You’ve heard it many times before.
The key to getting tons of attention, a boatload of subscribers, and a massive audience of raving fans is to write epic content and even affiliate network opportunities.
Create content that rocks your readers’ worlds and you’ll make money blogging and live happily ever after.
It’s almost a blogging mantra, but you might just strangle the next person who says it.
Because while everybody tells you how great your content must be, almost nobody tells you how to do it.
Which makes the advice next to useless.
The “how” of epic content stays a secret known only to a few popular bloggers. And they’re keeping it to themselves.
That’s about to change…
Why Epic Content Is Like Pornography
In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court had to decide if the movie The Lovers was hard-core pornography.
In his commentary on the ruling, Justice Potter Stewart famously said:
For some, it’s long. For some, it’s short. And for others, it induces tears, or compels them to move mountains.
But at its core, what makes content epic is the impact it has on the reader.
Demian Farnworth, Chief Copywriter at Copyblogger, describes the impact this way:
The Rich Rewards That Await Creators of Epic Content
When you crank out crackerjack content, you can expect handsome rewards.
Epic Content Gets Attention
Almost 10,000 Facebook likes. More than 3,000 tweets. Oodles upon oodles of comments.
Those are some of the results this blog post achieved.
When you put great content in front of the right audience, people take notice.
Attention leads to shares, comments and backlinks – the building blocks of a popular blog.
Epic Content Breeds Loyalty
When you create epic content, people become bonded to you. And they often feel compelled to tell you.
Then instead of the sound of crickets (or its close cousin “nice post”) when you hit publish, you’ll get responses like these:
Responses like those are clues you’re attracting true fans.
And according to Kevin Kelly, you only need about a thousand to make a living from your blog. He describes them this way:
Epic Content Builds Authority
Jon Morrow has no shortage of epic posts under his belt. These have helped to establish him as an authority on how to build a popular blog.
That’s why tens of thousands of new and experienced bloggers turn to Jon and his blog week after week for guidance.
Authority gives you credibility and influence. It means people trust what you say and will follow your lead.
When you’ve earned authority with your content, people want to interview you, include you in their round-up posts, and even ask you to speak at their events.
Because when you have authority, opportunity knocks on your door instead of you having to chase after it.
The Common Characteristics of Epic Content
Even though the concept of “epic” can be slippery to define, content that scores big with readers tends to exhibit certain characteristics.
So if you want a shot at epicness, you’d be wise to understand the qualities that set such content apart from the rest.
1) It’s Crazy, Stupid Useful
Ever printed a post so you could refer to it again and again? Most online content is disposable, so anything that demands repeat reading stands out.
Likewise for content that leads readers to achieve a specific desirable result that had been eluding them. Or shows them how to accelerate their progress toward a goal.
Epic content often feels invaluable. Readers should wonder what on earth they would have done if they hadn’t found it. In weeks and months time, they should look back on reading it and identify it as a turning point.
Crucially, epically useful content is extremely action-oriented. It translates knowledge into steps readers can use to improve immediately. It makes the required action so clear that ignoring it is the tougher option. Readers would have to be crazy not to implement the advice, like the tips in this post.
2) It’s Mindblowingly Detailed
The devil, they say, is in the detail, and epic content is often rich with authentic detail.
Details provide context. They paint a vivid picture. They draw you in and get you invested in the writer’s point of view.
Details add weight to your arguments and make your content feel authoritative, even definitive.
Ultimate guides covering every aspect of a topic, tutorials packed with in-depth examples, and monster list-posts all use heightened levels of detail to push content further along the epic scale.
When readers are hungry to solve a problem, they want content that’s so detailed, it gives them a seven-course meal. Instead of the usual light appetizer.
This post is loaded with detail. And readers loaded it with love.
3) It’s a “Purple Cow”
Bloggers now have so much competition in the fight for readers’ attention that even highly useful, detail-rich content may not be enough to break through.
That’s why epic content is often strikingly different. The posts that get noticed are those that stand out like a pair of red patent-leather pumps in a room full of black loafers.
In his best-selling book, Purple Cow, Seth Godin explains why:
Like this pep talk from a Robert Frost quoting kid.
4) It’s Dripping with Emotion
Can you remember the last post that made you cry? Or made you mad? Or literally laugh out loud?
Moving readers beyond indifference to make them feel something is tough. But content that taps into readers’ emotions creates a connection and inspires them to take action.
Emotion consumes readers, making them forget their present circumstances. It can allow the writer to step into the reader’s world, or invite the reader to step into theirs.
Of all the characteristics of epic content, emotion is the one that makes your content post unforgettable. Like this masterpiece.
5) It’s Visually Stunning
Visual content has an unfair advantage over text. According to Marcel Just, Director of the Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging at Carnegie Mellon University, our minds are hardwired to be drawn to images.
And they are better at getting and holding our attention too. A Skyward study showed total views for articles with relevant images increased by 94% vs. those without.
Attractive visuals are not just better at engaging; they’re better at explaining too, making it easier for readers to grasp tricky subjects.
How to Engineer Content Your Readers Will Crown “Epic”
The problem with “epic” is that it’s daunting. When an epic journey lies ahead, that first step can seem almost impossible to take. The odds of success are too slim, and to start is to fail.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. When you have a clear route to your destination, the journey loses its mystery, and that first step becomes far less formidable.
Use one or more of the following tactics the next time you sit down to create. They’ll smooth the journey from empty page to epic post.
