When running a website or blog, marketers often reach a point where they feel like they've exhausted natural post topics and titles. As a result, their content creation efforts begin to fall flat. But compelling content is an essential part of any digital marketing strategy. In fact, according to Social Media Today, content marketing is poised to be "one of the most vitally important marketing strategies" this year. Here are a few tips and tricks on creating compelling content for your website or blog.
1. Switch the Format and Try a New Angle
Simple, 400- to 600-word blog posts or news articles can be effective at the beginning of the content creation process on a particular platform. However, these "safe" posts may not generate the excitement you're hoping to see from your content in the long term. As time goes on, they may begin to underperform in terms of traffic and social media shares. To keep your visitors interested, you should try experimenting with new formats, such as a listicle or even a video.
For example, imagine that you own a local coffee chain that features content about developments in the fair trade coffee industry. Instead of simply reporting on news related to this topic, you could try creating a few lists about what fair trade coffee is and why it's important. These types of general information articles may not be of interest to loyal customers who are already experts about your business, but they can help reach new customers who haven't heard of fair trade coffee before. These types of pieces are also easy to promote online. You can use targeted ads to reach local consumers who may have an interest in learning more about local coffee shops, sustainable living or other related topics.
2. Feature Experts in Your Field
Another great way to create compelling content is to feature experts in your field. Though you may have a few experts on your team that regularly create blog posts for your business, it's always great to add a new perspective. For instance, if you owned the coffeehouse in the previous example, you could interview a well-known coffee distributor to share insight into the process that fair trade coffee goes through in comparison to the process regular coffee goes through. This type of article will help you establish an authoritative voice, which will help your audience see you as a leader in your field.
3. Talk to Your Audience
An often overlooked strategy is to simply ask your audience what kind of content they'd like to read. If you have a substantial social media following, you should try asking your fans and followers what they'd like to learn or hear more about. You might be surprised by some of the responses you get, and you may come away inspired by some of your loyal customers, ready to create new, compelling content. By reaching out to your readers in that manner, you can get a better sense of your audience and create your content accordingly.
