Make News, Win Links

No longer can we get away with creating content. It has to be newsworthy content. It has to be unique (or you'll find Twitter abuzz with people fussing about how sick they are of seeing x types of posts) and it has to be crafted with your audience and reach in mind.

Newsworthiness isn't a simple concept though. Almost everyone could give you a different definition of what it means to them.

What defines newsworthy? This really good list sums it up nicely in eight factors:

ImpactTimelinessProminenceProximityThe BizarreConflictCurrencyHuman Interest

Couple these factors with your audience and your social reach and you're well on your way to understanding how to make newsworthy content work for you.

Your Audience

Your audience is critical when you're choosing content ideas. If you've ever been reading an article and a very offensive or inappropriate ad was displayed near it, you will understand why I say this.

If your goal is to create controversy then fine, but make sure you can deal with annoying people enough that they don't return.

If your goal is to keep people coming back and invite new readers, you should do some target market research to see what your audience will respond to.

For example, if you ran a site about natural childbirth, an article detailing the benefits of using drugs during delivery probably wouldn't sit well with your audience. A post where someone details giving birth with drugs, and then later without, would probably do well though. You just need to know how to properly frame your topics for your readers.

Your Social Reach

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