Blogs. White papers. Ebooks. Infographics. Email campaigns. Social media posts. There are so many ways to reach new and existing customers. But your competitors are producing the same types of content with the same goals in mind. So how do you make sure your content stands out?
The trick is to spice it up. Boring headlines, dull copy, and generic subject lines won’t keep people reading. In fact, it won’t even get them to start reading.
But catching your audience’s attention isn’t easy. And it’s gotten even harder in our digital age of information overload. You only have a few seconds to get someone to take a chance on your content. Even after that, you risk losing them at any point if you don’t keep them engaged.
We understand this challenge and have taken it on as one of our missions at Version A to help our clients stand out from the competition. No matter what assignment we’re working on, we always look for ways to add a little flavor – even to technical topics like automation and communications technology.
How do we do it? Check out the top 4 ways we sprinkle some extra zest into our clients’ content.
4 Tips for Spicier Content Marketing
1. A little theme can go a long way.
I’d venture to say no one on the Version A team loves a good theme more than me. One of our clients once remarked they were always eager to see what analogy is used to bring the piece to life. From cooking to sailing, fitness, and anatomy, a theme can often be the thing that catches the eye of the reader.
The key is to strike the perfect balance. Too many quips and phrases quickly become overbearing and distract the audience from the information and education you’re trying to share. Too little and it can just fall flat. Finding that “just right” amount takes time, but it pays back in clicks, engagement, and even cover stories in major publications.
2. Make it real with scenarios.
Listing the benefits of your product or service is something you need to do in your content marketing copy, but real-world scenarios can help potential customers visualize themselves using it.
I’m not talking about case studies or customer stories (although those are certainly valuable). Instead, crafting simple example use cases of how your product can help your target market in small, everyday scenarios is a more colorful way to discuss the benefits. It shows them the advantages rather than just telling them.
3. Keep it casual.
Nothing can put readers to sleep like dry, stuffy content. Big words and long sentences make people think too much. A simple, conversational style is easy to read. It saves time for the reader and can serve as an educational break from their day rather than a chore.
Even simple formatting techniques like bulleted lists, bolded words, and short paragraphs let readers easily scan the copy and jump to sections that most interest them.
4. Ask questions for maximum engagement.
Questions are another great way to add a dash of flavor. Don’t you agree? (See what I did there?) Now, the questions shouldn’t be hard – remember, I said you don’t want to make them think. Simple questions can make the piece feel more personal – almost like you’re talking directly to them.
A few carefully placed questions increase engagement and can make the reader feel like they’re having a conversation with you.
I’m not a chef and I don’t play one on TV either. But I do believe I (and my Version A teammates) have some pretty good tricks up our sleeves to whip up attention-grabbing copy. The above list is just an appetizer. If you’d like to sample the entrée, we’d love to set up a time to chat.