Good content does two things: it ‘ENTERTAINS’ the audience and it ‘EDUCATES’ them. The mistake that many business owners make, is that they try to use their content solely to persuade and convert traffic when that is the very last thing that your content should do. In order to Convert traffic, you first need to publish good Content Consistently so that you can build Credibility.
So what are the best types of content to create? What content will boost your traffic and engagement?
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6 Ways in Which to Engage Your Audience to Listen and View Your Content
The Best-Peforming Types of Content
1. Listicles
Lists work, so if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. We all love lists, whether we realise it or not, and it’s because they are a logical way to condense down lots of information into succinct points that are easy to remember.
For your listicle articles, top 10 are always good performers (since ‘top 10’ represents ‘the best of’), but lists of dozens (e.g 50) do very well too. Just make sure your lists always address a specific need for your audience and use clear headings to help skim readers get the information they want.
2. How-to Guides
People seek how-to guides when they want to dig deep into a certain problem. This means that the best-performing how-to guides are the ones that are long and detailed (ideally 1,600 words). The more in-depth you go, the more value the reader will get, and the more likely it will get read and shared.
When writing how-to guides, always make sure that you are solving a problem or fulfilling a need for your target audience. Remember to also break up large chunks of text with headings and images.
3. Infographics
The majority of us are visual learners and a lot of studies have shown that we tend to remember visual information better. That’s probably why infographics tend to get read and shared a lot, as they are easy to digest and you can understand them quickly.
If you have data from research or polls that you’ve done or statistics that you want to share, infographics can be a great way to share this content. They are 3x more likely to get shared than other content too!
4. Case Studies
Now, case studies are where you start to use your content to persuade and convert your audience. Why? Because it’s your chance to highlight how your clients have succeeded through using your products/services, and how others can do the same.
When creating case studies, always make it about the clients (not you and your firm). If you can tell a story with your case study – taking your readers through the highs and lows and the dragons that the protagonist (your client) slayed to get to their success today – you’ll find that your audience will resonate and interact with them a lot more. For every case study, set up the scene, introduce the problem or challenge, and then end with the resolution.
5. Personal Stories
The more personal you can be on social media, the better. Far more people will resonate with real emotions and situations, so if you want to boost your engagement, think personal. Do you have any experiences that have taught you something or changed you as a person? What is the story behind you starting your own business? Do you have an opinion on an interesting topic that goes against the grain?
If you can share inspiration and personal stories, this vulnerability will help you connect a lot more with your audience.
6. Resources and Tools
Again, this type of content comes under the persuade and convert umbrella. If you can create resources and tools that deliver value to your audience, then you can offer them to your audience for free (well, for their email address in exchange).
We are talking long lists that they can work through later, checklists, PDFs, workbooks etc. Whatever your audience will find valuable, create it and let them decide what resources they want based on their preferences. This will give you great insight into what your audience wants the most too.
