Kristina Halvorson is an American writer, podcaster, and CEO of Brain Traffic, a company specialising in content strategy.

In her 2009 book, Content Strategy for the Web (Voices That Matter), she wrote that “Quality, relevant content can’t be spotted by an algorithm […] You need people – actual human beings – to create or curate it”.

At the Yardstick Agency, this is understandingly a sentiment we agree with. And one that’s only becoming more important.

But what does “quality” and “relevant” content look like? And what can you do to ensure you’re writing it?

The “So what?” test is a simple way to determine your content’s relevance

When writing and editing your work, consider applying the “So what?” test.

Quite simply, read a line, paragraph or section of your copy. If you read it and think “So what?” then that line, paragraph or section has to go.

You could simply delete it, but a better approach might be to spend a moment understanding why it didn’t work.

You might find that the deleted content:

• Wasn’t relevant to your target audience

Even if the initial idea is good and your chosen topic matters to your readers, it still needs to be written in a way that makes sense and is relevant. Are you speaking your audience’s language and selling your message directly to them?

“We’ve won countless awards” might be true, but from your reader’s point of view, “So what?”. To be relevant, you’ll need to explain exactly what your awards mean for your audience and their money.

Your clients will know that they’re dealing with experts, for example, that their wealth is in safe hands, and that they can trust you to give sound and meaningful advice.

• Has strayed off-topic

Your regular content is designed to make you the go-to expert in your field but that doesn’t mean using your article solely to demonstrate how knowledgeable you are.

You might understand a complex quirk of the pension taxation system but is it relevant to your article about the Lifetime ISA?

Ask yourself “So what?” and don’t be tempted to throw the kitchen sink at every article you write. If a tangent is vital to your audience’s understanding, talk about it succinctly. If it’s not relevant, delete it.

Finally, if a topic does need discussing at length, consider if it requires an article all to itself and then link to that new article.

• Is jargon-filled or too wordy to follow

You want to get your important message across and that means making it as easy to understand as possible. Long, wordy sentences filled with technical information and jargon are unlikely to get through to your target audience.

In his recent article, ‘How to do more with less: 4 tips for writing with brevity’, Liam writes brilliantly about the need to be succinct.

Your relevant content needs to be quality too, so check and check again

Once you’re confident that your digression-free message is relevant and aimed at the right people, it’s time to check the basics.

Spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors are easily fixed so be sure to catch them. Failing to do so could have significant consequences.

Errors suggest a lack of care and attention and that’s not something you want readers to associate with you or your company. Likewise, factual errors won’t help you become a go-to expert for clients or prospects – and may even go against financial promotion guidelines.

Proofread your article thoroughly and then go through it again. Read it from the bottom of the page up, change the font or colour of your text, and use Word’s “read aloud” function to hear any errors. Ask someone else to read and check your content too, if that’s an option.

When you’ve put your heart into an article it can be hard to step back, so creating distance is vital. And once you’re finished, have a final read through to check for any lingering “So whats?”.

Get in touch

At the Yardstick Agency, our team of dedicated (and human) copywriters are experts at creating and curating quality content that’s relevant to your audience.

If you need help engaging your audience, get in touch and find out how we can help. Email hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300.