I think we can all agree that sometimes it is really hard to come up with new, innovative content ideas. There are days when everything you think of sounds boring, is already overdone or is unlikely to elicit the response you are hoping for from your audience.
But what if I told you that there was a way you could come up with a new and thought-provoking idea every time you sat down to write? And what if those ideas also increased your conversion rate, and generated more leads for you in the process? Don’t exit the screen, thinking it’s too good to be true, because in this post, we’ll let you in on a little secret: by focusing on a few key areas of content, you can do exactly that. The trick is to zoom in on these broad content topics and tailor them to your own niche.
Start Sharing
If you have been generating content for some time, by now, you likely know that one of the best ways to connect with your readers and evoke an emotional connection that makes them stay on your site and believe in your brand is to be honest and authentic. We can argue that the concept of authenticity, is cliché and overused, but it still works: when you tell a story, talk to your audience like they are real people and are genuine and real in your content, your audience will stick around and like what they see. Here’s how to make it happen:
Share an Interesting Case Study
If you have found a case study that relates to your business or your audience, write about it! Reference back to the case study, provide your insight into the results and show your audience how it applies to your business, site, or to them.
Offer a Personal Story
Whether it is an honest account of a plan gone awry, a recollection of failure, or a celebration of a victory and success, offering a personal story is one of the best ways to connect with your audience. It makes them feel like there is a real person behind your business or content, and these posts act as relatable content for a sample when you look for guest posting opportunities.
Interview an Industry Leader
There is nothing to build authority like talking to the thought-leaders who are the most authoritative in your niche. Reach out to industry trailblazers and ask for an interview, and then share this with your audience.
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Get Factual
When you provide credible sources and back up your information appropriately, no one can dispute the cold hard facts. Providing fact-based content on your site is a great way to increase your authority and gain the trust of your readers, which strengthens your community, increases your traffic and improves your SEO. Consider these options for generating factual content:
Test Two Theories
Are there two popular theories in your industry that are regularly talked about? Create an experiment and test these two ideas against each other. When you create your post, be sure to give background on the theories, explain your methodology and then provide applicable and action-oriented insight from the results.
Provide Insight on a Misconception
Similar to testing a theory, if there is a misconception in your industry, or two opposing theories, create content offering your audience insight into this misconception and providing factual information to dispel the myth.
Use Your Expertise
Finally, don’t forget about one of the best pools to draw on for content: your own expertise! Once you have laid the groundwork to establish the trust of your audience, in many cases, your readers will continue come to your site, because of you: they respect the content you offer and see you as a leading voice in the industry. Capitalize on this trust and work to continue exerting your expertise through the following:
Answer a Question
Whether it is a common question you receive on your site, or a mini-FAQ type-post answering a lot of questions that have accumulated over time, question and answer content is a great way to show your community and audience that you are listening to them and care about what they say and ask. It also allows increased interaction between you and your audience and this helps to build relationships and foster a community.
Provide a How-To
There is a lot of potential on your site for content by offering how-to information. You can do something as simple as a how-to for finding an item on your website, to something more content-rich like creating an entire pillar page. The latter will provide a great deal of benefit to you for SEO, will create valuable backlink content from other sites and offers a great place for you to draw from when you pitch guest posts.