Content marketing and creation in and of itself is not something all that special or exclusive. Anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can release something new out into the world within minutes. Just consider these breathtaking statistics about the sheer quantity of new content that is released into the world:
- 7.5 million new blog posts every day
- 3.7 million new YouTube videos every day
- 4.7 million podcasts available on Spotify
In short, the world is obsessed with gobbling up new content, and there are plenty of people who are more than happy to provide that to them. However, not all content is created equal, and it is incredibly important to keep that in perspective when creating your own and conducting content marketing. What you want to do is create pieces that convert viewers into customers, and we have a few helpful ideas for you on how to make that happen.
Preaching to the Choir: Finding Your Target Audience
Content creators often want to know which factors weigh in the heaviest in the conversion process. That is one of the things that Semrush’s State of Content Marketing 2023 report looked at. In that report, they discovered that the #1 most important factor in conversion was reaching the right audience. It makes a lot of sense when you stop and think about it. After all, you are only going to convince the people who are predisposed to want to hear what you have to say anyway.
Given this, your initial efforts should be honed in on finding the audience that respects what you have to say and is interested in the type of content that you produce. Practice the following to speak directly to them and garner even more attention:
- Understand Their Pain Points – What stumbling blocks seem to get in the way of your audience? Are there certain challenges that seem like they are impossible to surmount? See what you can do towards helping those individuals overcome these challenges with your content. When you do so, your audience will trust you more than they already did, and they are more likely to make a purchase in that case.
- Strike the Right Tone – Learn how to communicate with the words and phrases that are commonly used by your target audience. You need to literally speak to them in a manner that they can relate to and that they fully grasp.
- Meet Their Expectations – Keep up with their changing needs and expectations to help fulfill every requirement that they may have of you. This takes a little homework on your part, but it is possible.
Once you have identified your target audience and began to produce content that speaks to their hearts, then you are ready to move on to your next steps.
Create Eye-Catching Headlines
“All the world’s a stage” wrote William Shakespeare in his comedy “As You Like It”. This concept bares truth in today’s world more than ever before. It is a constant battle to grab as much attention from an audience as possible, and the competition is fierce. One of the best ways to stand out in this mayhem is to write eye-catching headlines that peak a reader’s curiosity.
You are going to need to do this because the headline is likely the only piece of your content that most readers will even see. Copy blogger reports that 80% of readers just read the headline and don’t explore the rest of the content. All the hard work that you put into the meat of the content will likely go to waste as most are going to ignore it. That’s why you need to create headlines that intrigue a reader enough to get them to continue with their reading even if they might not have otherwise.
A great headline does a couple of things:
- Creates a Sense of Urgency – Creating a feeling of urgency within the reader is something that will heighten their emotional responses and may make them more likely to see what you have to say next.
- Uses Interesting Language – No one is going to explore something that has a bland headline that they have everywhere else. Include some interesting language to help set your headline apart.
Those two things alone are usually enough to make a headline a bit more interesting and improve your chances of reader conversion.
Tap Into Available Content Marketing Data Sources
Virtually since its discover, oil was the most valuable resource in human history. However, there is a new king of the hill, and that king’s name is data. The Business and Financial Times explains:
In the digital age, data has emerged as the new currency, surpassing the traditional commodity of oil in its significance. Just as oil fuelled the industrial revolution, data is propelling the information age forward, transforming industries and reshaping economies.
We all interact with data in a nearly limitless number of ways, and that data helps to shape the kind of experience that we have in both the online and offline world. Content creators who wish to reach their viewers and convert them into customers ought to tap into this vast and valuable resource.
If it seems that the data is not easily available to you from the start, you can always consider working on generating it yourself. There are several methods that you may use to go about this, including:
- Using Survey Data – You can send out a survey to your readers, listeners, etc. and ask them some basic questions about themselves, their interests, and how you can better serve those needs.
- One-On-One Conversations – There is still great power in sitting down with another individual face-to-face and discussing what they expect from you. This is true both in our personal lives as well as in the world of content creation. Get to know your audience in a more intimate way and discover what truly makes them tick.
- Use Tracking Tools on Your Competition – Don’t worry, you aren’t doing anything illegal by tracking your competition! Instead, you are simply using openly available tools such as Google Alerts to keep tabs on mentions of your competitors and their products. You will want to peek at this data from time to time to see what your competition is doing right and see how you can emulate it.
Don’t ignore this part of the process. Data collection might feel like homework, but it pays dividends when you do it. To create content that truly converts, you need to know the ins and outs of how to get there.
Now you know a bit more about content marketing and what it takes to create content that converts readers into customers. Looking to outsource your content marketing? Our content writers have extensive experience and would be happy to help you get noticed. Contact us.