8 Expertise That Set Prime Writers Aside (2026)

With AI instruments at everybody’s fingertips, what does “nice” content material writing imply in 2026?

Content material writing is about utilizing phrases and psychology to ship worth, earn belief, and transfer readers towards motion.

It consists of weblog posts, social media content material, newsletters, and white papers. Or it may be scripts for video, podcasts, and displays.

Not like copywriting, which persuades the viewers to take an motion, content material writing builds belief via instructing.

Due to AI instruments, filling pages is simpler and quicker than ever.

And as content material turns into simpler to supply, consideration turns into tougher to earn — whether or not readers are scrolling social feeds, skimming search outcomes, or asking AI instruments for fast solutions.

One of the best content material writers deliver a full toolkit: deep analysis, sharp essential considering, strategic judgment, and the power to use these strengths in methods AI can’t replicate.

On this information, you’ll study eight content material writing expertise that set high performers aside, formed by my work with main manufacturers and insights from my colleagues at Backlinko.

1. Construct and Hone Your Analysis Expertise

Robust analysis is what separates fluff from content material individuals belief.

Right here’s methods to construct a hands-on analysis course of.

Begin with Your Viewers

Audience research is the best technique to perceive your readers: their ache factors, targets, and hesitations.

Begin your analysis in a number of easy however efficient methods:

• Mine social media platforms to seek out emotional drivers behind shopping for choices
• Skim product evaluations to study what excites or frustrates your viewers
• Speak on to your viewers via polls, surveys, or 1:1 interviews
• Browse neighborhood boards to see actual conversations round your topic

For instance, in case you’re writing in regards to the “greatest SaaS instruments,” don’t depend on generic characteristic lists to encourage your content material.

Go the place actual SaaS patrons are sharing suggestions — locations like G2 evaluations and user-generated forums like Reddit.

These insights aid you create genuinely helpful content that connects with readers.

Rosanna Campbell, a senior author for Backlinko, shares what she seems for when researching an viewers:

However you don’t must do all of the heavy lifting your self.

AI can velocity up a lot of this course of.

For example, Michael Ofei, our managing editor, makes use of a strategic immediate to mixture viewers insights from a number of channels.

Copy/paste this immediate into any AI software to jumpstart your analysis (simply replace your subject description first).

After utilizing this immediate for the subject “journalist outreach,” Michael acquired a useful listing of ache factors mapped to consumer stage and emotional depth.

Carry out a Search Evaluation

Subsequent, it’s time to evaluation natural search outcomes to evaluate what content material already exists and the place you possibly can add worth.

Chris Shirlow, our senior editor, stresses the significance of trying carefully at who’s rating and the way when finding out search outcomes:

Take note of:

• Content material depth: Is the content material shallow (quick posts) or complete (lengthy guides)?
• Authority: Who’s rating — huge manufacturers, area of interest consultants, or smaller websites?
• Visuals: What sort of visuals could make your content material stand out?
• Gaps and lacking angles: What’s lacking that you possibly can add?

Then, repeat the identical course of with massive language fashions (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity.

AI has modified how individuals uncover and eat info.

This implies it’s now not sufficient to rank on Google; your content material additionally must floor in AI-generated answers.

Discover the kind of insights developing in AI-generated responses, and discover gaps within the outcomes.

Take note of the incessantly cited manufacturers and content material codecs to grasp what AI considers “trusted.”

Research these articles carefully to see how they’re incomes citations and mentions.

Map Out Key Matters with Content material Instruments

Instruments like Semrush’s Topic Research additionally aid you study extra in regards to the matters your viewers is fascinated about.

Enter a subject like “lifecycle electronic mail advertising and marketing” and also you’ll get a visible map of associated themes like “loyalty program” and “segmenting your viewers.”

This provides you perception into the subtopics to cowl, inquiries to reply, and angles that resonate along with your viewers.

2. Discover Recent Angles to Create Standout Content material

Don’t fall into the entice of rehashing what’s already rating.

Discover new angles and content ideas to interrupt via the group.

Angles come from stress. This generally is a shocking perception, a typical mistake, a high-stakes story, or a view that challenges the norm.

With out stress, you’re simply including to the noise. Right here’s methods to discover them.

Discover Gaps in Present Content material

Research the top-ranking and incessantly cited articles to your subject, and see what’s lacking.

