The 5-step guide is no longer actively updated.
I recommend Project 24. (My review is here.)

How to create content

by

I may be paid via affiliate links below. More here.

Your goal is to become the go-to expert in your niche. Use your content to achieve this goal.

Choose a niche (topic)

Create helpful, entertaining or inspiring content related to what you sell. Provide solutions to common problems your audience faces, demonstrate your expertise and build trust. Why? So when your people need in-depth help, they’ll buy from you first.

Choose a niche you enjoy

If you’re not interested in your niche, no one else will be either. Brainstorming questions:

  • What do you do that people marvel at?
  • What enjoyable activity makes you lose time?
  • What do people ask your advice about?
  • If you had to teach a class tomorrow on any subject, what would it be?

Niche down

A lot of beginners want to “keep their options open” so they pick a broad niche. Trust me, you will struggle to gain traction. You’re better off going narrow first and branching out later.

Choose something broad enough so you have plenty to talk about but narrow enough so you become the go-to resource in that niche.

To niche down, make a list of large niches you like. Then, choose a smaller segment, and a smaller segment and maybe a smaller segment. Ask yourself questions like (insert your broad niche into the blank):

  • What kind of ___?
  • What aspect of ___?
  • What group of people ___?
  • What tool or method ___?
  • What different way of ___?

Examples of go-to resources in a niche:

Chose a medium

How do the people in your niche consume content online? Consider their preference + your personality when picking a primary content format. 

There are 3 main options:

  1. Text – Start a blog.
  2. Audio – Start a podcast.
  3. Video – Start a YouTube channel.

Regardless of your medium, create a website. Why? Because you need an online home you own and control.

  • For text, use your website to write articles or blog posts. 
  • For audio & video, use your website to embed your podcast episodes or videos. And post show notes.
  • For all three, use your website to sell your product(s).

Create your must-have pages

Pages contain general information about your website like your About page and Contact page.

To create a new page in your WordPress Dashboard go to Page > Add New. Type in your page title, hit enter and start writing. Once it’s done, preview and publish. 

Here are your must-have pages:

  • Home. Welcomes people to your site.
  • Blog. Lists recent posts or articles.
  • About. Explains how you help and who you are. In that order.
  • Contact. Provides information about how people can communicate with you.

Additionally, you’ll need some legal pages:

  • Privacy policy. Reassures readers you will keep their information private.
  • Disclaimer. Informs visitors you make money, hope to make money or have compensated relationships with others.
  • Terms of service. Outlines what a visitor agrees to when visiting your site.

I got my legal templates from Plug and Law.

Write your first post

Posts should be used for individual articles, blog posts, videos or podcast episodes.

To create a new page in your WordPress Dashboard go to Page > Add New. Type in your page title, hit enter and start writing. Use blocks to add images, embed videos and more. Once it’s done, preview and publish. 

Not sure what to write? Watch How to Write a Perfect Blog Post in One Hour (scroll down to the bottom), one of the best tutorials I’ve found.

Know how to use images.

Next step? Get followers

FAQ

How do I add the nofollow tag to a link?

The easiest way to add the nofollow tag to a link in WordPress is via the Yoast SEO plugin. Simply highlight the text you want to link, click the link icon and toggle the nofollow tag ON. Alternatively, you can manually add the nofollow tag via HTML. Watch this video for a tutorial.

How do I link within a page?

These are called anchor links and allow a reader to jump from one section of a page to another. How to Create Anchor Links in WordPress (4 Easy Methods)

What do I do if someone copies my content?

Stay calm (angry emails or social media posts have a way of coming back to get ya) then decide if you want to take action. Depending on the scope of the infringement and the influence of the offending party, it might not be worth your time to pursue.

If you pursue it, send an email explaining your content is copyrighted and they need to take it down. If this doesn’t work, consult with an attorney to send a Cease & Desist letter. Another option is to file a DMCA Takedown Notice which is a request to a hosting provider, search engine or other site owner to remove your copyrighted material. More info.