Is there a science behind effective content?

This is a question that has probably plagued a lot of content producers–especially when they’re faced with the challenge of churning out regular material for blogs. So we thought this would be a great opportunity to turn to the science behind writing content that actually converts.

When it comes to topics…

It goes without saying that you should select topics that resonate with your audience. However, to grab attention and hold interest, make sure that you present a unique take on whatever the chosen topic may be.

• A unique topic discussed from your own business perspective would make the subject more relatable.
• Jumping on a trending or current topic is great for SEO, but to truly drive interest, make sure your brand actually has something meaningful to say.
• When trying to figure out what to say, consider these things—what can you add that in the current conversation that is of value to your audience? Is my opinion different? And am I offering a perspective that is relevant and interesting to my readers?

Don’t neglect keywords when writing online…

There are numerous tools available today that can help you determine the keywords that are actually being used by your users to find content that is useful and relevant to them. Incorporating these keywords, is critical in making sure that your content actually gets picked up by search engines.

• There are lots of free online tools that can help you with this, Google AdWords being one of the most reliable and comprehensive ones that you can use.
• Learning about the kind of topic that your audience is actually interested in, helps you create highly targeted content that will ultimately help you raise engagement.
• While your keyword research may deliver some pretty comprehensive results, it’s still useful to make sure that you compare your data with research that you have made on your users and audience. This helps you dig into what your users really consider important.

Tap into the expertise of industry experts

Whenever possible reach out to other voices of authority in your niche to help build your own. This is certainly easier if you already have the connections, but even if you don’t, cold calling or emailing them could still work. Their expertise in the chosen topic that you want to talk about, will definitely help you build your own reputation as a reliable source of information in the industry.

• Industry experts and established authorities will probably have substantive research that lends more credibility to the subject they discuss.
• Explore various topics that you think may be relevant to your field. Experts don’t necessarily have to come from your own niche. For all you know, there could be a different, very interesting take on your subject matter if it’s seen through the eyes of an expert from a different field.
• Ensure that whatever topic your expert chooses to discuss, they have the data and research to substantiate their claims.

Think about how you want to present your content

Would your topic be best served as an in-depth, multiple article series?  Or would it be better to present it as a brief but informative infographic? Different topics can be presented in different ways. Some will be better served as short, visual pieces, others through detailed and comprehensive discussions. It’s up to you, based on your research and understanding of your audience, to determine what will work best.

• Be flexible. Just because you have a clear vision of how your content should be presented does not mean that you have to absolutely stick to it. Give yourself wiggle room to try different formats and remember that at the end of the day, online attention span is very short.
• A combination of both copy and images—meaning comprehensive, detailed articles, accompanied by visually engaging infographics or photos can make your content more engaging.
• Think about what you want your audience to take away from each content that you want to publish. From there, consider how you can best achieve that objective.

Consider shareability as part of your strategy

Quality of writing and design is critical to effective content, but a lesser known factor that contributes to its success is its shareability. You want to make it very easy for your users to share your content. Make share buttons available, visible and readily accessible.

• Content marketing doesn’t end with the publication of your piece. You want to use that piece of content so that the world discovers your brand. Shareable content can help you do that.
• Make sure your website is optimized for social sharing. Again, there are tools available for this.
• This not only helps expand your network, but it also adds to your visibility on search engines.

Remember…

While these are tried and tested secrets that have proven themselves effective for content marketers, there are still different variables that would benefit from testing. Maybe you need to employ all of these tips to give your content the boost it needs to convert users, or maybe you will need a combination of these different factors.

To find out what will truly be effective, you have to test and see what approach works best. And from there, carefully track and measure results to see how you can refine them and make it work for you.

If you need help with this, give us a call today.

And if you have any questions or comments about this post, leave us a message below.