Content creation is the foundation of any successful digital marketing campaign, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
The best digital marketing agencies have a few tricks up their sleeves to ensure their content is engaging, relevant, and optimized for search engines, social media platforms, and email.
Here are some content creation tips from the pros:
Table of Contents
Write a Strong Headline
The average person only has a few seconds to decide if the content they are about to read is worth their time.
Writing a headline that immediately grabs the reader with interesting information or a question is so important. It’s the first impression someone makes on the first date. Are you memorable?
For example, this headline of one of Entrepreneur.com’s blog posts is eye-catching.It talks about how to start a digital marketing agency.
While it may not be creative, it’s short and straight to the point, letting you know exactly what to expect from reading the post.
Use Your Strongest, Most Compelling Argument First
If you’ve ever listened to a TED talk, you know the first few seconds of a speaker’s presentation are critical.
It’s your chance to capture your audience’s attention—to convince them that what you have to say is worth listening to.
The same is true for content creation.
The first few seconds of your video, blog post, or article will determine whether or not people read the rest. And if they don’t, all of your hard work creating the content will be wasted.
So how do you make sure we’re using our most compelling argument first?
How do you ensure that people will read your content?
There are a few ways you can do it:
- Talk to Your Audience Like You’re Talking to a Friend. People are naturally drawn to others. And it’s no different online. The best way to catch people’s attention and make sure they read your content is by talking directly to them like they are having a conversation with you. You don’t have to be “over the top” about it, but just be honest and open about what you’re talking about.
- Use an Active Voice as Much as You Can. Find ways to make your writing more active than passive. The best example of this is using the word “you” instead of “I.” You’re not writing a blog post about yourself or your business. You are trying to communicate valuable information to a particular audience.
- Don’t Make the Reader Work Too Hard. You want to make sure that most of those who visit your content will be able to read it without having to scroll up and down or left and right. And, of course, this also makes things easier for new readers who might be “skimming” your page.
Break up Text With Short Paragraphs and Bullet Points
People don’t have time to read long paragraphs of content. They might start skipping them.
And people will decide to skip a piece of content based on how well it is formatted.
Long paragraphs might look like they provide more value, but they create more work for the reader, who needs to constantly scroll back and forth to make sense of everything written.
You should also consider breaking up paragraphs with bullet points.
These take the reader’s focus off of the length of the content and keep them interested in reading more.
Leverage insights from reliable customer engagement platforms with engagement analytics features. You’ll get a good idea about which content formats and length your readers best respond to and consume.
Tell Stories in Your Content
One of my favorite Amazon SEO tips is always to tell a story when writing content.
Whether you are writing an article or creating a video, there are ways to connect with your audience by telling them a story.
Everyone loves a good story and is more likely to stick around if you use these techniques.
Include a Call To Action
We often forget that when we’re creating content, the purpose of the article or video is to get the reader to take some action.
Whether sharing it on social media, buying something at Amazon, or clicking through a link in your email, there should always be an incentive for people to click through.
For example, if you’re offering a writing service, you could add a button that says “buy SEO articles.” in your landing pages.
Track How Well Your Content is Doing
Tracking your content and seeing how well it performs can help you learn what works and what doesn’t.
For example, use Google Analytics to view the number of visitors your blog posts garnered.
You can then go back and take some of the information from your traffic report and write another blog post about it.
FAQs
1. How can I find an audience for my content?
Join communities online where viewers appreciate the type of services your business offers. Facebook is a great place to start. You might even want to consider Instagram or LinkedIn.
2. What can I write about?
There’s no limit to what you can write about. However, it is important to ensure your articles are valuable and relatable to your readers.
Use popular digital marketing software such as Semrush to help you conduct keyword research and find content ideas.
3. Do I need to hire a writer?
It depends on your availability and skills in writing. If you think you can do it yourself, go for it! Consumers love reading content from the source directly.
It’s Time to Write Amazing Content
There’s no secret formula to writing great content. However, these content writing tips can give you a running start.
The most successful digital marketers are always doing something new and pushing themselves out of their comfort zone.
So I challenge you to go out there and try something new this week. If a post or article doesn’t work, then try another one!