In a 2019 study, 98% of marketers said written content was their most used form of content. But, only 5% of all marketing teams surveyed reported being clear on how to run a successful content marketing campaign. These statistics show us just how complicated the content creation process can be. If you want to run a content marketing campaign, here are five tips that can help:
- A Promising Headline
Say your content receives 100 impressions. About 80 will read the headline, but barely 20 will go any further. A strong headline provides specific information to your readers. But, you have to strike a balance between piquing their interest and divulging everything upfront. Headlines that incorporate instructional phrases will typically get shared on social media platforms. So, details You Need to Know or explainer content on Why You Should will likely enhance your overall content performance. Your headline must tell readers what they will get if they click on your headline.
- An Interesting Introduction
Your headline will get readers to click on your content. Your introduction must compel them to read it. According to a 2018 eye-tracking study, when people view a page, they look at content only above the fold for 57% of the time. So, you must hook them with your introduction before they can scroll through your page. Only 17% of people make it to the second screen of content! Your introduction should immediately tell readers how your content can help them.
- Focus on Your Audience
Your target audience should inform every content decision you make. Instead of crafting content for everybody, talk specifically to your potential customers. Let’s say you’re working with a credit card company. You want to engage specific customers who actively roll their dues over every month. So, you need to build content around how and why rolling dues over could be beneficial. If you create generic content about credit cards, you might not reach the right audience.
- Use Your Unique Brand Voice
Think back to all the content you consumed over the last few years. Do some brands stick out more than others? The unique brand voice or personality you attach to your content can make or break your marketing plan. Your brand voice guidelines should include:
- The brand’s core values and mission statement
- A description of the audience and how they speak
- Lists of specific words and phrases you do or do not use
- The ideal relationship you want with readers
- Always Add Value
You can create engaging content. But if your readers don’t need it, you waste a lot of time and money. Everything you write should add value to their life. Let’s say this blog was just 2,000 words of long paragraphs. We could provide mind-boggling statistics regarding why you need great content. But, if we don’t offer tips or tell you what great content looks like, you probably won’t continue reading.
Before you start to build great content, make sure you define your target audience. Once you know who you’re writing for, you can craft content they’d like to see. Whenever you start writing, keep your audience in mind. It will help you create better content.