If you sit with any respectable marketing professional these days, the phrase “content marketing” is sure to come up. In fact, if you and those in charge of marketing your business don’t view themselves more like news reporters than advertising execs, you’re in for a bumpy ride.
While we don’t know exactly what the search engines are programmed to rank in terms of keyword inquiries, we absolutely know for certain that they are giving more preference to websites that produce new and engaging content. Gone are the days of hosting a website with stagnant prose about your company history or your hours of operation and expecting it to rank well on Google and the other engines.
If you’re not giving your customers and future prospects a reason to come back to your site, guess what… they never will. |Tweet This|
So in an effort to drive this point home, here are 3 important reasons why blogging and adding intriguing content to your website on a regular basis is so important. I could probably list about 10 others, but I’m working to engage your interest quickly and succinctly… ha!
- An engaged user is more likely to invest in your brand. They may not make a purchase on their first visit, but the quality of your content gives you a better chance of breaking through their mental clutter and being remembered. Think of engagement like an investment of time. The more time a user spends with you and your web content, the more likely they are to trust you. The more they trust you, the more likely they are to buy from you.
- Attention fosters persuasion, which leads to sales. If you’re offering your site visitors attention-grabbing content that pulls them in, you’ll experience a higher likelihood that they’ll be persuaded to take action. Taking action might involve a direct sale, but it could also mean opting into your email list, picking up the phone to call, or whatever you deem most important for your business.
- The science of SEO revolves around engaging content. Longer time on site, multiple page views, social media sharing, and low bounce rate are all known to be strong factors in determining how your website ranks in search. If the content you produce online can hold your user’s attention and get them interacting with what you have to say, the challenge of organic SEO will most likely take care of itself.
So how exactly do you write engaging copy? Here are a few suggestions:
- Write for your core audience, not search engines. Don’t try to keyword-stuff your content and avoid sounding robotic. Write like you speak and worry about keywords in the editing process.
- Try writing less to get your point across. While we all like to read, if you can get a point across using graphics or visual hooks, give it a try. You’ll draw attention quicker and give your customers a sense of understanding in a short amount of time. This is why infographics have become so popular.
- Try to provide timely and useful information and avoid the same-old, same-old. Look to sites like Twitter to track what people are talking about right now and write to that. Stay relevant by answering questions people have today, not last year.
- Mix it up and remember that there are many ways to present your viewpoint. Experiment with video, photo journalism, podcasting, and slide sharing. People consume information in different ways so see what works best for your audience and go with it.
In the end, there are many examples but no proven recipe for what makes content more engaging. The reality is that we’re all learning what works as we go. But through consistency and a commitment to being a content generator, your business will ultimately become more relevant which will win the day every time.
Remember… think like an Anchor Man, and not an Advertising Exec.
