Content is king again! Smart newsletter publishers, whether in print or online, are finally realizing that readers aren’t looking to buy their stuff. They look for solutions.

And the best way to offer solutions is by providing information that readers can use. It is also the best way to build trust with those who eventually want to buy your solutions.

Here’s a tip: the more niche or focused your solutions are, the better. Why? Because the more you can offer solutions that speak directly to a person’s challenge or pain point, the more valuable they will be to the reader.

Whether it’s a B2B newsletter that I charged $ 1,595 for or a B2C post for $ 19.95, one thing that always turned out to be true is that the content had to address solutions for a specific audience. The content is what kept them coming back. The content also helped foster a relationship with readers where they came to trust us for other solutions offered in conferences, seminars, manuals, reports, books, and other “back-end products.”

But it all starts with valuable content. Here are my 6 tips that have helped me and my staff over the years.

6 steps to creating great content

Step # 1: You must have a killer story idea to get started. I often asked our writers / editors to attend the story meeting with the first paragraph written as they viewed the story. Often it wasn’t great at the time, but by discussing the topic, we could usually come up with a great idea, and if not, we knew at the time that we had to come up with a better main story. It’s important for writers to come to the story conference with the lead paragraph already written because you want them to really think a little bit about how they see the shape of the story.

Step # 2: Each article should answer the question: What’s in it for the reader (WIIFR)? In fact, the lead paragraph will often answer that question. If the answer is not in the first paragraph, it should not be lower than the third or fifth paragraph, depending on the length of the article. Every article should have a reason why the writer tells the reader, “This is so important that you not only have to take the time to read it, but you also have to pay me to read it.”

To answer that question, the article must be written for the reader, not for anyone else. Some of the newsletters I published were aimed at very specific markets, such as CEOs of credit unions, bank compliance officers, and auto dealerships. Each one is not only written for a niche industry, but is written for and for a specific position in that industry. Each article should be written with that person in mind.

Step # 3: What can you do to keep your readers interested? Every publisher worth the ink or HTML code required to produce the content will make sure you are following steps 1 and 2. So what can you do to make your articles stand out from the rest? If your post and a competitor’s post are sitting on a desk or coffee table, what are you going to do to make sure the reader grabs yours first and doesn’t drop it right away? Can you take a contrary position? Can you raise any controversy by pitting two sources against each other? Marketing expert and business coach Jon Goldman (www.BrandLauncher.com) asks, “Where can you zig where everyone else zags?” What unique angle can you have? Are there any unique sources or ideas you can bring to the article?

Step # 4: What sources or anecdotes will you use to bring the story to life? A story is only as good as the ideas within the story. These stories within the story often come from other sources or from anecdotes that help paint a picture. For example, I just finished working with the writers of the new US News and World Report car review site, and unlike most other car review sites, it relies entirely on other sources. The articles are packed with great car buying information brought to life with anecdotes and comments from other reviewers.

Step # 5: Create an attractive copy. This is where I often see writers, editors, and even publishers get lazy. It is not enough to gather the information. It has to be convincing. You have to grab and hold him to get him so involved that anything else would be a rude and irritating interruption. Will all stories do that? Of course, no. But it’s something your writers and editors should strive for at all times! As I often say, it is an art, not a science, and therefore it should be an art that is constantly practiced. This is why I always look for talented writers who care about producing great content first. You can teach the subject. That will come. The care and dedication it takes to produce great content cannot be taught, and great content will always win out in a competitive market.

Step # 6: Write strong and intriguing headlines and subtitles. I mention the latter for a reason. In fact, all the steps are listed in order of how they should be approached. But it is important to leave the writing of the title and subtitles for last. I don’t know how many times I found the title in the first paragraph, or worse, it’s buried at the end of the article. A good headline should catch you, intrigue you, and tell you why it’s so important that you stop everything you’re doing to read the article. Subtitles should not be overlooked either. The subtitle is a tool to keep the reader interested in the article and, in some cases, to attract the reader to the article to include a benefit. They must also answer the question: What do I get out of this?

Follow those 6 steps and you’re on your way to delivering a great newsletter editorial that your readers can use. For more tips and ideas, visit http://www.ThePubGuru.com