Top 5 Content Formats That Attract Visitors
One of the often overlooked aspects of effective content creation is the idea of content format. If you have hundreds of pages on your web site or blog with the same exact format – block text and a few subheads – nothing will stand out or catch the user’s eye.
If you are struggling with specific content formats or ways of organizing your content that will bring a fresh look to your website, consider these formatting approaches when creating your content. While some types of content needs to be written using a specific format, other content can be re-structured to display the format you are looking for.
Various Formats to Consider When Constructing Your Content
How To/Instructional
Web readers love simple instructions that take them from the beginning of a task to its completion. These are very easy to write and function well from a “readability” standpoint. Simply write a short introduction explaining the topic, follow it up with a few one or two sentence steps and then end the piece with some tips or warnings. Want to add some more power to these posts? Take the time to get some pictures of the process to go along with the text.
List
Another form of punchy content that is easy to read and easier to digest. You can format a list however you want but don’t go for brevity over clarity. Although one sentence lists might be easier to scan, they may miss out on some key information – making your post worthless.
Campaign/Related Posts
Nothing inspires readers to keep reading through your posts or site (improving your bounce rate) than related posts or a content campaign. Try launching a post campaign every once in a while on your blog or web site where you either make it obvious (how to write content part 1, part 2, etc.) or make it a little more subtle with a call to action at the end of each post to continue reading. Along with related posts and tags, this can keep visitors on your site longer and give more opportunities for conversions.
Interview
An interview often functions just like a list. With notable figures in your niche, you can ask a few simple questions through email or, if you’re lucky, on the phone. Make sure that, if you do secure a face to face or phone interview, that you prepare well ahead of time – even anticipating further questions to respond to the answers of the person being interviewed. Keep your questions open ended – in other words, a yes or no answer should not be possible.
Reviews
Provided that you pick products or services that relate to your niche, reviews are great because a lot of Internet readers simply love to hear others’ opinions. Think about how often you scan the comments section when watching a video on YouTube – it’s almost automatic. Try to use the same format throughout your site for reviews as changing their presentation too often can be confusing and distracting.
