16 Strategies to Create Informative and Engaging Content
Creating content that truly connects with readers requires more than good ideas—it demands strategy, structure, and a deep understanding of what drives engagement. This article brings together insights from seasoned content professionals who have refined their approaches through years of testing and iteration. These 16 strategies offer practical techniques to build content that informs, persuades, and keeps audiences coming back.
Open Conversationally Address Pain Points
My strategy for creating content that's both informative and engaging is to treat every piece like a conversation. I start by making sure the core insight is genuinely useful, then I break it down in a way that feels easy to read. Short sentences, real examples, and a natural flow keep people hooked. In the very beginning itself, I try to reel in the readers by trying to connect with them as much as possible. I do this by highlighting specific problems or pain points that the readers might be looking to solve and I talk directly to them instead of talking in third person.
Confront Objections Earn Trust Early
I turn common sales objections into content that answers real questions before prospects even ask them. This might sound counterintuitive, but addressing concerns like pricing, implementation time, or comparison to competitors head-on actually builds trust rather than undermining it. When you create blog posts, social snippets, and video FAQs around these themes, you're providing genuine value while keeping audiences engaged because you're speaking directly to what's already on their minds.
The balance between informative and entertaining comes from honesty and relatability. I find that audiences don't need flashy gimmicks to stay engaged. They need content that respects their intelligence and acknowledges their real concerns. When you answer the question "why is this more expensive than alternatives?" with a straightforward explanation rather than marketing fluff, people appreciate it. That authenticity is inherently more engaging than polished but hollow content.
In practice, this approach transforms the sales process. Feedback from our clients' sales teams consistently tells us that discovery calls are warmer because leads have already worked through their objections via the content. They come prepared, informed, and often pre-sold on the value proposition. The content has done the heavy lifting of education, so the conversation can focus on fit and specifics rather than starting from scratch.
The strategy here is twofold: talk to your sales team regularly to understand what questions and pushback they encounter, then systematically turn those into content assets. You end up with material that's both useful to your audience and directly tied to revenue outcomes. That's the sweet spot where value and engagement naturally overlap.
Follow Pillars Deliver Precision and Proof
My content reflects what my audience is already thinking. The unspoken truths they need validated and solved. Every piece has one job: educate, entertain, inspire, or sell. I rotate through all four to stay relevant without diluting value.
The strategy is built on the 3-Pillar Framework. Pillar 1 calls out the problem and drives awareness. Pillar 2 positions my method and builds authority. Pillar 3 shows transformation and builds trust. Each pillar serves a specific purpose in the client journey, so I'm not guessing what to post. I'm following a system.
I teach what works, not what's trending. I pull from real-life moments women entrepreneurs are navigating right now. The messy middle. The thing keeping them stuck. Then I show the gap and offer the fix.
I don't post more. I post with precision. Strong signal over noise. Each piece is designed to either build trust, spark clarity, or move someone closer to action. No filler. No fluff. Just content that reflects their reality back to them in a way that makes the next step obvious.
Success isn't measured in likes. It saves, shares, and improves the quality of conversations it creates. If it starts a DM or gets forwarded to a business partner, it did its job.
Anchor Insights to Desired Transformation
My strategy is to anchor content in the transformational outcome the audience wants, a lesson I learned selling video courses. I create excitement about what is possible and tie every insight to that outcome, which keeps people engaged while still delivering clear value.
Guide Momentum With Signal and Flow
We employ an approach we call the "Guided Momentum Approach," which combines hard-hitting analysis with a beat that keeps readers engaged and moving. Our goal here is to cut down the message to its core, then shape the progression so that each chunk answers a logical next question. One can include large clickable visuals here - to add excitement, break up the sequence, and also leave it in readers' control. It definitely makes heavy information something people can navigate without feeling overwhelmed.
Another solid example is a client resource hub where each big topic lives within a visually-heavy tile. Engagement increased because readers could get to what was important. The lesson is: create content that leads, and doesn't push.
Source Real Operators Add Actionable Context
At Techronicler, everything starts with the simple idea that nothing beats authenticity for real engagement. We don't just round up news headlines. We dig straight to the source for wisdom from CEOs, founders, and hands-on experts. That means our content isn't just informative but battle-tested and straight from the pros.