1) Research The Crap Out of Your Topic
Many bloggers feel they don’t have enough knowledge or experience to create epic content, but thorough research is the cure for that anxious condition.
Epic content writers are willing to research their topic to saturation point. They research the core of the topic and explore the periphery too. In fact, the less traveled avenues of enquiry are often where the real treasure lies.
And remember, anybody can conduct research, from a newbie blogger to a seasoned vet. You just have to be willing to do the work. Most people aren’t willing, so that’s your chance to seize an advantage.
Why research leads to epic content
Research is what provides the fuel for your detail-rich content. When you can draw upon a wealth of little-known facts, fascinating details, and relevant quotes, your blank page is suddenly less intimidating.
Readers love it because it makes their lives easier – you’ve already done all the legwork to find answers for their problem. When all the data is presented in one handy-dandy resource, they don’t have to piece the information together for it to make sense.
Well-researched content is also deeply reassuring. Yours won’t be the only content on the topic, and readers want to make sure they’re spending time on the most definitive resource.
How to be a lean-mean-researching machine
Become obsessive
Get fanatical about your topic. Consume everything you can get your hands on: books, blog posts, interviews, and presentations. Make it your mission to find the materials others have missed. And don’t be afraid to venture offline.
Make a master list of all the points that posts on the same topic have included. Then write down questions that haven’t been properly addressed, and go in search of answers.
Best-selling author Ryan Holiday talks of how he gains expertise on a subject:
For instance, your goal might be to create a post that is at least twice as comprehensive as the best post already published on your topic.
So if someone has written “37 Best Places to Dance Tango in Buenos Aires,” you could raise the bar with “Tango Nights: The Ultimate Guide to 97 Buenos Aires Hot Spots.”
In other words, let the gap between what others have published and what your epic content must cover guide your research.
Don’t trust the Internet
Sadly, just because you read a statistic online doesn’t mean it’s true (gasp!). And one spurious “fact” could undermine the credibility of the entire piece.
Whenever possible, chase down the original sources of the information you want to use. The original source provides more context for the facts others have quoted, as well as a treasure trove of other juicy details you can file away for later use.
Create a system
Don’t make the mistake of trying to store everything in your head – that’s a recipe to forget more than you remember. Instead, create a system to organize what you discover from your research.
You could create notes in Evernote, or organize your learnings in a “commonplace book.”
All that matters is that you’re cataloguing those sexy tidbits so you can access them with ease when it’s time to craft your epic post.
Make the data the star
Showcase what you’ve uncovered in a way that brings the data to life – this is your opportunity to be visually stunning. Present dry information visually, or feature illustrative stories to provide vivid examples of the points you’re making.
Add credibility to the data by citing your sources. Strategically quoting or referencing the work of experts will add authority to your content.
Examples
- Everything You Don’t Know About Tipping
- THE Backlinking Strategy That Works
- The Beginner’s Guide to the Paleo Diet
- Simple Living Manifesto: 72 Ideas to Simplify Your Life
- 50 Ways To Eat Brussel Sprouts All Day, Every Day
- 18 Writing Tips That’ll Actually Make You a Better Writer
2) Become a Play-by-Play Reporter
When people read “how to” content, one question at the forefront of their minds is “Will this really work?” That’s why evidence taken from the real world is so persuasive.
Drawing lessons from your own experiences or those of your clients or other contacts can result in a compelling case study, or a tutorial backed by real data.
SEO expert Brian Dean recommends this as the smartest approach for building a blog:
Why real-world data leads to epic content
Case studies and tutorials bridge the gap between the theory and practice of achieving a desirable goal. They act as a credible roadmap, with each step illustrated with real examples.
Readers love it because it offers a tried and tested approach instead of trial and error.
Conversion copywriting expert Joanna Weibe notes, “I’ve always thought it better to learn from someone else’s battle scars than to earn your own.”
Content grounded in the real world also gives readers confidence that if they apply the same lessons, they’ll get the same results.
How to load your arsenal with relevant real-world data
Become a guinea pig
Set yourself a goal that others also want to achieve, and then track your progress in detail. Before starting, think carefully about the metrics you’ll track.
For instance, if your goal is to get 1,000 new subscribers from guest blogging, you would want to track the number of subscribers gained from each post and the time it took to write each one. This would allow you to refine your strategy and put in effort where it counts most.
Set a big goal, and be sure to catalog the failures and dead ends, as well as the successes. Even a failed experiment can make an interesting case study, like this one.
Document, document, document
When creating an in-depth tutorial based on your own experiences, thoroughly document every step. And beware the curse of knowledge – the person following your instructions will probably know less than you.
If you find it challenging to recall individual steps that have become automatic, consider taping yourself going through the process so you can review it in detail. Or enlist the help of a friend to watch you go through it and keep track of each step along the way.
When creating your tutorial, reinforce why your reader should take each step. This will keep your process in the context of the end result. It will also help readers resist the urge to skip steps when they apply the process for real.
And before you publish, ask some of your audience to step through the process and tell you where they struggled to follow the steps.
Reveal your clients’ secrets
Share results they got from working with you, either individually (with permission), or in aggregate.
Identify the specific problem your clients had, what you had them do to improve, and then highlight the results.
Not everyone will be happy to have their results laid bare for all to see, so create an incentive for clients to share the inner workings of their businesses.
