Content
10 Do’s and Don’ts for Creating Powerful Content:
- DO your research…profile your ideal audience. Conduct a poll, do a focus group, use social media to find out how they tick. Learn about their issues, “pain points” and how your content can help solve a problem for them.
- DON’T be fooled by technology…content is more than pretty pictures. Its value is often overlooked by flashy design or the mechanics of a new application. Focus, instead, on creating content that’s meaningful and relevant to your audience.
- DO invest in quality…customers are smarter than you think. They want steak, not sizzle. Useful, well-written content will keep them coming back for more and deliver greater return on your investment.
- DON’T overlook your brand…a strong identity (i.e., name, logo, tagline, domain) can make or break success. Determine what’s unique about your business. Make copy and graphics work well together so they express a distinct tone, look and voice for your brand.
- DO stay consistent…establishing trust is key. Is seeing a 10% coupon posted on a website and receiving a 25% coupon in the mail from the same company confusing? You bet it is! So don’t send mixed messages. Be consistent and prospects will want to do business with you, online and offline.
- DON’T speak a foreign language…listen closely to your customers and how they speak. Get on the same page with them by “baking” familiar keywords, terms and phrases into your content.DO check performance…metrics and analytics can provide valuable feedback on how your content is working. Test different headlines and subheads. Respond to what your customers want. Don’t be afraid to toss out old content and start fresh. Embrace change!
- DO check performance…metrics and analytics can provide valuable feedback on how your content is working. Test different headlines and subheads. Respond to what your customers want. Don’t be afraid to toss out old content and start fresh. Embrace change!
- DON’T ignore details…proper grammar and tone are as important as substance. No matter how good your content may be, if it isn’t communicated well, you’ll lose readers before they get a chance to see it. So edit and proofread your content before publishing it.
- DO update frequently…search engines change their business practices often. So write, optimize and market new content on a regular basis. No one expects to read the same newspaper again and again!
- DON’T overestimate reviews…while testimonials and case studies can add credibility to your business, what users say about you may not. Read the latest Yelp findings. They may surprise you!
Lastly, DO remember: creating strategic, meaningful content is a worthy investment. It can make or break your business, engage your audience and keep them coming back for more. And since customer satisfaction drives traffic and sales, making everyone con·tent (including yourself) should be a top priority, right?
For more ideas on how to enhance your communications, contact WP. We’ll show you how to:
- – Assess existing content and how it is performing;
- – Brand and write original content;
- – Craft verbal and visual messaging strategies;
- – Create editorial and style guides;
- – Update, optimize and market content, online and off;
- – Integrate consumer and corporate content across all media channels.
And much more!
