Creating content is harder than it sounds. With such a competitive landscape, boring content flops, disappearing into internet purgatory in the blink of an eye. So how do you create content that ‘wows’? Content that people stop mid-scroll to consume, that grabs their attention in that split second? Keep reading to find out!
Join us in an exercise and think about how often you actually stop to read a post on instagram, or click on a facebook article. How much do you have to scroll through TikTok and Twitter before you find something that grabs your attention?
New content is released into the world seemingly every second – but in reality it is probably faster than that. Creating content that connects with your audience is becoming an increasingly difficult job. Creating content that actually wows them? That is even harder.
Fear not! At BeKonstructive Marketing, we specialise in making worthwhile, punchy, and eye-catching content. As such, we are sharing our top tips and tricks for making content that truly impresses an audience.
Sell the solution, not the product
All great products and services serve a purpose in your audience’s life. You solve a problem, make a job easier, or bridge a barrier for people who need it and that should be celebrated.
The big idea here is that people don’t want a product, but rather they want a solution to their problem. There is the old copywriting adage about selling a good night’s sleep, not a mattress. Most people don’t care about the spring system of the memory foam – people want to know that they won’t wake up in the morning with back pain, or get too hot, or will be able to fall asleep easily.
The next time you make content, keep this in mind. Have a good long think about how your product or service solves your customer’s problem and let them know.
Tone of Voice and Choice of Language
In content marketing, we spend a lot of time thinking about who we are actually talking to. As a general rule, specifying your audience as much as possible will help you in the long run. And similarly, when we think about who we are talking to, we must also consider how we are talking to them.
You wouldn’t talk to your boss like you would talk to your pals on a night out, right?
If your audience was older and more professional, you would make sure your tone matched this. You would use professional, respectful, and formal language that conveys that you are a peer who knows they are worthy of their respect. Especially if it is for a professional product, people want to know you are an expert and that they can trust you.
However, if your target demographic was people under 25 years old, you might not get far if your tone was too formal. You may need to adjust it to be more casual, include more colloquial language, and be more relatable.
These are just some examples, but the general rule is that every audience wants something different. You have to decide whether it is more valuable to your customers to be trustworthy or cool, friendly or formal, professional or relatable.
Creating Imagery
We’ll be honest, that whole thing about a picture painting a thousand words isn’t far off. It’s true, a picture can often be the most effective means of storytelling. Pictures are also way more eye catching than a block of text.
Stock images are a really easy way to engage with your audience, and they are often professionally shot, so they look great as well. Better than that though, investing in imagery of your business, team, and product and using that is a great way to create a lasting impression.
But the real cherry on top of any content marketing is video content. We live in a post-pandemic and a post-TikTok world where people love nothing more than a quality audio visual experience. Video content is harder to produce for sure, but it has the highest amount of engagement and has the best ROI out of all the different types of content marketing.
So use strong striking imagery, or better yet use video, but as a general rule don’t just post blocks of text.
Tell a story
Storytelling is the oldest trick in the book. People feel more connected to a product with a story behind it, and are more emotionally invested. But storytelling can be a lot harder than it initially seems, and many people get caught up on what story to tell.
We always like to keep it personal to an extent. Firstly, tell your story, or your company’s story. Why did you begin your business? Did you see a problem or was it more personal? Has it been difficult, what are things you have struggled with, what was a really affirming moment? People want to put a face to the name, and we don’t just mean literally – people want to know who you are.
People love a journey, especially if you are a small business owner, or an up and comer. Tell people how your products and services have helped other customers. This is why testimonials are such a valued resource in our industry.
Tap into the heart
Which brings us to emotions, feelings, the warm and fuzzies. Storytelling and emotional selling always go hand in hand in marketing. It isn’t about tricking anyone, but rather about making sure people understand the weight of their consumer choices.
The most effective way to make a lasting impression on someone is to give them something that makes them angry, that is heartwarming, or that makes them happy. At the end of the day, emotions inspire action.
Transparency
Over the last couple years, all of us have come to appreciate a little transparency. Consumers left and right are demanding more from companies, in both quality of product but also quality of policy. Building trust in 2022 is done by being upfront with your audience.
We understand this can be confronting. To not only share your success but also your failures is a hugely vulnerable thing to do. If you make a mistake, you will get called out on it, and will have to explain yourself. We get it, it’s super scary.
However, this is how 2022 consumers demand trust. Customers love to make informed decisions and more and more are demanding transparency from the people they buy from.
In our opinion it’s better to be ahead of the curve. Create content that is not only transparent but respects the consumers’ needs, and you will thrive.
Simplify
The key to communicating your content to your desired audience is to make sure they can understand. Even if your audience is someone who may understand technical industry jargon, you still want to make sure you aren’t clogging it up with overly flowery language.
If you aren’t sure if your audience would understand, try to imagine them in front of you while you tell them. Still maintain the appropriate tone of voice while making sure the content you are delivering is clear and comprehensible.
Your audience should be engaged with the content of the copy and not working ten times as hard just to get through the overly-complex format of communication.
Content that makes a lasting impression
Creating great content marketing is a skill like any other – it requires practice. However, if you prioritise your audience throughout your process, you will be able to create content that speaks directly to them. The tips in this article are designed to help you keep your audience in mind. What does your content mean for your audience and why should they care? Give your followers a reason to engage!
If you would like to improve your content marketing, or would like to learn more about our services, get in touch. We know everything there is to know about making content that really WOWS!