For instance, to get the data for their conversion copywriting case studies, the Copyhackers team will often write copy, run tests, and report the results to clients within the case study, for free. Access to data is the payment for the team’s services.
It’s a win-win situation. The clients benefit from free consulting, and added exposure once the results are reported. And the Copyhackers team benefits from getting relevant real world data to use for their content.
Drown the reader in examples
Enhance your content with concrete examples taken from the real world, not pulled from thin air.
Use photos, scripts, and screen shots where possible to remove any uncertainty or ambiguity.
In your case studies, try using graphics to show the before and after states. They help readers understand the steps that were taken and make the content more visually appealing, one of our markers for epicness.
Examples
- What It’s like to Fly the $23,000 Singapore Airlines Suites Class
- Case Study – How I Increased Conversions by 785% in One Day (Without A/B Testing)
- Salary Negotiation: How to negotiate better than 99% of people
- The Only Way You’ll Ever Cut Grapes In Half Again
- How to Start a Podcast: No Fluff (Just the Essentials)
3) Break the Rules
To create truly remarkable content, bloggers must present their readers with ideas and solutions markedly different from those they will have encountered before.
Unique experiences and worldviews can connect existing ideas in new, fresh, and interesting ways for your audience.
This method is ideal for more free-spirited bloggers – those who already see and experience the world a little (well, maybe a lot) differently than others.
But more conventional types can use their knowledge of what’s expected to deliberately challenge existing assumptions and boundaries to break new ground.
Why unconventional views lead to epic content
It gives you a different lens through which to see familiar problems. That alternative frame of reference may reveal new approaches that yield stellar results.
Readers are drawn to rebels and rule-breakers because they shake things up. They disrupt the status quo and question accepted ways of thinking.
The prospect of being among the first to adopt a new approach is exciting. Incremental progress can result from existing ideas, but major leaps require completely different ways of thinking.
How to see the world with new eyes
Become a critic
Look for flaws in an accepted system or philosophy. Then make it your mission to find a better way.
For instance, if your peers are investing significant amounts of time building a Facebook following, ask yourself, “What would happen if Facebook suddenly disappeared?”
Considering the realities of a worst-case scenario in advance will propel you to explore alternate options before others are forced to.
Be contrary
Following the path everyone else takes will lead you to the Sea of Sameness, along with a bunch of boring brown cows. Even if an existing approach works well, imagine it wasn’t an option, and dream up alternatives.
Eighteen-time best selling author Seth Godin discussed why it’s important to shake things up:
For example, if everyone in your niche is writing blog posts that are 1,000 words long, find out what happens if you write one ten times that length.
And don’t be afraid to grab attention for your content with deliberately provocative headlines, like this one.
If you already have success stories for your bold, new approach, be sure to include them. People love to learn about unconventional tactics, but many will be nervous about becoming early adopters of your ideas.
Be a Monday-morning quarterback
Reflect on experiences you’ve had, and consider how specific decisions affected where you are today.
Consider what might have happened if you’d made a different – or even opposite – decision at key points.
To get your wheels turning, write a letter to your younger self at the point where you were just starting out in your field. Describe the choices you made and the results that followed. Give the younger you a wake up call and then think how to do the same for your readers so they can jump in with eyes wide open.
Examples
- Twentysomething: Why I regret getting straight A’s in college
- Why I Fired My Father (And Maybe You Should Too)
- Why You Should Quit Your jJob And Travel Around The World
- 5 Reasons You Should Have Sex With Your Husband Every Night
- Forget about setting goals. Focus on this instead
4) Become a Mind Reader
How wonderful does it feel to find someone who truly understands you? Epic content demonstrates a deeper knowledge of the reader than they thought possible.
This type of content speaks to readers’ deepest thoughts. It shows them how to overcome concerns they’ve yet to voice. It gives them the answers before they’ve fully articulated the question.
So anyone who strives to create epic content must resolve to be a mind reader. The more you’re able to tap into your audiences’ thoughts, the easier it will be to use emotion to sweep them into action.
Why empathy leads to epic content
Famed copywriter Robert Collier advised:
When you seem to know your readers’ fears, struggles, dreams, what keeps them up at night, and what excites them, you can connect on a deeper level that makes your content truly memorable.
How to get to know your readers better than they know themselves
Open your eyes and ears
Watch what your readers say and do. Notice what they share, comment on, and the specific words they use.
Also gather insights from email conversations, comments on your blog, or interactions on social media. Become a dedicated gatherer of clues about the way your readers think.
Hang out in the comments section of blogs your readers frequent. Private forums, LinkedIn groups, or even Amazon reviews can be gold mines too.
For instance, if you were in the dating niche, you might check out what readers are saying about books on the subject. Here’s an Amazon review for the book It’s Complicated (But It Doesn’t Have to Be) by Paul Carrick Brunson:
The short review alone yields interesting insights about how a reader in this niche thinks: dating is like “maneuvering through turbulent water,” and advice about dating is a “life raft.”
Identify the emotional drivers
Use your reader research to identify your audience’s dreams, desires, fears, and frustrations.
In the Amazon review above, we can easily identify the following:
- the desire to find love
- the frustration of navigating the dating process
We might further infer:
- the goal to no longer be single
- the fear of taking dating advice from the wrong person
Dedicated mind readers will collect dozens or even hundreds of these emotional drivers for their audiences.
As Leanne Regalla noted in a recent Smart Blogger post, “The better you understand your audience, the more enthusiastically they’ll respond to everything you do.”
