“Content is king” is a term that predates Bill Gates, the internet, you name it. It’s a concept as old as marketing itself. As the world shifts more and more toward a completely virtual online marketplace, the defining characteristics of effective content need to shift with it. This is why commercials you saw in 1960 are much different from anything produced in 2016.
A 1960s audience was far more concerned with things like product quality and value for their dollar. Today, especially among younger consumers (millennials and those just a few years older), the real selling points are in how interacting with a product or service makes us feel. It’s also about making it easy to access and view on screens that fit in the palms of our hands.
Now, don’t get me wrong – people are still very money-conscious and will tend to gravitate first toward whoever can give them the best deal. This is why it’s so important that your content conveys a simple message: “the best deal” has to do with quite a bit more than just price. Your content and the way you present it must communicate value to the consumer, or else they will likely seek out a brand that does better.
This is why you need to not simply deliver content, but effective content. While what defines that will vary by business or product, all effective content contains at least trace elements of each of the three foundational things I’m about to share with you. How does your content measure up?
#1. Effective Content Entertains While It Informs
The kind of content that attracts people these days is, as I mentioned earlier, radically different from what did just a generation or two ago. If you watch a news broadcast from 1980 and then watch your nightly news tonight, ask yourself where the real focus is these days. Is it on information or entertainment? The answer is simply, “Yes.”
We can learn quite a bit about good content from the news. Listen to the language they use and how the words tie in with the visuals. None of this is by accident. You’ll never see a news anchor go to commercial saying something like, “Meteorologist Mike Miller will be joining us to talk about the impending snowstorm.” It’s more like, “Could we be looking at a white weekend? Meteorologist Mike Miller has the answer after the break.”
Keep them in suspense! It’s a great way to entertain your audience while promising to deliver value in the process. This angle works incredibly well in emails and video sales letters, but you can use it effectively in other ways, too.
You can also keep your audience well-informed and well-entertained by personally engaging on social media. When people leave comments or questions, look through them and see which might be the basis for a blog post or an email campaign. More often than not, your audience is going to be your greatest inspiration. In the meantime, respond. Respond to the positives, respond appropriately to the negatives, and you will accomplish the task of making your content educational as well as entertaining.
#2. Effective Content Eliminates Common Objections
Before they can even think them, your content can block and address many common objections about your brand. If you’re commonly told that your product is too expensive, your content should reflect the value in it. Sure, you’re asking people to spend 40 percent more on one of your backpacks, but yours is more durable. They’re likely to have it twice as long. Take that concept and weave it into your content.
Employ custom visuals to make the point even clearer. The stitching on that bag really is good. The buckles are made of leather and stainless steel, not nylon and plastic. You want people to start seeing your brand as a long-term solution. “That’s a rugged, very durable-looking bag. I bet I’ll still be using it 10 years from now.”
You have other options as well when it comes to the kinds of objections you address directly in your content. I would urge you, though, to steer clear of self-deprecating content or anything that “laughs along” with people’s objections. They want to see that you understand their concerns and intend to address them. What they don’t want is to feel like their opinions are being mocked.
#3. Effective Content Has Share Value
There is a fine balance of the right words and the right visuals that make this work well. If you follow my blog, you’ve likely heard this before, but it bears repeating. The formula that has worked well for me and for many of my clients is to gather the visuals first, then write copy around them. It’s a great idea that many marketers never even try. I challenge you to be the one who does. A cool picture and a gluey headline can lead to a lot of click-throughs. Just be sure that what’s waiting for the viewer on the other side delivers the value you promise each and every time.
If this has been a sticking point for you in the past, I urge you to get some assistance, particularly in the writing arena. A custom writing service can really help you align your brand message in a way that is engaging as well as effective.
Final takeaway: Make sure that what people click to see is what they expect when they reach your website or landing page. You will not build trust or develop a good reputation for your brand if you fail at this step in the process. Always post content that informs, entertains, and breaks down barriers. Deceptive or just lazy practices will do just the opposite. They will make people skeptical of you, and that is one objection that is nigh unto impossible to overcome.