Content Creation 101 lesson #1: Most content sucks.
Why does it suck? Because it doesn’t provide value to your audience.
Whether you’re writing a blog, email, web copy, or something on social media, you need to ask yourself if you’re following the three E’s of content creation. Is it…
- Educational
- Entertaining
- Engaging
Not every piece of content will be all three (e.g., the information you find on PubMed will be educational, not entertaining), but you’ll start seeing results if you consistently create with the three Es in mind.
Let’s cover some content creation 101 basics, then explore each E further:
Content Creation 101
Here are a few general rules when creating content:
Set Clear Objectives
Would you invest $10,000 in a stock because the name sounds pretty? Hopefully not. Before you even begin researching a company, its financial statements, and evaluating risks, you should understand your investment goals.
Content creation is no different.
What are your goals for creating content? Do you want to:
- Boost brand visibility by 50%
- Increase your organic traffic to your website by 80%
- Double your current number of monthly leads
Whatever your goal may be, make it a SMART one.
Don’t say, “I want to increase organic traffic to my website.”
Say, “I want to increase organic traffic to my website by 80% within the next six months by writing a weekly blog post and posting on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram three times a week.” That’s a SMART goal.
Also, start thinking about what you want to learn or do when engaging with your material. Knowing this ahead of time will drive the direction of your content.
Know Your Audience
How do you get your audience to view your content? Start by knowing who they are.
- How familiar are they with your product or service?
- What are their interests?
- What platforms do they use?
An audience interested in the latest in fashion will be different from those who follow the vast potential applications of gene editing. If your audience consists of CRISPR-loving fashionistas, then that, my friends, is what we call a niche. Now, find out where they are and what content they want to see.
Encourage Feedback
Get your audience to participate in your posts. These types of interactions:
- Help build brand trust
- Strengthen customer relationships
- Drive more engagement
The easiest, most straightforward way to encourage feedback is by asking for it. End your post with a call to action, whether it’s to click a button or answer a question.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s break down the three Es of Content Creation 101:
Educational Content
How do you get your audience to read and learn something? Make it enjoyable for them!
Here’s how:
- Know your audiences’ learning styles. What types of content does your audience engage with most? Do they enjoy graphs and charts? How-to videos? Informative blog posts? When you create content they enjoy absorbing, you’ll leave a lasting impression.
- Diversify your content. Customers typically need to see a message 7+ times before taking action. However, that doesn’t mean you should share the same content seven times. Communicate your information by sharing it in multiple formats. Use videos, infographics, charts, quizzes, etc.
- Provide relatable context. Don’t be bland. Use real-world examples, pop culture references, and demonstrations to let the knowledge sink in. It works for John Oliver, and it can work for you too!
Entertaining Content
Don’t bore your audience. Beguile them!
- Hook your audience. Grab their attention from the get-go. Use humor, suspense, curiosity, or emotion to draw them in and keep them engaged.
- Tell stories. We love stories, so tell us one! It can be a personal experience, an anecdote, or a work of fiction. Whatever it is, it better be interesting!
- Are you interested? If you’re writing something you find boring, your audience will find it boring, too. Even content that’s dry as hell has an interesting angle. If you’re writing about parking lots, hook your audience with an interesting fact like: Did you know that there are eight parking spots for every car in the US?
Engaging Content
Want your audience to engage with you? Make them want to!
- Be authentic. Being authentic and relatable helps you build trust with your audience. Don’t just tell them about a product; show them how it works. Share personal experiences and behind-the-scenes content. People love that stuff!
- Keep it short. As it turns out, Goldfish actually do have good memories — but we still don’t. Keep your posts short and sweet; by short, I mean cut the fluff. Your audience doesn’t have time for it!
- Stay current. Keep your content timely, fresh, and relevant. What’s going on in your CRISPR-loving fashionista niche? Talk about it!
Altogether Now!
When creating your content strategy, you must set clear objectives by making SMART goals. You also need to know your audience and how you want them to interact with the educational, entertaining, and engaging content you’re producing. If you’re ever unsure whether or not you’re hitting the marks, ask yourself these questions:
- Educational: Am I communicating what I want my readers to learn?
- Entertaining: Is this something that my audience will find interesting? Do I?
- Engaging: Will this content help build trust and encourage my audience to take action?
That’s it!
So… Is your content educational, entertaining, and engaging? Don’t have time to create it?
Then here’s another way to save time, increase visibility, and get your marketing done: let’s create content together!