It could possibly be:

• Shallow sections that want a deeper evaluation
• Matters defined with out visuals, examples, or case research
• Predictable “secure takes” that ignore different views and daring recommendation

Use this framework to doc these gaps.

Take into account Alternatives for Info Acquire

Information gain provides distinctive worth to your content material in comparison with the prevailing content material on the identical subject.

Assume unique knowledge, free templates, and new methods.

Mainly, it helps your content material stand out from the group. And creates an “aha” second to your readers.

Use the following pointers so as to add info achieve to your articles:

• Discover concrete proof: Help your claims with unique analysis, case research, quotes, or actual examples from your individual expertise or {industry} consultants
• Increase on throwaway insights: Take loosely mentioned concepts and canopy them intimately with extra context, knowledge, and actionable takeaways
• Counter predictable recommendation: Stand out with contrarian views, exceptions, or neglected approaches
• Tackle unanswered questions: Discover what confuses readers and fill these gaps along with your content material

At Backlinko, our writers and editors take into account info achieve early in outlining to uncover gaps and add worth from the beginning.

Right here’s how our senior editor, Shannon Willoby, approaches it:

In my very own article on ecommerce SEO audits, I proposed a simplified, goal-based construction for the define, with an actionable guidelines — one thing lacking from present content material.

This strategy gave readers a clearer roadmap as a substitute of simply one other generic audit information.

Use AI as a Creativity Multiplier

AI content tools make nice sparring companions that improve your considering.

For example, Shannon shares her course of for utilizing AI to refine her analysis.

The next prompts may also help you discover deeper angles and enhance your viewers alignment:

3. Again Up Your Factors with Proof

Proof-backed content material offers weight to your arguments and makes summary concepts simpler to digest.

It additionally helps your content material stick in readers’ minds lengthy after they’ve clicked away.

This consists of firsthand examples, knowledge, case research, and skilled insights.

The secret is utilizing respected, industry-leading sources in your content material writing. And backing up claims with verifiable proof.

Right here’s how several types of proof can strengthen your content material:

• Current analysis knowledge: Backs up traits and {industry} shifts with laborious numbers
• Case research: Proves outcomes are achievable with real-world outcomes
• Professional quotes: Provides credibility when difficult assumptions or introducing new concepts
• Examples: Makes summary ideas concrete and relatable

4. Construction Your Concepts in a Detailed Define

A top level view organizes your concepts and insights into a transparent construction earlier than you begin writing.

It maps out the important thing sections you’ll cowl, supporting proof, and the order during which you’ll current your factors.

For instance, right here’s the define I created for my Backlinko article on subdomains vs. subdirectories:

I included a working headline, H2s, and details. I additionally added my plans for info achieve.

This exhibits shoppers or employers the way you’ll ship distinctive worth — and retains you centered on differentiating your content material from the beginning.

To get began along with your define, consider your core argument: what’s crucial takeaway you need readers to go away with?

From there, use the inverted pyramid to create an intuitive construction.

Embody crucial particulars at first of each part, then layer extra context as you go.

5. Develop Your Distinctive Writing Voice

Two individuals can write about the identical subject.

However the one with a definite voice is the one individuals quote, bookmark, and bear in mind.

Assess Your Writing Character

To outline your writing character, begin by analyzing the way you naturally talk.

Have a look at your emails, Slack messages, and social posts.

Discover patterns in tone, humor, pacing, analogies, pop-culture references, or how typically you utilize knowledge and stats.

Then, distill these insights into a number of adjectives that describe the way you need to sound.

Like skilled, insightful, and authoritative.

Use these to information your writing voice.

For instance, let’s say your adjectives are conversational, humorous, and genuine.

Right here’s how which may look in observe:

• Conversational: Brief sentences with informal, relatable language. “Let’s be actual — writing your first draft is 90% looking at a blinking cursor.”
• Humorous: Use wit or humorous references to have interaction readers. As a substitute of “Most introductions are too lengthy,” you may say, “Most intros drag on longer than a Marvel end-credit scene.”
• Genuine: Add tales out of your lived experiences to make individuals really feel seen. “Once I first launched my weblog, my mother was my solely reader for six months.”

Get Impressed by Your Favourite Writers

To maintain sharpening your voice, examine writers you admire.

Take note of their rhythm, tone, and construction.

What phrases do they use? How do they maintain your consideration — whether or not in a long-form weblog submit or a fast LinkedIn update?

