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One quality that every great content writer should have

Great writers don't claim any data; add suggestions or recommendations without adding proper evidence.

So, the question is:

How to create trustworthy and credible content?

5 elements to make your content more compelling and credible:

  • Research report and statistics
  • Charts and graphs with supportive data
  • Stories and case studies
  • Supportive resources
  • Relevant (positive or negative) examples

The benefits?

  • Your content becomes trustworthy as you're claiming every data and point with a proper source.
  • SEO benefits. Google focus on sites that are trustworthy. And, citation to the original source is one of the ways of showing trustworthiness.
  • Helpful for getting your guest article approved by authoritative sites in your niche.

Hope you like it.

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  1. 1

    I think examples and case studies are definitely a must for a good content piece, so you're 100% right. Whenever it's proprietary, that's awesome because I see a lot of writers rehashing the same old statistics and linking to the same source.

    Regarding charts and graphics, so many writers I talk to avoid doing that since they're "not graphic designers" but it goes a LONG way towards making the article convincing and share-worthy in distribution.

    Awesome tips! :)

    1. 2

      Absolutely!

      We need to consider one more thing while adding citation is the source of the stats, data must be from high authoritative sites. That's a sign of trustable content (mentioned in Google's QR guidelines).

      In the case of customized charts, I feel it is worthy to invest (if possible).

      Thanks for the appreciation.

  2. 1

    Good arguments. An article sharing its sources and linking to other data is always more trustworthy than an article simply coming out of your brain. However, how do you do when you're writing something based on results you've analyzed from personal experiences?

    1. 1

      It's fine to not adding data or stats forcefully within the content.

      The idea to make your content trustworthy and credible. In that case, the expert quote works pretty well.

      For example, if I find fresh statistics on something then I can add expert's quotes on the same statistics.

      Though it's not necessary, it adds a lot of credibilities when they see industry experts sharing a similar opinions.

    2. 1

      Not the OP, but in my experience, I think it's okay to mention that you've learned this from (e.g.) 'Speaking to hundreds of my customers," and referencing specifics stats whenever possible. I think analogies from personal experiences are always great and make the article more convincing and stand out from the typical SEO buzz. :)

      1. 1

        Yes! I 100% agree.

        Opinion based or even experience-based articles also works well, especially if the creator has a good following or considered an influencer in the market.

        1. 1

          Do you think speaking from experience wouldn't work if someone's not an influencer? Because most founders are looking to increase their visibility (they don't have the influencer status), but at the same time, if they compete with basic stats, they can't stand out. It's a bit of a chicken & egg problem, lol.

          1. 2

            I can see one solution to stand out and that is controversial content.

            For example, there was an article on "why content marketing is dead" (can't remember the actual title) that got huge attention over social media.

            But it can also backfire.

            1. 1

              Yeah, that can be a double-edged sword, but if it's a fresh take and aligns with what the audience thinks, I think it should be fine. I'm definitely a fan of that strategy, lol. Thanks Rafiqul, great takes here!

              1. 1

                Your welcome Lana. Good to have this conversation.

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