Simple tips to improve the impact of your content
Content is everywhere. Today's consumers expect brands to create original content. But let's start by defining what we mean by content.
Content comes in so many forms and can be anything from quotes, videos, pictures, white papers and reviews, all designed to educate and guide your customers along the decision making process. Social media and apps have made it possible for anyone to create content.
However, poor quality content can potentially be damaging to a business so it is best to have a content strategy and guidelines in place. This will ensure consistency, you're projecting your brand in the right way and you have the right content mix, as well as leveraging search engine optimisation.
How to spend your time creating content
It can be overwhelming deciding how to spend your time creating and promoting content for your business, but there are some guidelines to follow to make your content work harder and save time. I've developed this infographic to help.
At Sharp Thinking we follow these principals and have had some success both for our clients and for our own business. Most recently I've had a number of blogs published on the Wix app.
The majority of your time should go into creating basic short content. If you are creating a blog, you should aim on this being a minimum of 300 worlds. One third of your time should then be spent promoting it across your marketing channels including social media, your newsletter and Google Business Profile. 10% of your time should then be spent on creating advanced content. For blog posts, these should be over 1000 words and be well researched and insightful. You may also want to create a video or an infographic. And finally, don't forget to update your blogs regularly - this is a great time saving tips. I try to do mine every six months.
What makes great content?
Good content is content which is read, shared, acted upon and remembered. Sadly, there isn't a one size fits all approach to the type of content that works the best, but there are certainly some patterns with the content that engages the most. And it is a good idea to try and mix up your content to offer variety to your audience. You shouldn’t just churn out the same old thing every day, even if it worked once.
You don’t necessarily need a large budget to create good content (although of course, it does help!). With templates, time and commitment, you can do it on a small budget and create some amazing content that your audience will love.
There are some simple principals you can adhere to to ensure your content has the best possible chance of winning over the hearts and minds of your audience. Here are 5 practical tips to ensure you create engaging content that resonates:
1. Imagery
All content unless it is a video needs a striking image to support it. There is no doubt original photography is the best type of imagery you can get. But for most of us, this isn't an option. There are plenty of free image libraries you can use. Try Unsplash & Pexels.
2. Catchy headline
One of the hardest parts, once you've generated the content, is crafting a catchy headline which will get people to click/read more. Ideally, it should be up to 7 words and contain one of your keywords. Always try and use positive language. Sound simple?
Try to keep captions short and snappy and ensure you do your research before to interpret the right mood of your audience.
3. Write about what you know
It helps considerably if you write what you know about and can inject passion. People love to hear your own stories, so don't be afraid to let the world into your own life.
4. Create content that is practical and thought-provoking
Try and turn your content into bite-size tips that people can quickly scan and apply to their own world. A handful of tips doesn't seem overwhelming for an audience to take in and absorb. Testimonials and case studies are an ideal way for people to understand more about your subject and relate it to their world. Ensure you think about the presentation of these.
Emma Jefferys, Founder of Action Women advises ‘I always try to make my audience think, feel or do something differently. A piece that makes them stop and think about their behaviour patterns. Or perhaps just a quote that provides them with motivation on a difficult day.’
5. Create evergreen content
Evergreen content is timeless and lasts forever. There is nothing wrong with reusing old content. Remember a tiny proportion of your audience would have originally seen it. A good tip is to refresh your evergreen content on a regular basis. Ensure any time-sensitive information or dates are removed and you can even change the headline or image to add a more seasonal flavour. This will also help with your search engine optimisation.
Content planning is a must
My biggest advice is to have a content plan, create some templates and have a bank of photography you can use. Content creation can be extremely time consuming, but if you are writing/talking about what you know it is so much easier. As like many things in life, the more you give it a go, and the more effort you put in, the easier it will become.
Interested in learning more? Read my blog on thought leadership and how to create a content calendar. I'd love to hear about your experiences and your top tips for generating successful content - feel free to leave any comments below!
And please get in touch if you would like some help with your content marketing strategy.
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