and directly support the question or query the content addresses, then include them.
However, it’s best practice to include any sources you use so readers can investigate further. Moreover, if you’re going to quote or link sources, ensure they’re credible, as this not only supports SEO but also builds trust with your readers.
Tell a Story
Informative content should be just that—informative. But that doesn’t mean it should lack character or avoid telling a story. Even the most mundane or technical content should be written as if you’re talking to someone one-on-one, making the text more personal and easier to read.
Moreover, once you’ve hooked the reader with some must-know facts in the opening paragraph, don’t be afraid to spend a few sentences setting the scene. What is the topic, how has it come about, and what can the reader learn? Encourage them to read on and introduce the elements like you’re chatting with a friend.
Give Your Content Personality
Giving text personality is a natural follow-on from the storytelling element highlighted above. A good writer will have their own style, which shines through in their sentence structure, phrasing, and word choice. An even better writer will balance this against the target audience’s values, language, and motivations.
The key is creating naturally flowing text that speaks to the reader in a personal manner and feels like a conversation between two people. Of course, the text needs to be clear, concise, and factual, but that doesn’t mean it should come across as dry, detached, or superior.
Include CTAs
While a compelling call to action (CTA) is usually reserved for promotional content, it still has a place in informative writing. The trick is to use it more naturally and make it part of your storytelling. For example, the opening paragraph is a great place to pique the reader’s interest, so why not end it with a call to “read on” for the full story?
Likewise, you can frame the CTA as a crucial question, such as: “Have you ever wondered what makes informative writing the king of content? Keep reading as we explain what you need to know to improve click-through rates and boost blog performance”.
To write effective informative content, focus on understanding your audience, using clear language, and structuring your posts with concise paragraphs, headings, and visuals. Engage readers through storytelling, strong headlines, and well-placed CTAs while ensuring the content is easy to digest.
Reaching Your Audience With Informative Content
Now that we’ve covered all the elements needed to create informative content, it’s clear why it is the most dominant form of digital media. It’s a way to connect with your readers, giving them the information they need to make informed decisions.
Of course, in the business world, those informed decisions can lead to increased product sales, subscription sign-ups, and much more. Informative content even helps to cement your position as an industry expert, not just in the eyes of your customers, but in Google’s, too. With such a heavy focus on informative content, mastering the art will pay dividends. Keep this handy guide nearby the next time you get stuck, or simply as a refresher on what it takes to make informative content engaging, interesting, and impactful.
