If you are creating content but not getting the results that you have envisioned, take a step back and ask yourself: Does your content have what Facebook describes as thumb-stopping power? If you are not sure, do not worry, we can help! As a full-service digital marketing agency, here are some tried-and-tested tips from Resolute B2B’s content marketing experts that will help you breathe life into your content.
Use active voice
To ensure that your content resonates with your reader, use active voice as much as possible. Why? Simply because passive voice tends to result in wordy sentences that can be difficult to comprehend. Also, such sentences hide the subject, which defeats the purpose of writing about it. So, first things first, make sure that you use active voice when creating any piece of content.
Keep the tone conversational
This one is tricky, but once you get the hang of it, it will become second nature. Whether you are busting myths, tackling FAQs, providing product/service information, or creating value-added content, the tone is all important. When read, your content should sound conversational. It should seem to the reader that you’re having an exclusive, one-on-one chat with them.
The easiest way to ensure this is to plan an outline for your content. This will allow for logical flow of information. Simultaneously, write as if you are having a conversation. Using complex sentence construction and jargon may give you the satisfaction of writing a superlative article, but since it is likely to alienate your audience, it’s best avoided. Once you know your audience’s comprehension levels, keep things simple. Here ‘simple’ is a component that will vary. What is ‘easy to read’ for doctors, for instance, will vary from what is considered ‘easy to read’ by non-medical professionals. So, understanding your audience’s existing knowledge on the matter is key.
Finally, review your content multiple times to catch errors, improve the flow of the piece and eliminate rambling. This way the conversational tone will remain intact, the piece will be succinct and also devoid of any factual errors.
Infuse numbers into your story
What’s better than telling a compelling story? Using numbers to reinforce the impact! Using statistics smartly is a great way to improve the impact of your content as well as your credibility. So wherever you can, cite studies, research papers and statistics that prove the point you’re trying to make. This will compel your reader to buy into your premise and make them more likely to agree with the suggestions or recommendations that you make thereafter.
As is the case with all things, when infusing your content with statistics, moderation is key. You don’t want the numbers to overpower the meat of your content piece. Also, always quote statistics from the most reputable sources. Otherwise instead of building credibility, your content piece will have the exact opposite effect.
Make it visually appealing
Irrespective of whether it’s a blog, social media post, emailer or video, any kind of content that you create has to be visually appealing. Use images, graphics, infographics, animation and other visuals to make your content eye-catching, as well as easy to comprehend. When you pay equal attention to words and visuals, you’ll create pockets of relief for the reader. This will ensure that they are engaged with the content right till the last full stop.
Analyze and optimize
Content is successful when it strikes a chord with your audience. So, use insights to understand what your consumer hopes to gain from you and then create content accordingly. This approach will help you build a bond with your prospective and existing customers easily.
To gather insights, conduct surveys, circulate questionnaires, or hold ‘Ask Me Anything’ sessions on social media. Also spend time on social networking sites to keep track of purchase triggers, likes, dislikes and pain points. Use the data to then create aligned content. Similarly, analyze content pieces periodically to understand what kind of content performs well and what kind of content doesn’t gather any traction, and optimize your approach further.
With these simple tips in your arsenal, you will surely be able to take your content marketing to the next level. If you need more assistance, contact us. Our team of experts can take over this task to fetch you better ROI!