The magic happens in the context we add. Take hot topics like Agentic AI or sustainable data centers. We frame them through the eyes of leaders actually dealing with them day-to-day. It's not abstract theory; it's their real playbook for staying ahead. Readers stick around because it feels actionable, like insider advice for navigating the chaos.
We cut through the corporate buzzwords to get to the human story. When a leader owns up to a strategy that bombed or breaks down how an innovation flipped their business, it hits different, and way more than some sterile report ever could. Our audience? Sharp professionals who skip the fluff. They want high-signal insights from experts that honor their time and smarts. That's what keeps Techronicler sharp, trusted, and always relevant.
Start With Error Reveal Core Principle
I begin with the error, not the insight.
People often disengage because the material unfolds too slowly. So, we start with a mistake that learners can easily spot. "Here's why this answer seems correct, but isn't." This approach grabs their attention emotionally, and then we explain the underlying principle.
The key is structure. Brief explanations, followed by a specific example, and then a quick assessment. In our posts, we frequently present a question similar to those on an exam, clarify the flawed reasoning, and conclude with how to approach it correctly. This keeps things practical, not like a lecture.
When we succeed, readers finish the post and move on to a practice set. That's the indicator that it worked. They've learned something and felt confident enough to apply it.
Teach through the struggle. That's what resonates.
Lead With Persona Frame What Matters
To be honest, anyone can churn out informative content that has value. Textbooks and academic papers do that. What separates effective content from forgettable content is entertainment and engagement.
Our strategy starts with knowing exactly who we are as a company (our voice, tone, values, and personality) and then intentionally injecting that into everything we create. We're not trying to appeal to everyone, and that's by design. The goal isn't mass appeal; it's resonance with the right audience. If our content feels human, confident, and a little fun, it attracts the people who appreciate that and filters out the rest.
Balancing value and entertainment comes down to presentation. The information itself may be dry, especially in technical subjects, but how you deliver it matters. We use humor where it fits, especially jokes that relate directly to the topic, and we always anchor the content in why it matters. People may not love technology, but they care deeply about the problems it affects...lost time, confusion, inefficiency, or stress. That shared experience is the point of connection.
The content doesn't change. The framing does. When you make your audience feel understood and give them a reason to keep reading, they'll stay engaged long enough to actually absorb the value.
Tell Human Stories That Clarify Stakes
In creating my content I put together an educational narrative. I learned as a founder that the audience does not only want the information, but also wants to know the forum, their emotional experience on that journey, and why they should care. I ask myself, "What is the human problem?" The deeper I explore this tension point, the more value I can deliver to the audience, to keep their attention. The facts you provide are factual data points. However, the stories you tell will create an emotional connection with the reader.
The balance between the two is achieved through a mix of depth and relatability. When providing an example of a technical term, I give a real-world example from my experience on scaling an A.I. product. Remember, that the audience will stay engaged long enough to extract the value you provide by connecting emotionally with them. They will continue to engage and have an opportunity to process the information you provide.
Turn Lessons Into Vivid Scenes
My strategy for creating content that feels both informative and genuinely entertaining is to treat each piece like a story disguised as a lesson. I start by imagining the reader as someone sitting across from me at a coffee shop and I build the information around a scene, a moment, or a feeling they can instantly recognize. Instead of listing facts, I use mini narratives, analogies, and unexpected examples to bring the topic to life. If I am explaining how to stay consistent online, I might compare the process to training a mischievous puppy and use that visual to guide the advice. This adds personality while still delivering real value. I also pay attention to rhythm by mixing short punchy sentences with longer reflective ones, almost like pacing in a conversation. To keep the audience engaged I end sections with small cliffhangers or questions that make them want to keep reading. This blend of storytelling, structure, and practical insight helps me strike a balance where the content teaches something meaningful while still feeling fun, dynamic, and memorable.
Map Demand Expand Across Formats
My approach is data-driven. I analyze rankings, competitors, and content gaps to develop long-form posts that address real audience questions and perform in search. Then I repurpose each piece into videos, infographics, podcasts, and social snippets to keep the content lively across channels without diluting the value.
