SEO experts, bloggers, marketing managers and social media specialists everywhere have been declaring that “content is king”, but what does that really mean in 2014? Simply put, it means you have to have something to say, and you need to say it in the most engaging way possible. No matter what type of content you have, from blog posts to videos, it has to have a clear message.
Online marketing is not about catchy slogans or quick sound bites. It’s about grabbing the attention of the millions of eyeballs on the internet, sharing something of value (a.k.a. content) with them, and turning readers into loyal fans and followers of your brand. You need to make your audience feel compelled to share your content with everyone they know. So how do you create content which can achieve all of these goals?
Emotional Triggers
If you want your audience to connect to and share your content, you need to make the readers feel something. You need to elicit an emotional reaction in order to get your audience to care about your message and to click, buy or share your message on social media. According to a recent study, exhilaration is the emotion that is most likely to help brands get noticed and remembered. Humor is the second most popular emotion, even if it is overused and difficult to get right sometimes. Fear and pity are also sometimes used, but use them sparingly. You don’t want your brand associated with too many negative emotions.
Visual Impact
Neuroscientists are only beginning to understand how our brains actually work, but marketing researchers has proven that when we look at a page, we are processing more than just the words on it. Our brain can form opinions and connect ideas based on the images we see. We remember and recall information better when it is organized with bulleted and numbered lists. We prefer headings, symmetry, alignment, simple fonts, and other design elements that make it easy to digest the information.
Great layout and design, along with photos and videos, can make or break your content. These elements can help express your message, as well as your point of view. You can hire the best copywriter in the world, but if your page isn’t visually engaging, you’re not going to keep readers. Don’t forget, most of your audience is viewing your content on a smartphone or tablet, so a mobile or responsive website is a must.
Engaging Headlines
This is the most important feature of all. If your blog headline or video title isn’t clear, expressive, and magnetic, your audience won’t click through to check out your content in the first place. There is so much new content being published every single day and you need to stand out. If you don’t give a really good reason for people to stop browsing and land on your blog page, it won’t matter how good your content is. Don’t resort to sleazy headline tactics; if you trick users into viewing your content once and disappoint them, they will never come back.
Writing headlines is the most difficult part of writing content. You have to let readers know what your content is about, and why they really need to read it right now. You have to make them feel that they will be missing out on something important if they don’t read it. Finally, you have to deliver on any promises your headlines make. A good headline gets readers to your page. A great headline gets viewers to feel like they are being let in on a secret.
Viral content isn’t something you can fake or force, and it’s not magic. It takes effort to write words and find images that grab the reader’s attention, connect with them on an emotional level for just a moment, and make them want to share that moment with their friends online. Honesty, a valuable message, and these 3 content tips can help you make your content the “king” of your marketing strategy this year.
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