Content writing is a valuable skill. Whether writing for yourself or a client who has a need for fresh content, it never hurts to improve. Here are four tips for creating good content.

Don’t: Forget to research

When you’re providing people with information, it’s important to get your facts right. You don’t want to get a reputation for giving out misinformation. Researching means you will also be able to provide your readers with links to studies and evidence to back you up. People like knowing what they are reading has merit. You may be able to talk endlessly about a topic, but remember that your readers aren’t as knowledgeable as you. Provide them with as much as you can. If you write on the same topic often, make sure you save your sources so you don’t need to look for them each time.

Do: Spend time creating a headline

You might think spending more than a couple minutes creating a headline is silly, but the headline is important because it’s the first part of your content readers are going to see. If they aren’t intrigued, they won’t read any further. You can say a lot in just a few words. You can tell the reader exactly what you’re going to offer them. Add words that will evoke emotion such as “energize,” “succeed,” “secret,” and “happy.” If you’re giving tips, let the reader know in the headline exactly how many tips you have for them.

Don’t: Waste a good idea

If you came up with an idea for content and spent time researching facts, why only write one piece with it? By learning how to spin ideas you can write multiple pieces. You can write articles of different styles as well as writing them for different audiences. Content written about online shopping can be geared toward a variety of audiences such as people who have lots of money to spend, ones who don’t have much to spend, and people doing the selling.

Do: Avoid fluff

Good content isn’t determined by its length. Writing a piece that’s over 1,000 words doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better. If it’s full of filler words and explaining the same thing more than once, it only makes for extra reading. Good content is saying what you want to say as tightly as you can. People don’t have time to sift through fluff in order to get what they need. When learning to cut the fluff, you might be worried your piece is too short, but rest assured, short is good.

There will always be a need for fresh, unique content. If you can learn to create content for yourself and others, it can bring in extra money.