The internet has made it easy for most of us to find content. We can type in a keyword and thousands of search results automatically flood our screen. More than ever, it is necessary for companies to produce valuable content that stands out from all of the clutter across the web,that audiences can learn from and relate to.

There are many tools that content creators rely on when it comes to writing. One tool that is important whether you are creating a blog, scripting a video, formatting an infographic is an outline.

What is an outline?

An outline is a framework for organising ideas for a particular subject or topic. It is a guide for presenting the main and supporting ideas of a subject. This is commonly used in blogging but are also used in other forms of content such as videos, infographics, podcasts, and other forms of media.

The writing process differs from one person to another. An outline in the more traditional definition is composed of the title, main topics, subtopics and details. To some writers, it is a list of keywords and phrases that serve as a mind map.

Do people still do this?

Creating an outline may remind you of what your high school teachers required for essays and term papers. Now that you are in the professional world, do you still need it?

A piece of content is considered good when it communicates ideas effectively. With content marketing, we seek to produce relevant and valuable content for our audience to read, watch or listen to. Most good writers rely on some form of outline to help organise thoughts and communicate effectively.

Below are 10 ways that creating an outline can help you in the process of creating good content:

• An outline helps you think. When you have a topic in mind, an outline is an effective mind map that helps you navigate through all your ideas.
• As a research tool, an outline can be handy. When you create an outline you can easily see the information that you need, the experts that you have to interview and even the visual resources that you need to relay your message.
• Some topics cover a wide list of ideas. For bigger topics, you can’t answer everything on one single piece of content. There are things that you need to save for later. Writing an outline gives you clarity to determine what you need to omit.
• Why write an outline when, for the same amount of time, you can already write a short blog? Writing an outline takes time but it can help you write exponentially better.
• Anyone who writes constantly knows that a writer’s block is a daily event. Ideas don’t always translate into written words. Writing an outline helps you get those ideas flowing.
• Writing an outline helps you divide topics into manageable chunks.
• Having an outline written comes in handy when you need to rest or take care of other tasks. It helps you pause and then easily get back to writing.
• Outlines help you get your point across. It enables you to organise topics and subtopics in a manner that makes the most sense to your audience.
• Since an outline helps you organise your ideas, you can avoid redundant points throughout an article and help you achieve a good flow. This helps you save a lot of time when editing.
• An outline is effective for future planning. If you want to produce a steady amount of content, having a working outline of ideas that you want to write about is important. You are also able to add to it whenever you come across a new piece of relevant information. Having a reservoir of ideas that are organised into working outlines is neat thing to have.

How to create an outline

Now that we have talked about the why, let’s tackle the ‘how’.

• Chose the topic and determine the purpose of your blog. What is your topic? What are you trying to achieve by writing it? What message do you want to share?
• Identify your audience. Who are you talking to? What are their day like? What challenges do you aim to help them overcome?
• List your keywords. What industry keywords are important to your topic? What keywords or phrases are your audience likely to search for?
• Determine your talking points. What questions are you trying to answer?
• Organise. How can you make this an easy read for your audience? Is there a timeline that you need to follow? Organise your outline logically or into headings and subheadings. When needed, outline according to chronology.
• Gather your supporting facts and formulate your answers. What needs to be researched? Who are the experts that you need to interview or use as reference?
• Revise. After an outline is written, it does not end there. It continuously evolves as you research and write. Writing is an iterative process, don’t be afraid to revise.

Here is the outline used to create this blog. It took some research, plus questions that have been asked and continuous revisions.

Building an Outline (Title) Intro What is an outline Do people still do this?

• Helps you think - mind map for the topic in mind
• Know what to search for
• Know what to omit
• Takes time but helps you write better
• Writer's block
• Manageable chunks
• Allows you to pause and still get back to it
• Helps you get your point across
• Saves time when editing - good flow and organisation
• Future planning

IV. How to make an outline

• topic/purpose?
• audience?
• keywords?
• talking points/ questions to answer?
• organize
• supporting facts/ answers
• revise

V. Sample Outline - outline for this blog

What writing techniques do you use? Share some of your secrets in the comments section below.

About the Author

 

About Angelica Manlunas

Angelica lives off of coffee and pizza. She spends her time online tinkering on social media, watching short films and poetry slams. Her offline time is devoted to trips to the beach or spending lazy days indoors with a book in her hand. Also, she writes at least 1000 words every day. Email Angelica at angelica.manlunas@transeo.com.au and follow Angelica @ang_transeo.