Have a two-way conversation
Quietly observing your audience will certainly help you engage them emotionally, but genuine interaction provides an extra layer of emotional intelligence.
So don’t just lurk; ask questions, and get to know some of your readers personally.
If you have an email list, ask your subscribers a simple question like “What’s causing you the most frustration right now?” Ask multiple questions by fielding a survey. You could even grab a coffee with a few of your ideal readers at a local meetup.
As you’re conversing, you will discover stories and examples you can use to inspire your writing. The best of those could even make powerful case studies.
Let insights write your content
Use your new-found insights to drive your writing process.
Hook your readers with a headline based upon a dream, desire, fear, or frustration.
Build empathy in your introduction by expanding upon the headlines or by exploring a related emotional driver.
As you write the body, use the insights to keep your writing honest. Make sure the content is being led by the reader’s needs, not yours.
To increase the impact, include the actual phrases and terminology your audience uses. The more familiar the language, the easier it will be for your readers to connect with your content.
Here’s an example of an empathy-laced headline and introduction based on the Amazon book review above:
Examples
- 20 Things to Remember If You Love a Person with ADD
- 10 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer
- Dear Mom on the iPhone: You’re Doing Fine
- Why Returning From Travel Is Harder Than Leaving The Comfort Of Home
- An Open Letter to Writers Struggling to Find Their Courage
5) Get Naked in Public
People can spot authenticity a mile off. Too many bloggers try to be someone else – usually some version of their blogging heroes – so when someone unapologetically expresses themselves through their work, it cuts through the noise.
People with their sights set on epic don’t try to fit in with cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all approaches. They are fearless and create content with the only set of rules they find worthy of following: their own.
In his best-seller, The Freaks Shall Inherit the Earth, Chris Brogan talks about why more people should embrace their weirdness:
Why fearless authenticity helps you create epic content
It’s a cliché, but a useful one: you’re the best in the world at being you.
Only by accentuating those qualities that are yours alone can you consistently stand apart from the crowd.
Authenticity also gives you the freedom to take risks because authenticity doesn’t demand success, just that you remain true to yourself.
And as you experiment with new ways to speak to your audience and explore more uncharted territory, the easier it will be to create the differentiated “purple cow” content readers seek.
How to be fearlessly authentic with your content
Get to know yourself
Get clear on your strengths, weaknesses, capabilities, and limitations. This way, as you’re blazing your trail, you can put your greatest assets on full display.
If you struggle to nail down what your strengths and capabilities are, ask your inner circle. Get them to share what they feel you’re best at and why they are drawn to you.
Once you identify those traits that attract others to you, lead with that in your work. If one of your strengths is your big, magnetic personality, video content may be your best route to epic.
Be on a mission
Have a long-term goal you are passionate about seeing accomplished. Something you pursue relentlessly.
When you have meaning and purpose behind your actions, boundaries, setbacks, or obstacles fade away.
When people see your content is part of a broader mission, it takes on a more epic scale.
These teachers create rap videos to teach math concepts like factoring and solving equations. Their commitment to helping students learn math shines through.
Lose yourself
Stop analyzing and agonizing over every step you take. The fear of looking dumb is the enemy of true authenticity.
Instead, get so fully immersed in a task that you forget about the outside world. Some call it working in flow. Others call it getting in the zone.
And if you find that you need an added dose of confidence to lose yourself in public, work out what it’ll take to make you feel less self-conscious.
Maybe it’s a thumbs up from your coach or your peer group. Or it could be taking a class to brush up on your skills.
You might even try getting started on a smaller scale and then working your way up to larger audiences as you get more comfortable.
Remember being told to dance like nobody’s watching? As a blogger, why not try writing like nobody’s reading? You might be surprised how epic things get.
Shake off the haters
When you’re doing something that’s radically different from the norm, you’ll have people who won’t like it. Ignore them. You’re not creating for them.
You’re creating for your audience. The people you’ve gotten to know intimately. The people who get, appreciate, and will be most affected by what you create.
Examples
- Three Ways To Say No To People Who Want To Pick Your Brain
- BECAUSE AWESOME!
- 17 Copywriting Do’s and Don’ts: How To Write Persuasive Content
- Why James Chartrand Wears Women’s Underpants
- Doing it wrong, relentlessly
It’s Time to Go Epic, or Go Home
Jon Morrow once told the story of getting an email from someone who decided against committing suicide after reading one of Jon’s posts.
His words saved someone’s life.
And your words have power too. Don’t take what you’re doing lightly. The work you do matters.
You don’t have to save a life to make a difference. You could save someone from a career they hate. Or from their inner critic. You could even save them from a boring afternoon.
But only if your powerful words get read. That’s why too few eyeballs on your work is no bueno.
The only reliable way to get seen is to create something truly epic.
And now you know how. You just need commitment, followed by action.
It’s time to take a stand against mediocrity.
Because your audience deserves your best.
Hi Sonia,
Truly awesome post.
What I really agee with is about the detail. Many people don’t put in as much detail into their posts (which frustrates me) and then turn around and ask how come they can’t create epic posts? Like you said, “Details add weight to your arguments and make your content feel authoritative, even definitive.”
People really do underestimate the power of good research. You can really create some truly great content if a little bit of research is put in to it.
Regarding the thing Brian Dean said about case studies, I’m buying into it more. I think people really relate more towards case studies and that can really help you grow a blog. It’s something I’m going to be doing more of for sure.
