How to Create Engaging Content

Let’s face it — a lot of businesses are in industries that just aren’t very exciting or glamorous. And that can make content marketing all the more difficult. What do you write about to get customers excited to come do business with you?

For example, it is probably much easier to get customers excited to buy new gear for rock climbing than to come in for their biannual dental exam, but both types of businesses can benefit from content marketing. Even if your business is seen by some as boring, that doesn’t mean your content marketing has to be.

Here’s the key: If you think of content marketing itself as boring, or if your marketing team views your business and product or service as boring, you will have boring, ineffective content.

Many businesses end up following in the footsteps of their competitors when it comes to marketing and branding and don’t think outside the type of content others within their industry are publishing. But you don’t necessarily have to publish exciting content to stand out — there are many methods to create engaging content that appeals to your audience and prospects in other ways.

1. Set a Vision for Content Marketing Outcomes

Not only can a strong content strategy increase your website traffic, but it can help you increase your revenue and grow your business to achieve your greater goals on a professional and personal level. Think of it as a vehicle that can take you where you need to go — you just have to put the right type of fuel (and maintenance) in for it to run.

Through strong content marketing, you can also build better brand recognition, develop authority within your field, build relationships, and open new business opportunities. So what do you want to accomplish in your business? Content marketing can help you get there!

2. Get Your Marketing Team on Board With Your Vision

Even if the product or service you sell isn’t something that people get excited to spend money on, it’s still something that’s worthwhile — that’s why people pay you for it. If you or your marketing team views what you’re selling as boring, that will come across through your content.

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Stop and think deeply about what it is you provide. Dive into your company’s purpose. Why do you do what you do? How do you help the people you work with? Are you serving an important need within your community or helping individuals improve their lives, even in some small ways? Your product or service helps your customer base solve a problem, and that’s worthwhile.

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3. Keep Audience First

One of the biggest mistakes I see businesses make with their digital content strategy is to write to appeal to Google’s algorithm rather than writing for people. Always put your audience first, and you can create much more engaging content.

First, identify your core audience — the people who make up your ideal customer base. For example, if you’re a lawyer, then you need to tailor your marketing strategy to meet the needs and preferences of your future clients. You should know what their major concerns are and how you solve the problem they have.

Next, appeal to that audience at every step of the journey toward doing business with you.

• Discovery – This is the point at which the customer begins gathering information in order to address the problem they have. Content that appeals to people at this step is information-heavy and should specifically address that problem in detail. They’re not ready to buy yet, and that’s okay, but you can try to capture their contact information.

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• Food – In this phase, the customer is aware that your business exists and is considering taking action but isn’t ready yet. Additional forms of marketing, such as direct emails, can be especially useful to move this person past whatever is keeping them from making a decision.

• Purchase – People at this step are ready to buy, so it’s up to you to make it easy to contact you and follow through on the purchase with excellent customer service.

• Retention – The client or customer has already made a purchase, so it’s time to follow up and check in every so often to ensure they’re happy and will want to repeat business or refer others to you.

You should create engaging content directed at people in every step of the journey, and by targeting it in this way, you can avoid boring your customers with content that isn’t relevant to them.

4. Create Quality Content

To avoid writing boring content, make sure that all of your marketing content checks the following boxes:

• Useful – Useful content answers people’s questions and guides them on how to solve their problems. But it doesn’t have to be just information. People also need content that encourages them, shares expert opinions, teaches them skills and resonates with them. Understand your audience and keep the four steps in mind to make your content as useful as possible.

• Timely – Keep your content up to date and publish content that’s relevant to what’s going on within your industry or local community. Change, whether positive or negative, is rarely boring!

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• Engaging – As a digital marketing expert, I can tell you that the best content isn’t about what’s being sold or the type of business behind it — it’s about its authenticity. People can tell when you’re not being authentic or when your heart isn’t in it. Let your personality shine through. Bring your sense of humor into your content marketing. Be approachable. You can do these things while keeping your content relevant and getting to the point without making unnecessary or obvious points.

Ultimately, it’s the human element that takes content from boring to engaging. In a world where things seem increasingly automated, people crave human connection; if you can connect with them using your business’s purpose to solve their problem and do it with a personal touch, you can create engaging content while building your business.