Content Is King
Websites and online stores that provide helpful tips and how-to guides can become magnets for current and potential customers.
One of the main reasons people visit a website is to inform themselves. At a minimum, they want to learn what a particular company does, what they can expect if they buy from them, and how to contact them.
However, communicating these three topics concisely and brand-consistently can already be challenging because a business needs to know its target market and its so-called X-Factor (competitive advantages).
Merely meeting the basic requirements of a website, even with the help of a web designer, copywriter, photographer, and SEO expert, is not enough to keep visitors coming back because it will offer them nothing new to learn.
A static site, no matter how beautiful, can quickly lose its appeal.
On the other hand, websites that regularly feature new content are usually more successful. This is because visitors are more likely to engage with them, knowing they will always find something new and helpful.
High-Quality Content Engages Visitors and Builds Loyalty
Creating content that visitors find valuable can be time-consuming if you do it yourself and expensive if you rely on outside help.
However, the benefits can be significant.
Websites and online stores that provide helpful tips and how-to guides can become magnets for current and potential customers. This sets these businesses apart from their competition as they offer more than just products or services. And while those visitors browse these websites, they are more likely to place an order, increasing sales and customer loyalty.
Consolidate Your Content
An easy way to add content to your website is to display links to the content you have already created for other sites such as Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.
Despite the different platforms, every post, pin, or video has a URL you can link. You can attach that URL to a picture on your site. When visitors click that image, the link behind it redirects them to the post, pin, or video.
Reuse Your Content
There is a common misconception that content has always to be completely new. That's not entirely true. Content has to be fresh, not new, especially when it comes to social media.
Rather than designing each post from scratch, you can make small adjustments to make it look fresh.
For example, you can change the crop of an image, vary the hue, saturation, or brightness, flip the photo, turn it into black and white, blur parts of the picture, or change the typeface of your post. These minor changes will give your post a fresh look.
How Pros Reuse Content: Don't use your valuable content only once. Instead, reuse your images and illustrations across multiple platforms and campaigns by slightly changing their look and varying the typefaces.
Make Your Content Scannable
When creating content, remember that your audience is very busy and may not have the time to read through all the emails they receive.
Instead, they quickly scan the content, looking only at the images and skimming the headlines. If something interests them, they might take the time to read the entire email.
To improve your text's scannability, divide it into logical sections. Add a concise headline to each section and make keywords bold.
This will help your audience identify the information that is most relevant to them.
How to Write Copy for the Web: Make it easier for visitors to scan your webpage. These 5 principles increase your chances that visitors will find your content engaging and decide to read the full text.
Focus on Quality, Not Quantity
While the quality of your content is more important than the amount you produce, you have to create enough content consistently for customers to engage. And if they do, it's very motivating and exciting.
However, creating high-quality content can block off several hours daily in your calendar, adding much pressure, especially if you post frequently.
So, it's crucial to find a balance between creating videos, posts, pins, and newsletters, running your company, and spending time with your friends and family.
Content may be king, but it has to be good to be effective.
How to Find Your Business’s X-Factor: Your business's X-Factor can help you gain a durable competitive advantage, leading to faster growth and higher profits.
