Content Your Audience Wants to Read
When you start researching content creation, you get a lot of advice to create more content or that the frequency with which you post new content is key. These things are, without a doubt, important parts of your strategy. How you reach your readers and how often you reach them matters. However, do not let this focus push you to overlook yet another key factor: the type of content your readers actually want to read. You need to put out content that engages them and piques their interest. Without that part of the equation, no type of content is going to have the same traction on social media or any other platform. Volume can still help with things like keyword strategies and site-building, but engaging content is where you get the most interaction and the longest dwell times.
Consider the Reader
The first step is to consider the reader. What does your target audience look like?
For instance, perhaps you target people who have careers and families. When they sit down to read, do they feel pressed for time? How can you get them the information they seek quickly? Do they feel like they have had a long day and they just want to relax? What can you do to keep your content from feeling dry and overly informative?
Or, perhaps you target business professionals who have a lot of questions and seek direct answers. They don’t want general topics. What exact questions do they have? Do they search for terms or for those questions as keyword strings? When they find your page, how can you answer the questions quickly and in an engaging manner that sets you up as an authority on the subject?
Content They Share
Without a doubt, one of the biggest benefits of writing content that readers want is that it resonates with them. Maybe it speaks to them on a deeper level. Maybe it captures part of their identity. Maybe it addresses topics that are important to them. Maybe it answers questions that they and their peer group often have.
No matter how it works and what type of audience you have, when you create the content they want, you increase the odds that they’ll share it with others. This is free advertising. They share it with a group. Two people from that group share it again, expanding the network. Four more pick it up. Don’t worry about going viral or reaching millions instantly. Remember that there is huge value in getting more impressions and spreading your content — with no more work on your end — to other like-minded people who may also read it, engage with it and share it.
Don’t Push Your Agenda Too Hard
When you’re trying to sell a product or a service, it’s easy to want to push that agenda. You need to convert those readers. You need to make sales or get contact information. These things become your priority, and it can reflect that in your content.
The danger here is that people often feel bombarded and attacked. It strikes them as fishy, not helpful. They may feel tired and worn out. They just want information, not an endless string of sign-up pages and things of this nature. They get frustrated and exhausted.
Instead, focus on creating content that, in turn, creates trust. That often comes before you get them to buy anything. And you can create that trust by giving them the information they want and showing them that you’re an authority on the subject. Once they feel that, they’ll voluntarily buy the products or give you their contact information or do whatever else it is you’re trying to accomplish. Just don’t skip this step. Trust is critical. Give your readers content that speaks to them, not content that just tells them about you, and you’ll have greater success.
Top-Level Content That Works
As you can see, there is a lot more to content creation than first meets the eye. It’s not only about having a certain amount of content or posting so often, but about creating the right content and working to actively engage your readers. We specialize in this here at Content Customs, and we can help. Give us a call today.
