Good content draws lots of attention, and when you’re getting lots of attention you stand to make lots of Internet money. Relatively speaking, at least. But before you start monetizing your page layouts and selling promotional widgets and generally getting your wealth on, you have to get your content in order first. Good content isn’t the only thing needed to amass a large following, but it’s like the skeleton of your plan to making Internet money: without it, all your efforts will end up being one formless mess that just leaks away into the sewers. And that’s not so good for business.

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Captivating content – content which makes you sit up and take notice, content you can’t imagine living without – is the sort of content which can make its owners truly wealthy. What is captivating content about? It can be absolutely anything, from a page on plumbing supplies to sketch comedy videos about the workplace to pictures of cute kittens doing cute things. However, it helps if you’re passionate and/or knowledgeable about the area of content you’re going in to. Knowing your target audience also helps: don’t generalize if you’re dealing in a very technical niche area, but don’t use heaps of jargon if you’re doing, say, a funny video about kittens. Unless it’s for veterinary purposes.

Say it differently, say it well
Certain conventions exist around any area of Internet content, whether it be text or audio or video. Things like repeating certain keywords in your text to get better SEO, or tagging your YouTube clips with only a few tags, or linking your audio podcasts to an RSS feed for download. It’s a good idea to get familiar with the technical conventions relating to your content production to avoid glitches or annoyances which might turn people away from your work. However, when it comes to creative conventions, anything goes. Originality and innovation are deeply embedded in the framework of the Internet, and you can draw a huge following by keeping well away of current fashions and trends. Experiment with your writing style; try using humor or a perspective not usually experienced; reach out to your audience with avenues for dialogue like social media and commenting. Don’t feel pressure to conform and fit the mould: the most successful content producers on the Internet are usually the trendsetters, not the followers.

If your content is good and you persevere with it, you’ve got a good chance of making some pretty large Internet money (or at least gathering a loyal group of fans). Don’t expect to see success overnight, and remember that content is only one part of the equation to making Internet money. But with a little creativity and a constant eye for improvement, it’s not too hard to create a well-trafficked website or profile. The next step is getting it to pay the bills for you.