Borrow what works, then put your individual spin on it so it nonetheless sounds such as you.

Adapt to Your Purchasers’ Voices

As a content material author, shoppers and employers will typically anticipate you to adapt your writing to their model voice.

This may imply adjusting your tone, pacing, or phrase option to match their model’s character.

Research a number of of their weblog posts or emails to grasp their model.

Be aware patterns in rhythm and vocabulary, and mirror these in your draft — with out shedding what makes your writing yours.

AI instruments may also help you verify how properly your draft matches your consumer’s voice.

Add each the model’s voice pointers and your draft to an LLM and use this immediate:

6. Add Wealthy Media to Enhance Scannability

Even the perfect concepts lose impression when hidden behind partitions of textual content.

Plus, research shows that most individuals skim internet pages. Their eyes dart to headlines, opening strains, and something that stands out visually.

That’s why including visible breaks, equivalent to photographs, screenshots, and tables, is so essential.

Visual content works properly whenever you need to illustrate a degree.

It additionally simplifies or amplifies concepts which might be laborious to convey with textual content alone.

As Chris Hanna, our senior editor, places it:

Listed here are a number of locations the place infographics can complement your writing:

Tables or side-by-side visuals

Diagrams or matrices

Flowcharts or timelines

Layered visuals (like Venn diagrams)

At Backlinko, we observe visible break density (VBD) — the ratio of visuals to textual content.

Our objective is a visible break density of 12% or greater for each article.

That’s about 12 visuals (photographs, GIFs, callout packing containers, or tables) per 1,000 phrases to maintain content material straightforward to scan and fascinating.

Right here’s how this seems in observe:

We do that to enhance the readability, retention, and engagement of our articles, from begin to end.

7. Perceive Promote By means of Your Content material

Each piece of content material sells one thing — a product, a signup, a return go to.

However good content material doesn’t learn like a pitch.

It gently nudges individuals to take motion by constructing belief and fixing actual issues.

Lead with Worth

That is what Klaviyo, an electronic mail advertising and marketing platform, does via its blog content.

They embody useful examples, unique knowledge, and actionable ideas of their content material writing.

However additionally they weave in product mentions that really feel useful, not salesy.

There are case research, screenshots, and examples that present how actual shoppers used their platform to extend income.

That is sensible for a number of causes.

It proves their experience, reinforces how their product solves actual issues, and delivers worth — even when the reader by no means turns into a buyer.

Concentrate on Outcomes, Not Options

Individuals don’t care what an organization presents — they care what it helps them obtain.

Options discuss what you provide. Outcomes present individuals how they will profit.

Right here’s what this seems like in observe:

Present individuals you perceive their frustrations by baking their ache factors into your content material writing.

When readers sense you’ve been of their sneakers, they’re extra open to your recommendation.

Take this HubSpot CRM product web page, for instance.

​​It highlights actual frustrations — setup hassles, messy migrations, misplaced knowledge — the precise complications their viewers feels.

Then, it shifts to outcomes with copy like “unified knowledge” and better productiveness from “day one.”

That’s outcome-driven content material writing. It connects with the viewers instantly and makes the advantages crystal clear.

Share Your Firsthand Struggles

Authority issues, however so does humility.

Be trustworthy about your wins and failures. It makes your content material really feel actual.

Right here’s an instance from one in all my Backlinko articles the place I shared my struggles with making a social media calendar:

I relate to the viewers with language like “too many tabs” and “overwhelming categorization.”

And supply a free calendar template so readers can apply what they study.

8. Finalize Your Work

Right here’s the reality: your first draft isn’t your greatest draft.

Enhancing is the place your content material actually comes alive.

Step Away from Your Draft

One of many easiest enhancing methods within the e book? Give your draft some respiration room.

Chris Shirlow, our senior content material editor, explains why:

It might take a number of rounds of enhancing and refining earlier than you get every little thing excellent:

• Spherical 1 (fast wins): Undergo the article. Does it move logically? Is it straightforward to grasp? Do your examples clearly illustrate the core concepts?
• Spherical 2 (construction): Ask AI for enhancing suggestions. What are you lacking? Does the construction/writing move naturally? Is there any room so as to add extra worth?
• Spherical 3 (polish): Tighten sentences, transitions, viewers alignment, and examples

Right here’s a immediate you should use for Spherical 2:

Prioritize Readability Over Cleverness

In case your viewers has to re-read a sentence to grasp it, you’ve misplaced them.

