60+ checks for your content
Every piece of your content should be excellent
I was inspired by this quote:
"Every piece of your content should be excellent, enough that customers are compelled to share it." - Joe Pulizzi
So I made a list of over 60 things to check while creating my content.
Maybe you'll find it useful! 👇
Here is the Content checklist!
Don't forget to:
simplify your ideas, so it is accessible and transparent for your audience!
share your content across relevant websites!
match your headings with the rest of your content!
estimate the time and cost of your content creation to be within your budget!
watch your distributed content for plagiarizers!
format your written content! At least check paragraphs, space, (sub)headings!
optimize your media for load time while preserving high enough fidelity!
check out the content of your competitors! (Though, not copy it, but up your game and be inspired!)
schedule time in your calendar in case of an emergency (so you can hit your deadlines)!
monitor the relevance of your published content (and update accordingly)!
remember that "less is more!" E.g., don't overload your audience with too many images or videos.
define your content's key performance indicators (KPI's)!
check that you focus all content on your audience's interests!
make sure your content meets the expectation of you (plus your KPI's) and your audience!
respond to feedback, comments, inquiries, and questions your audience has!
make sure a large part of your audience is interested in the content you create!
check if your media violates copyrights! Make sure to credit sources where needed!
optimize your media! They should be of high enough quality for at least 5+ years!
regularly check if your audience takes actions you want them to, like sharing, liking, tweeting, subscribing, and commenting on it!
make your media responsive to all modern devices!
align your content with the style of your business!
link out to authoritative sources! Google loves this!
refrain from going overboard with links in your content! Too much can distract.
make sure your content is structured in a form that helps your audience to take action!
keep your headings short!
surprise your audience from time to time! All love novel insights, data, and information.
distribute your content!
have clear share buttons and call to actions (CTA's) on your channels!
arrange share/like buttons so that it is easy to see on all devices!
add buttons that help visitors to your content to subscribe to your channels!
add a hook at the beginning of your content and a call to action (CTA) at the end!
keep yourself from posting too much during the holidays! (Spend time with your own family/friends. Also, some people take offense to people 'working' on those days.)
post during high volume activity moments!
set a sustainable publishing schedule!
test your content in multiple browsers (at least Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Edge)!
add your meta descriptions!
check if your content contains files/media that are unable to load (due to size or format)!
check if your idea is something that your audience can establish a connection with!
attract and excite!
to send your articles, posts, videos, any content really, to an authoritative channel/community related to your audience!
set up monitoring of metrics for your content!
do (at least a little bit of) keyword research for your content!
check your content (incl. meta and headings) on typos, grammar, and spelling!
make sure your content is more educational, inspirational, or entertaining than that of most competitors!
ask for feedback from content consumers that are not your co-workers!
show your content to a few of your target audience for comments/feedback!
send teasers, freebies, and previews to communities and channels where your audience congregates!
ask influencers for reviews of your more significant content pieces!
check if you have some 'exclusivity' in or around your content(channels)!
make sure your content + channels + style + media are geared towards building trust!
check your content for significant keywords!
deliver on promises you make in the sign-up flow (of your newsletters)!
ignite emotion in your audience with stories in your content!
notice that different types of content lend themselves to longer or shorter pieces!
reply/like to everyone who interacted with your content in a significant way (sharing, commenting)!
point out the overall story of your content! Have something more significant to share than one-offs.
manage your content consumer's expectations! Bring the headings and body of your content into alignment.
recommend your pieces to different groups and communities who may be interested!
keep a delicate balance between promotional content and promotion/ad-free content!
be clear about what content is made by you and what you outsourced! Take responsibility either way.
collect data about the content you create! And update it regularly.
make it easy for search engines and aggregators to find your content!
look back on the whole process of a piece of content, from inception to analytics!
make sure your primary channel can handle the type of content you produce!