Expose Contradictions Share Hard Truths
I've found that the best content comes from showing people the unexpected parts they wouldn't find elsewhere. Instead of summarizing what an expert said, I pull out the moment where they contradicted themselves or changed their mind about something. Those tensions are what people actually remember. For algorithm update timelines, I don't just list what changed. I show which updates Google quietly rolled back or which ones had completely different effects than they promised. That's the stuff practitioners actually want to know but rarely see documented. The balance between informative and engaging isn't really a balance at all. When you show people something genuinely useful that they can't get anywhere else, the engagement takes care of itself. I've seen posts about failed SEO experiments get shared more than success stories because people are starving for honesty about what doesn't work. The content that performs best is usually the stuff that makes someone think "finally, someone said it."
Offer One Takeaway With Gentle Honesty
Hi there,
I'm Lachlan Brown, co-founder of The Considered Man. I've been writing psychology and relationship content for more than a decade and my whole strategy comes down to this: teach one thing, tell one truth, and let the reader see themselves in both.
When I create a piece, I start with a single, concrete takeaway — something a reader can use today, not a month from now. Then I wrap it in a moment from real life, usually something a little imperfect or funny from my own experience. That's the balance. Value lands when the reader feels safe enough to recognize themselves in the writing; entertainment comes from honesty, not gimmicks.
For example, when I wrote about emotional burnout, I didn't start with cortisol curves — I started with the day I sat in a supermarket car park eating dry cereal from the box because I had "no decisions left." The science came after. Readers stayed not because of the data, but because the experience was true.
So, my basic principle is this: Information educates, but humanity keeps people reading.
I build every article around that - just one takeaway. And a voice that makes the reader feel like they're not the only one trying to figure this out.
Thanks for considering my insights!
Cheers,
Lachlan Brown
Mindfulness Expert | Co-founder, The Considered Man
https://theconsideredman.org/
Optimize Clarity Around Each Decision
I run one of the largest product comparison platforms online, and our content has to be both useful and easy to consume across thousands of categories. The strategy that works best is treating clarity as the core value, then layering engagement on top of it rather than trying to entertain for its own sake.
We start by structuring every piece of content around the exact decision the user is trying to make. That ensures the value is front-loaded. From there, we add light engagement elements that improve readability—tight summaries, scannable comparison blocks, and short insights that highlight what actually matters. This keeps users moving without overwhelming them.
The balance comes from removing anything that slows the reader down and focusing on what increases confidence. Users aren't looking to be entertained; they want to feel certain they're choosing the right product or service. When the information is clean, fast, and actionable, engagement happens naturally because the experience itself feels effortless.
Albert Richer, Founder, WhatAreTheBest.com.
Prioritize Readability With Visuals and Quizzes
Hello Team,
I'm an author, and I write tech articles at kbitra.substack.com. Most people, including me, create content about what we want to say. But sometimes I think about what the other person wants to hear.
I will use a clean visual picture in my article that will keep the content engaging. Also, I don't use too much complex language because I know who my audience is. I strongly believe in "A picture is worth 1000 words." I always start the article with an image that will attract the reader.
High value doesn't matter if the content looks like a wall of text. I use headings, bullet points, and bold text
I will try to insert a meme every 300 words or 5 minutes to make the article lighter while reading.
At the end of the article, I will create a simple quiz to make it engaging. It will make the reader revisit the article.
Best regards,
Kishore Bitra
Lead - Collaboration Engineering
kbitra.substack.com| Kbitra.com |linkedin.com/in/bitra
KBitra@outlook.com
+1.980.240.4858
Frederick, Maryland
Favor Usefulness Balance Evergreen With Timeliness
Data taught us something simple but counterintuitive: the more we tried to be engaging, the less people trusted us.
Now we focus on being useful first, and that is what actually holds attention.
Our strategy for creating content that's both informative and engaging starts with one rule: teach, don't tease.
We give away our best thinking freely and structure every piece to be genuinely useful, even if someone never buys from us. That means turning real founder experiences into frameworks, examples, and lessons others can apply right away.
To keep it engaging, we follow a 70/30 model. Seventy percent of our content is planned around evergreen value, while thirty percent reacts to what's happening right now. This balance keeps our brand both reliable and relevant.
Finally, we publish where dialogue actually happens, not just where visibility is highest. The result is content that informs first and earns attention naturally.