As Yongi Barnard, our senior content material author, says:

Take a fast litmus take a look at: Is that this sentence/phrase/phrase right here as a result of it helps my viewers, or as a result of I like the way it sounds?

You’ll know a sentence/phrase must be lower if it…

• Slows down the move
• Makes the purpose tougher to grasp
• Is redundant

Widespread points in content material writing (and methods to repair them) embody:

Construct Your Private Enhancing Guidelines

Each author has blind spots: repeated grammar errors, overused phrases, or formatting errors.

That’s why Yongi suggests creating a private enhancing guidelines that features frequent errors and recurring suggestions from editors.

Chris Hanna suggests going via the guidelines earlier than submitting your draft:

Over time, you’ll naturally make fewer errors.

Right here’s an enhancing guidelines to get you began:

Change into a Content material Author: A Fast Roadmap

If you happen to’re ranging from scratch, don’t fear — each nice content material author started precisely the place you might be.

Right here’s methods to construct momentum and get observed.

Discover a Area of interest You’re Passionate About

The quickest technique to stage up as a author? Specialize.

Niching down builds authority — and makes shoppers belief you quicker.

So, pick a niche (or two) and develop into an skilled.

A very good area of interest checks three packing containers:

• Ardour: You care sufficient to continue learning and writing when it will get powerful
• Potential: There’s rising demand for this info
• Profitability: Companies spend money on content material on this subject

Construct Experience and Authority in Your Area of interest

When you decide a distinct segment, develop into a trusted voice.

This provides you a number of benefits:

• Conventional and AI search engines like google see your content material as authoritative
• Readers usually tend to belief what you say
• Your content material is extra prone to be shared and quoted

Begin with what you understand. Draw from your individual experiences so as to add depth and credibility.

For instance, the journey author India Amos constructed her authority by writing firsthand evaluations.

Her Enterprise Insider piece a few ferry experience is grounded in actual expertise, making the content material reliable and relatable.

However don’t restrict your self to content material writing for shoppers. Get your identify on the market.

• Contribute guest posts and skilled quotes to respected websites
• Communicate at conferences or webinars
• Share insights on social media

The extra you’re cited as an skilled, the stronger your credibility.

Be taught search engine marketing Fundamentals

SEO basics stay important to content material writing: key phrase analysis, aggressive evaluation, and on-page optimization.

However you’ll additionally need to know methods to write and construction LLM-friendly content.

YouTube movies, blogs, and programs may also help you perceive these matters shortly.

It’s additionally useful to familiarize your self with fashionable search engine marketing instruments.

Purchasers typically anticipate you to know platforms like:

• Clearscope, Surfer search engine marketing, MarketMuse: Content material optimization and readability scoring
• Semrush, Ahrefs, Moz: Key phrase analysis and competitive analysis
• Perplexity, ChatGPT, Gemini: AI search perception and prompt-based content material discovery

Present Proof of Work with a Portfolio

A portfolio showcases what you deliver to the desk and gives proof of your accomplishments as a author.

However you don’t must spend weeks (or months) constructing one.

What issues most is what’s inside your portfolio, equivalent to:

• A brief intro about who you might be and what you provide
• Writing samples that showcase your experience
• Testimonials or references
• Contact info

Instruments like Notion, Contra, Authory, and Bento allow you to design a portfolio in minutes.

For example, right here’s my Authory portfolio:

I like this platform as a result of it mechanically provides all articles credited to my identify.

You may also spend money on a web site for extra management and search visibility.

I did each — having a portfolio and web site helps me enhance my on-line visibility:

LinkedIn also can double as your portfolio.

Add particulars about every consumer and hyperlink to your articles within the “Expertise” part of your profile.

Share your on-the-job insights, characteristic testimonials, and have interaction in related conversations.

And don’t overlook to submit your favourite work, from weblog posts to copywriting.

Not like a static web site, LinkedIn retains you seen in actual time.

Future-Proof Your Content material Writing Expertise

Use what you’ve realized right here to create content material that builds your repute and lands shoppers.

As a result of nice content material writing doesn’t simply fill pages. It opens doorways.

And as AI continues to reshape the content material world, the perfect writers don’t resist it — they evolve with it.

So, don’t concern synthetic intelligence as a author. Use it to your benefit.