We live in the Digital Age where people are literally accosted with an extraordinary quantity and variety of information every day.
We know that content marketing is important and that we have to do it. But with so much competing information out there – what makes you stand out? Is your content of a quality worth reading?
Be the pundit that you already are!
Quality content revolves around sharing original, useful information. You’re aiming to uplift and help your existing and potential clients in some way. Get excited about what you do and share the wealth of specialised information you have at your disposal!
A journalist may be able to quickly recognize the source of good information when they see it. If you are creating your own content as the pundit however, there’s a good chance that you may be wondering how on earth to come up with valuable subject matter. If this is the case, the questions below may help. Ask yourself:-
- What do my clients most often ask me about?
- What is new in my industry that clients may benefit from knowing?
- What is the future of my industry and how does that impact my client?
- How do I solve my clients challenges in a way that is different to my competitors?
- Why do my clients use me and not my competitors (your point of difference again)?
A content strategy based on answering the questions your customers have is always a solid approach, as your content will be of tangible value to them. But be comprehensive and use thorough answers. Express your expertise. This is how you will stand out from your competitors.
And if you are wanting to appeal to a particular client or market, read this interesting article which provides a practical approach on becoming comfortable in conversing about what you do, in a way that is meaningful to customers.
Be natural and approachable
The brands that do content marketing well are above all, authentic. They converse with their audience in a natural, comfortable manner. They don’t aim to shock their audience, they aren’t condescending in any way, nor do they make themselves sound hugely clever. They simply talk about what they do and try to help their audience. They may on occasion advertise a promotion – and their audience doesn’t mind this, because the bulk of their content is informative and somehow inspirational.
Always place yourself in the shoes of your customer. Think about what would genuinely appeal to you and how you would like to be communicated with.
If you aren’t authentic – consumers can be absolutely scathing as a result and that is the very last thing that you want for your brand. Just take a look at the Condescending Corporate Brand page on Facebook to see what people think of cheesy, unnatural marketing ploys.
Tell a story
We all know one – that friend or family member who seems to have everyone hanging on every word as they relay the details of some event; or the one who tells jokes that no matter how lame they are, are hugely amusing.
What makes these gifted people so engaging is that they are very often naturally great story tellers! They use language and physical inflection to hold the attention of their audience.
You can do the same with the written content you create – tell an interesting story! In fact work at telling it in such a way that your readers will feel compelled to share what you say.
So what is the best equation to use for creating genuinely engaging content?
Solid Knowledge + Natural Tone + Great Story = Content that people want to read and share!
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