Lastly, your point about getting naked in public is so true. Too many people try to be the same, write the same way, they’re not original. And more people need to be .. that’s a fact.
Excellent post here, Sonia.
– Andrew
Hey Andrew – I’m so glad you enjoyed the post!
Details are soooooo important. It gives the reader exactly what they need to act. And that’s what we want people to be able to do after reading our content, right? 🙂
We’ve just gotta put in the work.
Good luck with the case study. I’d love to hear how it works for you once you get some results!
Hey Sonia,
So I actually follow through and did a case study and it’s been very well received. It was fun to do it as well. Thanks to your “push”, I was able to do it — and I hope I’ll be able to come out with many more in the future.
– Andrew
Yay Andrew! Congrats on the case study. Send it my way – I’d love to have a read 🙂
Hello Sonia,
This is a really fantastic article.
I always consider that emotion is the main ingredient of an epic content. It doesn’t matter if the emotion is positive or negative (sometimes negative emotion can even have even better impact), but my personal experience shows that people driven by emotions tend to like and share the content more often.
When creating a content, author has to provide readers something unexpected. Something that a person would never thought he will find out.
However, it takes lots of time, practice and experimenting to develop that one formula which makes your content truly remarkable.
Mindaugas.
Hey Mindaugas – you’re so right. Injecting emotion into your writing takes a lot of time and and experimenting, but its so worth it.
Any time we can make our audience feel something – something other than indifference, we’ve done well.
Best wishes to you in your quest to create remarkable content!
Really good read-love how you illustrate what makes a great post with a great post.
This makes me jealous.
Haha Wayne – glad you found it useful!
Now use that jealousy as fuel to go create something magnificent! 🙂
I Will Summarise This Fabulous blog post in two main points:
1. Be Brutal With The Content
I love that mean way of researching. The part where you expand on your research by noting the footnotes and reading more from them is truly a gem. And you are right about how misleading some stats on the web could be. I am beginning to put more of myself into research these days. And it has been very, very rewarding.
2. Be Gentle with Your Audience
This is surely where the Empathy and the Emotion arousing falls under. You show your audiences that you know them. You show authenticity by opening yourself to them, baring your heart.
Posts that fulfil these have proved to be the ones we remember long after reading them. And, yes, we never forget the hands that create them, either.
Thanks for such a Fabulous post again.
Heyyyy Tope!
Glad you got some value out of this! A lot of people shy away from researching, but that is really a big component of posts that add practical value for readers. And researching is actually kind of fun once you dive into it – then the hard part becomes deciding what you include and what you have to safe for something else! 🙂
And that empathy part. People get nervous about tackling it too – but, the connection it helps you build with your audience is priceless.
Oh, Such A Gem You Are! The Value In The Post Can not be quantified. I am sure I am not the Only One who feels that way. Keep the Good work up!
Well, you’ve certainly shown how it’s done with this post, Sonia. To borrow from Justice Potter Stewart, I know when I see epic content and this *is* it. Sometimes I shy away from reading epic posts packed with content because they can be a bit like Christmas Dinner: a bit much, rich and full of stuffing. A little like trying too hard to compete with all the other epic content out there.
You managed to write an epic post here that escapes this and created a real resource that people will be coming back to time after time. Including me. Your hard work certainly shows and pays off. Great job, Sonia!
Aww Tom – you’re comment put a big smile on my face :). Thanks for your kind words.
Love the visual your analogy of a “Christmas Dinner” epic post brought to mind! I think the key there is to focus your content creation on adding value and doing something special for your audience – rather than something that’s big and grand for the sake of being big and grand.
Thanks for stopping by!
I really like the idea from Glen that the change doesn’t have to be permanent. Usually I’m trying to turn bread into toast (no going back from that chemical change).
Thanks for the great post! Look forward to checking out your Checklist!
Hey Anthony! Yeah, sometimes when we focus so much on making a lasting change, the task ahead seems daunting.
Sometimes impermanent changes do just fine to impact the reader.
THanks for stopping by – and I hope you find the checklist useful!
I have one add to your epic list: connect to your real world passion and channel that into your writing.
In your case, brilliant Sonia, that is your passion for tango which we feel as you lead us firmly, softly, passionately around the page all the while dancing in the rhythm of our desires. Enticing us and never letting go, you deliver us to the end of your dramatic prose on purpose.
For me, I’m full of exhilaration with breathlessness of hope–giddy–knowing that I just experienced an unforgettable event. You had to mix your boy partnering energy with your girl feeling energy and tango us you did.
Thank you for that. No stilettos required; bonus points!
Hey Christine – yup, real world passion is super important. Your readers are absolutely able to feel it, and that’s of course what we’re going for – to get them to feel something.
And the rest of your comment got me so super excited for more tango tonight (with my stilettos) ;)! Many thanks!
Hey Sonia, this was an absolutely fantastic read.
The level of detail gone into this is so fitting for what you were trying to explain. I’ve come away with a lot to think about, and a lot more to apply to my writing.
Thanks!
Hey Jake – glad you’ve got some stuff to noodle on! I hope it serves you well in your writing moving forward.
Some brilliant points here – I love getting naked in public on my Emily the Dodo blog! But I’d also add: If you’re ready to create epic content, make sure your blog looks awesome first!
