Did you know that 70% of companies use content marketing? It’s not surprising considering 29% also use it to attract leads and conversions, but with that in mind, how can you stand out? Short answer: It takes work.
But there are some content marketing tricks that make sense and are utilized all the time because they consistently work well. These are some of them.
Make it Pretty
There are so many stores that make tons of money because they can make their merchandise look appealing and necessary to have, even if you don’t need it. There’s one in particular store that is especially known for this and unfortunately for my spouse, it’s a quick walk from our house.
Content can be the same way. I have seen web pages that have blown me away, blogs that have garnered my full attention, and emails that are chef’s kiss all because of how great they look through design, photos, videos, infographics, and layout.
Yes, I sound like a dork, but first impressions make a difference. That’s why few people buy ugly houses or clothes. It’s also why 33% of global marketers invest in mobile web design and over 20% of marketers agree that email design is improving their email engagement. Do what you can to make your content pretty with consistent branding to stand out and look appealing.
Format
Formatting plays a subtle, but vital part of good content. When I started getting emails from a local non-profit group, I remember opening one and beginning to scroll through it. And I kept scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling until I finally had enough and unsubscribed. I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, but this was my third email from them within two weeks and each one was just as long.
No one wants to read a long, giant body of text. I don’t care if it’s a website, an email, or a blog. No one wants to do it ever. Reading should never feel like a chore, especially if you’re trying to sell something.
If you’re going to write content, make it enjoyable and interesting. Allow your writing to flow by shortening paragraphs, creating clear and concise sentences, and making it sound conversational. And if you need a refresher on improving your writing skills, I have a blog for that.
Tweak Based on Digital Channel
Every digital channel you use should have its own strategy that aligns with the overall content marketing strategy. That includes what content is being put on it, when it’s being shared, and how it’s being shared.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people copy and paste the same post on multiple platforms. Early in my career, I’ll admit I was guilty of doing this, but there are multiple reasons why it’s not a great idea.
For starters, it disengages followers who may follow you in multiple spots. If they see the same content verbatim on Facebook, LinkedIn, and in an email, it can look stale and appear lazy because it is. The other problem is that it hurts engagement because it’s unappealing, which also hurts reach. As a result, you’ll actually reach fewer people than you intended by blasting it everywhere the exact same way.
I understand not every business has much to post about, and that’s the challenge. You want to post frequently enough that people remember you, but make the content interesting or valuable to your followers. Other times, you have one specific thing you need to bring up, like an event or offer, and it’s hard not to sound like a broken record.
Instead, put a bit more effort into differentiating your content. Tweak your content based on best practices and platform preferences, like short videos on Instagram Reels or TikTok or using a conversation-starter topic on Facebook posts. Encourage employees and followers to repost your content with their own words through a quoted post to personalize it more. But if you can, try to include a wide variety of content.
This is an opportunity to get creative and have fun, so why not take risks with your content? Soon enough, consumers and clients will love what you’re putting out there.
Timeliness
One of my favorite ways to share content is to make it timely. It’s the reason why I utilize resources like the National Days Calendar. If people are already talking about a topic related to something you want to post about, whether it’s in your industry or related to something in the news, why wouldn’t you take advantage of it?
Obviously, you have to be cautious when doing this because you don’t want to tie your content to something negative. But I would say most of the time, you can find something relevant in the news that’s positive, relates to your business, and can get your customers or clients interested.
The truth is that the hardest part of marketing is getting people to want to talk about what you’re selling and to tell other people about it. This concept breaks down these barriers easily.
Data with Backlinks
The best pieces of content I’ve ever written have included plenty of data with backlinks. Why? Because search engines tend to rank pages higher with backlinks, building your Google ranking and authority. Content that incorporates lots of data and backlinks also tends to be stronger and generate more interest.
A great way to do this is to write consistently and link to not only your relevant, internal pages but also external pages with authority. This approach, known as inbound marketing, tends to take time, but the results speak for themselves. In fact, doing this for one of my clients helped me double blog traffic and triple website traffic in two years. No surprise, this is a big reason why I am a firm believer in inbound marketing.
So if you are looking for someone to write content that stands out, yet builds brand equity to generate new leads, contact me. I’d love to help your business grow.
AFJ Digital 