Telling your story in person immediately engages. Does your online and written content communicate with the same heart and purpose? Great content is an asset; it connects you and your customers, and is one of the most important things you can do to attract and create interest in your company.
How well are you communicating with your community?
From website copy, brochures and product descriptions to blogs, social media and online PR, your content strategy is a strategic approach to creating and sharing information of value and relevance to target audiences. It allows you to share and interact with potential and current customers through digital channels, to drive engagement and action.
HERE ARE MY TOP 3 TIPS TO RIDICULOUSLY GOOD CONTENT:
- Identify Purpose and Values
Your purpose is not just what you do but why you do it, and how it can help your customers.
Best-selling author of ‘Start with Why’, Simon Sinek created the concept of the “Golden Circle of Why, How, What”, stating that“people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” 79% of business leaders surveyed by PwC believe that an organisation’s purpose is central to business success.
When consumers read your content, they start to develop an opinion of your brand and values; it’s a way to let consumers into your personality and core values as a brand, and relate to them on a personal level, not just self-promotion.
“What is your company’s core reason for being, and where can you have a unique, positive impact on society? Now more than ever, you need good answers to these questions.” (mckinsey.com)
The starting point for good content is nailing your brand identify and creating trust. Research shows that 70% of consumers believe that organisations providing custom content are interested in building good relationships with them.
2. Distil the What and Why
Think about the intent of the consumer as early as possible i.e. the what and why of your brand, and what will consumers be searching for and why? Have these keywords at the core of your messages, and included in the first few lines of your story, whether you are creating short or long content.
All of this works to make sure you are found quickly by the right people:
- Search engines deliver the best result
- Web searchers (current and potential customers) can quickly find the best result
- You are the best result for that search
3. Create Your Story
Once you have your what and why clear, create your story.
What are the rules for good content? There is only one rule – create content to help you simplify and strengthen your story. Spotlight the purpose behind your brand, intensify your message, and create clear and compelling content. Ensure that the tone and style are a fit for your values.
Less really is more when it comes to your core messages. Write it, read it, remove mistakes, check it is consistent with your brand purpose and values, reduce, read it again, and make every word count. Ultimately, people make a judgement call of your content’s value against their available time every time they visit you:
- Less is more
- A picture is worth a thousand words
- Remove the fluff
- Add in the SEO
- Use real people and pictures
- Share testimonials and referrals
Summary
Compact and compelling content contents you and your customers, driving engagement and action. “Good content isn’t about story telling. It’s about telling a true story well.” – Ann Handley
