Writing marketing content that converts is a necessary step in any successful blogging or digital marketing campaign. While this type of content creation can help level the playing field, it is not free.
Blogging and content marketing are significant time investments.
Creating marketing content that converts can be a matter of trial and error, but there are steps you can take to ensure your content has a fighting chance.
How You Can Create Marketing Content That Converts:
Hit People With a Story – Stats and data are good for reinforcing an argument, but don’t really make a framework for people to remember. But if you tell the story of someone who overcame an obstacle and solved their problem, that will be more memorable. Some other paths for a good corporate story include: how you got started in your business, how you solved your own problem and learned to help people with theirs, or any customer success story. If you tell your customer success story, make them the hero. Good blogging and content marketing is not self-serving. Giving your writing a more narrative flow can also help people engage with your content.
Ask a Question – Asking the right question can be an incredibly effective way to guide people through your content. The right question will have readers mouthing an answer to it as they move forward with your content. Make it a question they’ve been asking, and reinforce the answer.
Examples:
- Looking for a way to reduce your monthly mortgage payment?
- Do you want an easy way to increase your productivity?
- Have you been trying every way imaginable to lose weight?
These kinds of questions will have people naturally seeking answers. They also set you up for an informative response.
Write Conversationally – It’s a crowded world out there, and no matter what business you’re in, you likely have a fair amount of competition. People have to like you before they choose to do business with you. If you write conversationally, it will give your audience a more personable feel. So go ahead and use contractions. Start the occasional sentence with a conjunction. Write how you talk. Don’t be afraid to make your English teacher cringe from time to time. But it’s not an excuse to get lazy. Spelling and grammar still count.
Think Visually – A compelling photograph or infographic can help tell your story. They also break up large blocks of text and make your content easier to read. You can also use shorter sentences and paragraphs, incorporate subheads and lists, and stop writing like your blog is some kind of academic dissertation. Incorporate great design into your website and blog. It makes the experience much more friendly for your audience and keeps people moving through your content.
Cite an Authority – Are there studies that help make your case? Get specific and give people the information that helps bolster your case. Find the authoritative websites in your industry that have done studies on the points you are trying to make. Read them, and link to them. This gives you credibility and shows you know what you are talking about.
Be Exact in Your Call to Action – When you tell your readers exactly what action you want them to take, be specific. Tell them exactly what you are looking for, and restate the benefits as you invite them to take action. A finely-tuned call to action is crucial in creating content that converts.
A Finely-Tuned Headline – Those measly words at the top of your post are the most important part. Your reader is going to judge whether or not to continue based on the strength of your headline. Tell them what they’ll gain by reading further. Make a promise. Evoke emotion. Keep them reading. I included this tip last because it’s always good to go back after writing your post and fine-tune your headline.
Improving digital conversions occurs throughout the content. The goal is to draw readers in and keep them moving through until the end. What steps have you taken to ensure you’re writing marketing content that converts?