Content marketing is one of the most effective marketing channels as it provides value to potential customers without asking for anything in return. Successful content marketing focuses on attracting consumers to a business through various content formats, and rather than pushing an advertisement focuses on giving the user what they are looking for. Content converts as it helps establish a company’s expertise. When a marketer publishes a piece of content that answers a potential customers questions in a detailed in a thorough manner it gives the user the impression that the business knows what it’s talking about and would be trustworthy to work with. While there are other aspects of content marketing this is a top level explanation of how content marketing works and how it converts.
In my experience, the most important thing that makes content convert is having it be specific to your niche. For example, I specialize in helping financial advisors get more clients. That’s why I create content for financial advisors. It sounds obvious, but a lot of content marketers still make vague, general content. I’ve found that the more niche-specific my content is, the higher its conversion rate. Niching down is the best thing I’ve ever done, especially because I love helping my niche.
I am also a web designer and SEO consultant. I am a big fan of Content Marketing which is a great way to build your brand, increase your visibility more broadly, raise your profile and attract more clients. I regularly share quality content based on my experience personally and professionally. To qualify it must be timely and relevant. To generate ideas I look at the calendar to see if there are any natural opportunities based on the season or activities, keep a running list of topics I get asked about by my clients and other business owners and note when I read or hear about something new I want to explore further, a trend, theme or idea that catches my attention. If it is an issue that affects me or my business then it is likely to be a topic that impacts others too.
Once I decide on an idea to write about I may do research on the topic, talk to people for input and just start typing. If I have a unique perspective to share or any advice I think may help others I get it out there via social media or whatever distribution vehicle makes the most sense. To make content more attractive and drive conversion it is important to understand not just what or how to purchase a product, experience or service but you must also be able to inspire audiences by identifying the underlying motivation. The key to becoming influential is when you can answer why they do what they do and connect with people on an emotional level.
The tricky thing about content marketing is that it’s a science and an art. So when you’re writing content that will convert, you start with the science of understanding your keyword and the intent behind that search term. Then, you think like a story-teller who is trying to get the audience involved, not just in your story, but in their story. Their story as it relates to your product or service. That’s thinking like a persuader who has their best interests in mind.
Creating readable content is pretty easy. All you need to do is a little research into how others format their blogs and focus heavily on how to structure your articles. Outlines are essential to making sure an article is structured well.
Implementing long tail keywords is an important part of content marketing for almost any business. While long tail keywords might not have the same search volumes as other keywords they are often highly specific to your business’s unique niche. Long Tail keywords are meant for attracting your ideal customers and shouldn’t be considered as a mass market strategy.
Make your content easy to scan
If most of your website visitors spend less than 15 seconds on your blog posts, this means that people quickly skim through the content instead of reading it word by word.
A content that includes long sentences and paragraphs it’s hard to scan and it’s more likely that your visitors won’t stick around. Chances are, they will go to your competitors to find content that’s easier to consume.
To create content that is easily scannable, you can simply follow these tips:
· Write short paragraphs, preferable 3-4 sentences at most. Breaking down you content into short paragraphs makes it more digestible for your readers.
· Readers should be able to bounce around to seek out pieces of content that interest them. By using eye-catching sub headers, you can pique the curiosity of your readers and keep them engaged.
· Using bullet points is the easiest way to ensure that your content doesn’t strain your visitors’ eye to read through it. Since bulleted lists stand out from the rest of your page, they make the entire piece easier to skim through.