Recently, I wrote a post about a code of honour for a modern warrior which I thought was pretty good. I put it on Stumbleupon and got 15K pageviews and 260 likes in 3 days. Wow – I normally get about 150 pageviews a day for my whole blog!
Only… my site looks all wrong and I still need to tweak it. So 15,000 people must have looked at my blog and thought, ‘Well THAT looks crap!’ I’m cringing… but I’m learning.
Getting Naked in Public is quite fun isn’t it? 🙂
Congrats on the success of that recent post of yours you mentioned. I think you’re being hard on yourself – I think your blog looks just fine.
Besides, when your content is fabulous, your readers don’t really care how the blog looks. They just want the good stuff you’re giving them!
Be yourself. Research. Use emotions, case studies, quotes, references, anything to add substance to your own content. Think like your reader. One thing that came to mind is to take pressure off yourself to make a post “epic”. If you are writing from a place of caring, your words will likely flow and make a meaningful connection. You provided strong tips and techniques – thanks.
Virginia – yep, you got it. Pressure can be stifling, and sometimes prevent you from moving forward.
So like you said – if you sit down from a place of caring – it transfers into your work, and it’s less about “creating something epic” but more about creating something that will transform your readers for the better.
Thanks for commenting!
That’s just the thing I love about this blog. Every article is so valuable. I used to pocket them for later, but now I just come here and read everything! There’s never been a miss (that I recall, anyway). And that’s saying a lot. You definitely have a true fan here.
Glad you got value out of it!
Hey Sonia,
Wow, what great detail!
When you said to be detailed with your content, you really meant it! As I was reading through the tips this made me look back within the past year as i grew as a blogger!.
I find that I’ve became more transparent and more detailed. As a result, I get more people telling me that they have bookmarked my content and at the same time I’m getting much more traffic and shares than I did in the previous year.
I would say that most tweets I have ever gotten within a short amount of time was 800 in just about 3 days, but i believe that was due to someone who had a big following. But you can imagine how ecstatic I was about this result!
Anyways, I’m going to bookmark this post! I like to go over this again just to keep myself in check!
Thanks for the sharing Sonia! You definitely did your due diligence with this post! Have a great weekend!
Hey Sherman – glad you found it useful!
Figured I couldn’t say you should be detailed if I wasn’t going to do it myself. 🙂
Great to hear you’re finding success with your blog – and that you know why things are starting to click for you.
Keep it up! You have a great weekend as well!
Wow! beautiful! am so epic from henceforth. Please start loving me because my articles will now leave you you without any option.
Thanks Don!
I almost passed not commenting… Talk is cheap. What is there to say really? This post is in itself the BEST example of what it’s preaching… EPIC.
I’m out. Time to act!
I’m glad you did comment Nicholas! THanks for the feedback – and wishing you much success with creating remarkable content!
I like #5 too: actually, “how to be the best YOU you can be” would make a great blog (not just a post, a whole blog) in itself.
So Katharine – should I expect to see you launching that blog soon? 🙂
Wow, Sonia, you’ve taken on a massive challenge to debut on Boost Blog Traffic with a post about epic content. And you’ve done it with flair. Exceptional. Congrats!
What a well-researched post – I love how you’ve included so many examples. It must have taken you a ton of time to gather them all. You’re walking the talk. 🙂
And of course, I’m honored that you’ve included one of my SlideShares in this post. *blushes* Thank you.
Henneke – thanks so much for stopping by!
It did take a lot of time to research and get all the examples – but, it really helped to illustrate the “how” to do it – which I’m hoping makes the tips more actionable.
And no post about epic content would be complete without an example from your amazing work. 🙂
Hi Sonia,
Ever printed a post so you could refer to it again? YES, sure did. Many of them from BBT, especially the ones related to grammar and editing. I have them all printed and spiral bound. 🙂
Not just that, but when I read someone needs grammar or editing advice, I link to those posts. Why? Because they are unforgettable.
I certainly use Evernote these days to organize my research. I also started using Scrivener after I read posts about it by Bryan Collins and Mary Jaksch.
Thanks for this post, and for the free checklist.
Hey Raspal – thanks for stopping by here!
We read so many great things online that are useful – it is a shame to let all that good knowledge go to waste. By printing it out and referring to it, we’re much more likely to actually apply the knowledge, which is where the results come from.
Hi Sonia,
That surely makes an EPIC post 🙂 Loved it all way through.
It is amazing when we realize the power of our words. As Jon’s post stopped someone from committing suicide. What a life changer it turned out to be? Words/Content, done right, can do anything. Media uses that power to make changes in the society.
Epic blogs do the same. They change the lives of its audience. Emotions – empathising with readers, reading their mind and delivering value is all about touching their emotion. People can smell it a mile off whether someone is there to truly help or to make some quick commissions. When you show you care, via your words, people get touched. And if the content is truly useful (which requires thorough research and careful presentation) it changes their lives.
That’s how one creates epic content. It is not easy. Easy doesn’t turn out to be epic. Epic occurs with plain hard work and dedication.
Thanks Sonia for taking the time to write this actually epic and purple cow content (the “how” of epic content is not seen elsewhere).
Cheers,
Jane.
Jane – thanks so much for your lovely comment!
I totally agree with you – people can smell it a long way off when someone is really genuine in their desire to help, vs. just trying to get your money.
If we focus on the caring, and transforming our readers for the better, then the audience is much more likely to stick around.
