Digital content is a massive industry that grows every year. But because of the sheer volume of content being published every day, standing out from the crowd, at least without going viral, is difficult. 

To get any attention, you must create content that matches the needs, desires, and interests of your target audience. Simple, right?

In truth, it's actually pretty difficult, and many business owners don't realize they shouldn't begin their online marketing campaigns without a well-researched strategy in place. Instead, they jump right into creating content before ever even considering the audience they want to reach or how that audience prefers to engage with content. 

Yet creating a strategy is just your first step. In addition to a strategy, you need to continually monitor the results of your campaign throughout the process so you can course-correct if necessary. 

Increasing your content output — sometimes playfully referred to as a “content blitz” — works to a degree, but quantity over quality is a game of short-term gains. Since no individual piece stands out, the content has a short lifespan and is quickly forgotten. 

So the question you're probably asking is: How do you create content that’s optimized for conversion?

Here's what you need to know.

Leverage What Works 

So you can find a handful of "peers" whose content you'll monitor. Not only does this help to direct your first efforts but it also helps with establishing your KPIs and campaign goals. In short, let the numbers be your guide!

If you’re coming onto an established marketing team, then there should already be a deep history of data to help with establishing the parameters of your campaign. As you would with a competitor, look for holes in the content, opportunities to create something new that builds from what's already there. 

In addition to blogs, there are other types of content you can use, including:  

• Case studies
• FAQs
• Infographics
• Infographics
• Magazine and e-zine covers
• Periodicals
• Presentations
• Videos

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of content to figure out what works for you or your clients. 

Optimized Content

Approach the design of your online copy as if for a landing page, by which we mean: Paragraphs should be brief so you're not assaulting the reader with huge blocks of text. By the same token, your sentences should be short and punchy rather than overstuffed. The content needs to be specific and to-the-point; no burying the lede in hope of building anticipation as this can become frustrating.

There’s a time and place for artistry, but marketing content is about efficiency. With most internet users skimming about one-fifth of a given webpage on average, more and more viewers are using section titles and sub-headers so they can skip straight to the relevant sections instead of reading the entirety from start to finish.

Use Specific Points

In verbal conversation, many of us use generalities like “the best" that are subjective. But when considering whether or not to buy something, most consumers want facts, data, and real-world experience.

This means highlighting the sorts of benefits that really hit home for the consumer. This creates opportunities to promote real-world benefits by showing the real-life data (e.g. showing how a product you've created for SMBs can reduce warehousing costs by such-and-such percent).

Bonus points for breaking down how your product addressed specific challenges your clients were facing. 

Compelling Headlines 

A good headline draws your reader in while a bad one puts the viewer off, even when the actual content is masterfully written. In fact, 73 percent of buying decisions are made when the customer sees the headline, long before they read any of the content. (And 80 percent of people read only the headline.) 

So without a headline, a piece of content might as well not exist. 

The best headlines contain power words like "stronger," "easier," or "smarter." In theory, power words seem like filler and yet the data indicates that they draw people in.

Consider our own headline, “How to Create Strong Content that Converts.” It’s simple and punchy, making a very clear promise, so you know exactly what you’re going to get. 

Numbers in the headline, especially odd numbers, have also proven to drive more traffic to your site. Similar to power words, it seems the specificity of the datapoints drives engagement.  

Conversational Writing 

Marketing content is not meant to hold up to academic scrutiny. To be clear, we’re not saying you shouldn’t worry about accuracy or factual correctness. Rather, most consumers don’t want to put a lot of effort into reading your content. Your content is a means to an end; thus, most readers want to spend as little time consuming your content as possible.

For marketers, this means that while you still should maintain basic competence, a more conversational and honest approach makes for easier reading. (But there’s the benefit of it also being easier to write.) 

Call to Action

What is it that you want the reader to do after they’ve finished reading your content?

Every piece of content has a purpose, whether it’s meant to educate or entertain. Your call-to-action gives readers clear guidance on where to go next, which may or may not be to make a sale. For instance, a plug for another article provides a quick, no-obligation way to keep them on the site and continue traffic. 

While often found at the end, calls to action can exist anywhere in an article. Experiment with your CTAs to find what works best for you. 

User Experience 

It doesn’t matter how great your content is if the user experience on your website is poor. For example, poor load times or too many pages (perhaps in the hope of maximizing ad revenue) simply inflate your website's bounce rate. 

Today’s internet users have high expectations when it comes to user experience and web content. But when you can meet those expectations, they’re more likely to stay engaged or even return. 

Cadence 

Website algorithms, search engine optimization, and readers all prefer one thing: a regular posting schedule.

You might schedule posts for a specific time of day, every day, so readers know what to expect and when to expect it. It could also post once a week, every week, on a chosen day of the week.  

Writers can even include that schedule in the CTA—like when podcast and radio show hosts encourage listeners to tune in next week. 

Promote 

When was the last time you searched for a blog? Odds are you can’t remember, and that’s because the way we engage with the internet has changed.  

Instead of going to Google and running a query for “marketing blog,” you probably came across a post on social media that piqued your interest. In truth, numerous platforms have been designed specifically for this type of sharing and discovery, including a few you may be familiar with like Reddit and Facebook.

And there's something to be said for engaging with readers where they live; if you tweak your headlines for each channel, you can better target the individual audiences you have built on each of those platforms. 

Find Your Path to Growth with Alan+Co

Content marketing is a big field that's growing fast. As a boutique marketing agency focused on creating high-converting content, Alan+Co is ready to help your business stand out from the crowd. 

Call our toll-free number to find out what we can do for you.