I see many people wondering, how they can get their audience to be more interested, invested and engaged with their content? What captures the audience’s attention and makes them click, read, convert and share?
It is a legit concern. One that makes you think of the why’s and how’s.
Is it the target?
Is it the goal?
Is it the method?
Is it the content?
All of the above play an important role in delivering your message.
If you don’t know who your audience is, if you are not clear on your goals, if you have not defined your method, if your content is not presented in a manner and voice that is consistent with who you are as a brand, and if your audience can’t relate to and engage with your content – their attention and by consequence your message will be lost.
The purpose of this post is not to provide you with a list of technical ‘how to write content’ pointers. There are many good ones out there that provide all the guidance you might need.
What I want is to highlight some key factors you should consider before actually writing your content that play a key role in the effectiveness of your message.
Goals
You have decided to start setting the content framework.
Good!
The first question you should ask yourself is what is your goal? What do you want to achieve?
To answer that, you need to:
- Focus on what makes you and your brand unique.
- Focus on how you and your brand can offer value to your audience.
- Focus on how you and your brand can help your audience.
- Focus on the benefits.
If you do not offer real value to your audience then it is a guarantee that they will not be invested or interested, and will simply move on. The message will be lost and you will have wasted valuable time as well.
Understanding your goal is part of the foundation to building a relationship with your audience. A trust. Your audience needs to ‘connect’ with you and the best way to do that is if you connect with them.
How? By consistently and generously providing them with valuable and engaging content. That is what will attract them to your message.
Audience
The main thing is to first establish who your audience is.
As they say, you can’t be all things to all people.
So, ask yourself:
- Who do you want to reach?
- Who would benefit from what you and your brand have to offer?
- Where can I find them?
You need to know who your audience is, where your audience is at, what they are looking for, what they need and are interested in, and what you can offer.
Research who your audience is and where your audience is at
Metrics, one of my favorite words! Data is extremely important to asses reach, trends, topics, interests, locations, and many other factors. You can also determine who your targeted audience is, what communication platforms (social media channels, communities, etc.) they use and prefer, how they interact, what content they are most inclined to engage with. Data shows you the way!
Monitor digital conversations
You can monitor trending topics and conversations to understand audience interests, what is new in your industry and what people are saying about you and your brand. This can be done through various popular social listening tools such as Hootsuite, Mention, BuzzSumo, Brand24 and many other services offering you a plethora of features catering to your analytical needs.
This will help you ‘feel the pulse’ and focus on a targeted audience that you can approach, that can relate to you and your brand, that you can help, and that you can build a real and lasting connection with.
Voice
Once you have established the audience – it is time to find “the voice”.
No, not THAT voice! Come back!
Phew!
Ok, back to business… 🙂
I am referring to the voice that characterizes who you are as a brand and is consistent with your core values.
The voice that delivers your message to your audience in a relatable way.
The voice that makes it easy for your audience to identify your content in any channel.
The voice that sets you apart from others.
That voice.
It is through that voice that your audience will come to recognize and identify with you and your brand.
It is through that voice that your audience will feel connected to you and your brand.
It is through that voice that your audience will remain engaged & interested.
It is through that voice that you will build trust with your audience and seal the connection.
Method
Great! So you have the goal, the audience and the voice figured out… what now?
Now you need to put your thinking cap on and establish the best method to deliver your message. In other words, the type of content that works best for you.
Which type of content is most effective in delivering your message and is most relatable to and consumed by your audience?
Is it a blog post? Is it a whitepaper? Is it a presentation? Is it a video? Is it a podcast? Is it a LIVE stream on social media? Is it an Infographic? Is it an e-Book? Is it a case study?
OK, you get it…
The method you choose to deliver your content should be based on metrics. It is important to have data that can help you figure out, not only which platforms your audience is using, but which type of content is best when delivering your message to your audience. Choose a type of content that effectively speaks to your audience by presenting information in a reader friendly manner, displays interactive material, triggers your call-to-action, is engaging, and captures audience attention. The more ways you select to deliver your content, the broader the reach and the wider the range of possibilities!
Tip: Adapt your content to suit the requirements of each channel for optimized engagement and always stay up-to-date and try out the latest trends.
Interactive content is being adopted more and more as it offers a more unique and engaging way of delivering your message and making a lasting impression.
In a Sept. 2017 Forbes.com article, TJ McCue stated that “Internet Video Traffic will be over 80% of all consumer internet traffic in 4 yrs.”
As reported by Eleonora Israele in this Feb. 2017 Business.com article “In 2015, YouTube generated generated more than $9B in revenue. It sees more than 4 billion daily views and has more than 1 billion users worldwide.” Also, “Facebook […] saw eight billion video views a day from 500 million users.”
These are impressive numbers!
LIVE streaming is slowly walking the same walk. Different social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube allow users to stream real time broadcasts which has added to the experience as the interaction is immediate.
Whether videos, LIVE streaming, podcasts, etc., the human-centric element behind interactive content like this undeniably renders higher responsiveness by people.
Content, regardless of type, is your gateway to connecting to your audience which in turn will lead them to click, read, convert and share.
In conclusion, to capture your audience you need to know your goals, know who your audience is and where they are at.
You need to listen to your audience and find the best method to offer them valuable content that is helpful, relatable and engaging.
Most of all remember to be consistent and authentic with your audience – it will make a world of difference and a lasting impression!
Would love to hear your thoughts on this topic in the comment section!
Good vibes only and have a great day!
Natasha
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