The article itself is a fine example of how to create truly epic content! That #4 😀
understanding our lives and investing our understanding in our writing is our own epic drama unfolding for ourselves and for others.
Thanks Otis – really appreciate the feedback!
Yeah -#4 is certainly a doozy, but once we figure out how to inject empathy in our writing the needle definitely starts to move in the right direction for us. 🙂
Hi Sonia,
Great post. I’ve been reading about epic content for a while now, but this posts nails it. It’s good to see someone recommending the commonplace book too.
Thanks Bryan!
I actually just started using a commonplace book – and I really am loving it. It helps to seal in the information in a stronger way in my mind.
You’ve had success with it?
This is really inspiring. I’ve more of less seen all advice in there on other blogs but none of them gave as much details as you did. One epic blog post topping other posts on the subject :).
I like the advice about reading reviews and comments from your target audience on other blogs or products. I found out that the hardest thing about blogging is to get to really know your audience and how to talk to them. Empathy is everything when blogging but it’s really not easy to achieve at first.
Hey Aurelie! (beautiful name by the way) 🙂
I’m so glad you liked the post. You’re totally right, empathy is imperative when blogging and communicating with the audience. Something we all know to do, but in practice don’t always implement.
But as you say – once we start to use it, and get over the initial hump of figuring out how to do it, it gets easier along the way.
Thanks for your comment!
Hello Sonia,
Thank you for this post – the sort of reminder this jibber jabbering brown cow really needs.
I shall try to drip with emotion (and not just fear) at my next attempt. But before I try to lose myself, please tell me about your tango. Is it of the Argentinian variety – all passion and determination or is the English one, where we dance so far apart we end up in different rooms?
Whatever, thank you again – I really like your choice of sassy words – but then I think you are a sassy but focused professional.
Kindest regards,
Zara.
Hola Zarayna – I always just love your comments!
With regards to tango – yes, it is Argentine tango in particular. I’m actually in Buenos Aires now for a bit getting lots and lots of dancing in. 🙂
And if you keep working on the emotion – your content will be purple cow for sure.
Although I completely agree that writing in much detail is one of the main ingredients of an “epic” blog post, but sometimes I wonder if it actually helps the readers. Don’t get me wrong, I am with you on all the points you mentioned. This is one of the best post on creating an “epic” piece of content.
Epic contents are great for sharing and building your reputation, but for usability, barebone content with just the steps are much better. Maybe this is not the right place to say this, but it just came to my mind. Hope you don’t mind.
Anyways, great advice. I will surely try implementing these. Thanks Sonia.
Hey Neil – I appreciate your point of view. I think if the focus on your content creation is on being useful and valuable to your readers – to give them enough information to act and take the next step, then that’s what I think will help the readers the most.
Every audience is different. If bare bones content that’s super simple with a singular and clear call to action works best for your audience, then thats the kind of content that makes sense to deliver to them.
But if they need and value more in depth explanations, then it’s better to give them something that goes a bit deeper. Make sense?
Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Love #5 on being fearlessly authentic, get naked! I always get great response when I write from my guts and I can attribute $4,000 of revenue directly to one particularly “raw” and personal post.
Sweet Ling! Sounds like “getting naked” is working for you! Keep it up! 🙂
Now this is EPIC content Sonia! Great work!
I like drowning in examples myself. It’s a great way for epic content to convey practical and actionable tips.
Im still working my way to being better with making epic content, I’d love if you could give me your opinion on my latest blog post if you had a spare minute or 2 haha! 🙂
Enjoy the weekend Sonia! Thanks!
Hey Dennis – looks like you’re doing pretty great with your content already. You latest post is really in depth, and includes lots of visuals and references to other places for more information. Me likey :)!
Thanks for taking the time to comment and share. Much appreciated!
Hi Sonia,
This is a great post. After reading this post, really enjoyed.I completely agree with you. Epic content is an important for all bloggers like me.Thanks for sharing this decent article with us.
Have a nice day!
My pleasure Riya – glad you found some value in it. Best wishes to you in your content creation efforts!
Sometimes being authentic, being our true self gets hidden when you’re trying to model after someone else. This happens when someone is new to blogging and trying to find their way. It’s ok, you’ll get better. Just keep going.
Steven – totally agree with you. In the beginning as we’re trying to figure things out, it is good to have a guide.
But as we follow the advice and footsteps of those who are already successful, it is a good thing to always remember and do things in a manner that fits our own style and personalities. That’s what will help us stand out for the audience we’re meant to have.
GREAT article Sonia! Glad I came across it!
“Incremental progress can result from existing ideas, but major leaps require completely different ways of thinking.”
I love the reminder about being contrary and being a critic so the writer can see the world/situations/ideas through different eyes. Thank you for offering so much depth!
Renita – thanks for stopping by!
Yep – if we see the world the same as everyone else, and talk about the same things as everyone else, in the same way as everyone else – then it will become really hard for your voice to stand out among the masses.
New eyes and perspectives are refreshing!
Epic content builds credibility. It makes your readers to become lifetime fans. It helps you make full-time money from your sites.
It also helps you increase your sales, leads, traffic and subscribers. The more you create epic content the more it helps you reach wider audience.
Great share Sonia
Thanks Anil! Yup – there really is only upside to creating epic content!
Hey Sonia!
Your post inspires me in so many ways; I am truly awestruck! Perhaps the most important impact is to the focus and topic of my blog.
