Creating engaging content is not difficult!
Many small business owners fully understand the benefits of content marketing. It is the creation of content proper that gives them headaches. But it is not necessary. Creating engaging content that your readers are looking forward to is easier than you think.
I always tell people how any effective digital marketing campaign is like having a conversation with your client or potential client.
Here are some basic ideas for starting and continuing the conversation. In my experience, creating engaging content is the natural part. Most business owners find it difficult to maintain the conversation after that.
All you need to start a conversation and maintain it is a friendly, preferably unique and fun way to introduce yourself and continue to chain enough words to form a consistent phrase and a conversation. In other words, when you get to the party, you have to interact and communicate.
If you just stay there without saying a word, of course, you will be ignored!
So you think you cannot create shared content?
The funny thing is that I know many clients who tell me that they cannot create content. What would they usually say? They are just a small business. But when we meet them in person, they are funny, witty, informative, tell their knowledge and expertise with passion, and are difficult to stop once they get started!
In other words, they already have all the basics for creating engaging content. All I need to add is some very essential tips for starting and maintaining a digital conversation. And believe me, once you start creating attractive content, you will realize how fun it can be.
10 tips for creating engaging content
Be yourself!
Being yourself should be obvious, but many business owners believe that they must adopt another character to be effective in digital marketing. Believe me; if you are Azalea Ace from Atlanta, you don’t want to pass for the guy from Home Depot. The first rule for creating engaging content is to always be yourself!
Your content and ideas must be original if you want your audience to interact with your content and share. This commitment will not happen if you try to be someone else, use their voice tone or copy their messages.
Be informative!
Another way to create engaging content is to always be informative, or at least to have an educational component on each publication or page and on your social media channels. Yes, you can make a photo of your office cat or corporate picnic go viral, but there is no real and lasting value.
Instead, you want to create content that will be shared and create new links to your site. If your audience can learn to avoid an obstacle or achieve personal gain, they are more likely to share your content with others who have the same needs.
Be entertaining!
Remember at school, this teacher who kept buzzing and buzzing and buzzing … Yawning, where was I? Oh yes, the last thing you want to do with your content is to let it buzz over and over. Informative and buzzing sounds like a manual and no one I know reads them for fun!
If you want your audience to continue reading your content long enough to consider sharing it, you’d better include something along a lighter line. Humor can work very well, as long as it is tasteful.
Be practical!
Creating engaging content that has little practical value for your end-users will not work either. Practicality is an important factor in the content that is shared, as most people prefer to share useful information with their relationships, friends, and circles.
If you create engaging content at the advanced level, but your audience only understands the basics, your content has no practical value for them. Instead, take your information and present it to make it useful and applicable to your audience.
Be visual!
As humans, we are very visually oriented. We drew images of the first hunting scenes long before writing about them. And while writing is essential to the success of any content marketing campaign, it should not be the only aspect of your engaging content creation strategy. The inclusion of visual elements in your content not only helps to visually break it down for your end-users but can also transmit complex information that is much more natural than a string of words.
Remember what I mentioned about buzzing there are a few lines. Instead, consider converting more complex data into infographics, providing training manuals in the form of slides, and sharing basic information about your business and your clients’ testimonies in video form.
Be interactive!
The idea of having only one static website is so 2010! We are in 2023 and your end users are waiting for at least some interactivity with your content. Yes, I know. Adding interactivity to existing or traditional content can be difficult, if not impossible. But don’t worry, there are simple ways to include the necessary interaction with your visitors in your content.
On your blog, you just need a comment form for others to contribute or comment on your content. On social networks, ask your subscribers what they think, organize a competition or publish a survey. The more interactive your content, the more likely it is to be shared. All your readers want is a chance to interact with your brand, leave comments and see how you react.
Be punctual!
Creating engaging content is like the perfect return to a joke or having milk in your refrigerator. You miss the timing, and it’s no longer useful, and after a while, your content will stink. Part of the engaging content creation must be timely. In the digital age, trends come and go very quickly. If you want your content to be shared, you’d better knock while the iron is hot.
For example, if you relate to a current event or a recent article, you should do so in a few days. After that, it’s pretty much a matter of who cares. Even the most engaging content has a defined lifespan before becoming obsolete.
Create engaging content yourself
Now that you have my advice on creating attractive content, you can take the next steps. If you have already started one or more conversations, you now have some additional ideas to continue them. If you just start your content marketing, you will need to start a few conversations.
How do you see yourself? What sets you apart from your competitors? Start there. Remember to be yourself. If you are already nervous, trying to be someone else will only make things worse. I already talked about it. Imagine that you are at a party or a networking event. You want to meet this group there. Go up and introduce yourself.
How to start the conversation
If you don’t know how to start a conversation, I’ll even give you some ideas. The world is in crisis. The coronavirus pandemic has affected businesses and individuals around the world. By creating a digital strategy for the coronavirus pandemic, you can become a resource of trust for your friends and neighbors.
Take a look at your brand, product, or service. Now take a look around and see what kind of need you can fill or what benefits you can provide. If you have a way to stay safe and healthy, work more efficiently at home or entertain children, don’t you think people would like to know, read and share this? And imagine the shareable content you can create for your e-commerce site!
I always recommend starting with the fruit at hand. Maybe you just need to get started with creating attractive content. Choose a subject from among the above and try it. You don’t know which topic is most effective right now? Check the trends on Twitter. Not sure at first? Try a simple blog or publication on social media to start with. See what’s going on.
Join the conversation
Coming back to this conversation I mentioned at the beginning of this article, imagine that you are at a barbecue and a party by the pool. Burgers and kids on the grill, kids screaming in the water, and groups of people talking about summer things, like baseball, camping, and not finding a child to mow your lawn.
You could join one of these conversations, right? If not, how about starting one with that group of people there? Creating engaging content works exactly like that. Say something. Hear what others are saying. Comment on that. This is how conversations start.
Of course, if the creation of engaging content far exceeds your level of comfort, or if you just don’t have time, you will need outside help. Now that you have tips for creating engaging content, you only need someone to write it. A guest blogger, editor, or social media strategist may be the best solution to help you create attractive content. It is perfectly normal to start slowly as long as you are consistent.
How does engaging content creation work for you?
Have you started to create engaging content? How is it working for you? What types of obstacles do you encounter and how will you overcome them? Do you have anything to add to our advice to create engaging content? Please leave your comments below so that our audience can also benefit.
