Creating content is one thing, but you have to know how to present it to people in a fashion where they ca pull out the value. It’s no good if you write content and can’t get people to engage with it, right? This will cause you to put all this effort and in the end not be able to get high enough CTR to meet your bottom line. When I first started to write content, I looked at a few very important elements. First, I would always research what my audience is looking for and then will try put it on paper. However, whenever I wrote my content on paper I would not get the ROI I thought I would be getting or I felt I deserved. I knew I did the research and I knew I tapped into some common problems that my readers were having. However, I still wasn’t able to convert my readers the way I felt I should be able to. I then started to do some research and learned a few very important things.
First, I learned that people have a different way of observing information and building a connection. This is why different types of information presented by video, images, infographics, and even podcasts have a higher engagement rate. In the end, we spent so much time researching content and feel we have done good that we forget not presenting it in a matter which allows complete engagement. I learned a lot over the last few years and will like to share some thoughts with you right now. Let’s get started.
Think Quick and Main Points
In order to write the best content, you have to know what are the main points you’ll like to focus on. It’s not going to do you any good if your thoughts are all over the place. This is why whenever I’m about to write content I’ll always start by researching, then thinking about ways to narrow down the content. For example, I’ll have all this information, but it’s my job to get the point across in the quickest manner. Only then will I be able to translate my ideas quickly and with very little effort. However, you have to keep a few things in mind when using this approach.
First, it’s important to think like a “tweet” by narrowing down all your major points into a few characters. This will help you pull out the most valuable information quickly allowing you to guide your focus at a later time. Secondly, always stay on topic and don’t expand pass the main points. Remember, you have been researching so you know what people are looking for. It’s not going to do you any good if you start to broaden your scope from this point…right? Third, here are some important things you should always keep on your mind:
- What is your message and stick to it?
- What you want your audience to pull from the message and presentation
- How you want them to feel about your message and content
- What call-to-action can you present to them after completion?
Treat Content Like a Billboard
When you’re driving down the highway I’m sure you’ve seen billboards, right? There are certain elements that stick out from billboards which you can adopt into your content market. I want you to take some time and think about them right now and let me know below in the comment box what you came up with. Next, I prefer to treat all of my content writing as a presentation and connect it to the concept of billboards. Here are some of the things I pay close attention to: These are all things that are being done on billboards which I’ve noticed attract my attention.
- The headline is very important so when your writing content make sure you have a headline which standout. When someone looks at your content, they should be able to pull out an inquisitive feeling right away.
- Billboards have images and your content should have them too. You should make sure you include relevant images which capture your reader’s attention.
- Billboards have other text which helps illustrate your point so it’s important you add that to your bottom-line. I like to add other relevant information through my content especially within the sub-headings.
- Colors should stand out too making your text and images more visible. Your content is only as good as its appearance meaning if no one can read it then you’ll have a hard time converting people.
What Can You Add
After I publish content I don’t leave it alone. I always ask myself this question: What can I do to make it come to life even more. By now I should some data to back it up so will do some research and find creative ways to bring everything together. For example, here are some strategies that work well:
- Analyze the data and find out where people are engaging the most. Use heat-map tools to understand the flow of your audience. You can then add additional links and content to those locations.
- Maybe you can add a video to help illustrate your points correctly. Sometimes text won’t do the trick, but if you add an illustration video, it will help get your point across.
- Adding a question at the end of your presentation is a great way to get them to think. This will make them ask the right questions and even go looking for an answer within your content. It’s also good to ask them for their input within the comment box below
- Getting an authority involved is a great way to build credibility. When people see or recognize a name they know, they’ll most likely stick around and read your entire content. They’ll also engage with it brining you closer to your bottom-line.
Give Them Facts
It’s all about the facts and you should give people exactly what they are looking for. Think about when you read content and what keeps you motivated to read on. You’ve probably notice that it’s that certain important facts are reiterated throughout the content. When you are driving and you see a billboard, you’ve probably noticed how they lay out the facts. This important when you write content too because you want to find ways to give readers or your audience the facts right away. With that said, you have to ask yourself this question: How can you give your audience the facts right away? How can you provide them the value they are looking for so they convert and stay committed? I’ve found that certain ways work better than others which I’ll describe below.
If you can answer these question and come up with active ways to address these points, then you’ll have no problem moving from point A-to-B.
Things to Keep in Mind
Almost in every niche, you’ll have competition and it’s important you stand out. If you can find a way to stand out compared to your competition, you’ll be able to see huge returns in your investment. I believe it’s all about finding what works and what doesn’t which doesn’t have to be hard. For example, you can start by researching your competition and see what they are doing. The ones which have been in the industry longer will be able to lay out a complete plan on what’s working and you can gain some knowledge from them.
Start by searching relevant blogs within your niche and focus on only the best. The will allow you to organize your search process without getting too overwhelmed. I usually like to focus on the 2-3 blogs for any given keyword. Once you have created a list focused on your keywords, it’s time to start skimming through each one.
When skimming through, you’ll be looking for the type of content they have been writing and what they use to engage their audience. You’ll be surprised that many of them will use intriguing headlines, images, text, infographics, etc. You have to look for and find things they are doing, but you haven’t tried incorporating into your blogging yet.
At the same time, it`s a good idea to view what comments people are leaving within the comment box. You can learn a lot from them and some questions they have about the content. You can use this information to make your content stand out compared to your competition.
Final Thoughts
The cool thing is you have so many options when you are writing content and presenting it to your readers. It`s just about finding out what works and what doesn`t. However, the trick is to keep your audience engaged and to always provide them with value which is the ultimate bottom line. Go through this content and understand some of the points which were discussed. It’s time to find ways to implement them into your content marketing.