You can rest assured knowing you made a lasting and deeply meaningful impression -the mark of an epic post.
Thank you.
Glad to hear it Blaine!
Best wishes to you on your blog with the newfound focus.
Hey Sonia!
Brilliant article. I completely agree with you. Best articles in my blog (best in terms of visits and engaging) are the ‘epic’ ones. And thanks for not speaking about SEO a lot. Sometimes we are forgetting about content and we are thinking only about SEO. This is a mistake, from my point of view.
So, I have a question for you: If you would have 60 minutes to create content on an article or SEO Optimization, or backlinks generations, how would you spend it?
Thanks in advance!
Hey Inaky – If I only had an hour, I’d focus on creating the content. I feel that’s the foundation to everything else. SEO can be helpful, but without strong content for the reader once they arrive on your site, you’ll have a hard time getting them to come back to read anything else you’ve created.
Thanks for stopping by!
Hey Sonia, yeah… make sense. Thanks for the response. I have just discovered your blog and I will come back! Good stuff in here!!! 🙂
Sonia,
This is a great primer for building epic content. I wrote copious notes 🙂 I would have loved to see your epic writing process. A deep dive into your complete workflow.
Thanks again!
Hey Ramon – glad you found the post helpful!
In terms of the writing process, it started with an outline, then I did some research on examples, wrote a draft, did a boatload more research, and then continued to evolve the post with more drafts.
But the key – was really starting with the outline, and the research. The outline guided my research. And the more research I did, the more clarity I got about the points.
I hope that’s helpful!
Hello Sonia,
This is a awesome article. I am so happy to read your entire post, it is easily understand to everyone. I completely agree with you. Nowadays Epic content is an very important for all bloggers.Thanks a lot for sharing this wonderful article. I bookmarked for sharing my friends also. Please keep posting. We are awaiting more article form you
Thanks Amrinasen – I’m working away on more posts now 🙂
Thanks for sharing, and I hope this will help you create content that your readers will love!
Wow Sonia, you really walk your talk.! This is an epic blog post about epic blog posts. You have given me so many ideas to follow through on. Before reading this, I was uncertain as to how I could deliver outstanding content, but now, I am filled with ideas, inspiration, motivation, and confidence. Thanks so much!
Yay Jeannette – success! I’m glad you’ve got tons of ideas and inspiration, and confidence. Now all you have to do is go write.
Best wishes on your content creation efforts!
Awesome post!
Would love to read a follow up post that goes more in-depth on step 1 (Research The Crap Out of Your Topic).
With specific steps, resources, strategies on how to do the research, etc.
Hey Ramin – great idea! Let me start thinking about that one….
Wow!!!!!!
I’m glad I HAVE to type this comment because I would have a hard time saying it since my jaw is on the floor! THIS IS PHENOMENAL!
Sonya, just so you know, I came your way from a link in a private Facebook group. A few friends and I dropped over $2,000 on a course to teach us how to create a non-scammy, SUSTAINABLE online business. And it’s worth every single penny, by the way. The caliber of information is top-notch. The caliber of students is top-notch.
Anyway, this module’s core assignment is to create a system for making remarkable content and then actually creating 5 pieces of that remarkable content with the system we created. So, lo and behold, one of my classmates recommended that a few of us read your post. Now I see why!!!!
You’re advice is spot-on!!! And what you’re teaching people for free here in this post is one of the subject matters that people are HAPPILY paying 4 figures to learn. This is not theory. This is fact.
I personally know 4 other classmates who have read your content because they are raving about it in this private community of students.
Needless to say, you are definitely on our radars, for sure! You keep showing up and showing out like this and very soon, you are going to have our 16 digits, an expiration dates, and CVV Codes on file!
Takiyah!
Thank you so much for your comment. You’re starting my day off with a great big smile 🙂
Congratulations on investing in yourself to build your online business. And I am thrilled that you found value out of this post, as a means to help you build you create content for the audience you’re working to build.
Looking forward to giving more lovely people like you the tools you need to succeed.
All the best to you – and I look forward to seeing you and your crew around the web very soon. 🙂
Wow this was an amazing post, even by BBT’s extremely high standard.
There’s so much good advice here that it’s hard to single one thing out but I really like this line – “Most online content is disposable, so anything that demands repeat reading stands out.”
I think your post is clear evidence of this since I’ve bookmarked this post and know I’ll come back to it several times (I’m sure I’m not the only one).
Great job 🙂
Chris – thanks so much for your comment!
I’m super glad you enjoyed the post and got value out of it. Best wishes to you as you create content that demands a repeat reading! 🙂
Sonia,
You certainly caught my attention with “Why Epic Content Is Like Pornography”.
I too know it when I see and have bookmarked this article so I can come back to it time and again.
Thank you,
John
Hey John! Yeah – I thought that one might intrigue people :).
I’m so glad you got value out of this post. Let me know when you get your own epic piece of content up.
Nice post.
Thank you for sharing a informative information with us.
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Hello Sonia,
Thank you so much for this EPIC post.
I’ve read tons of articles on how to create epic posts, nothing else come close. I didn’t see any skyscraper here – just building for building sake – everything had its place.
You’re a multi-talented rare breed. You sing, tango and write. What else? You consult. No wonder you’re a household name at Forbes, Inc. Success and a host of other iconic publications.
As the saying goes, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. I’m ready. I’m looking forward to being your student starting with bookmarking this EPIC.
Thank you so much.