Tips for writing good content

As marketers, we know that content is king in today's digital marketing world. Another familiar buzz word is engagement. All marketers want to create engaging content. Engagement means that we want to communicate with our readers. We want them to be interested in what they read, we want them to identify with our content and we want our content to compel the readers into an engaging action. We want their reaction and feedback to what we write. Here are a few tips on how to achieve that goal:

1 - Put yourself in the readers shoes
If we want our readers to be interested in what they read, then we need to think what will interest them. If we want readers to identify with our content, then we need to put ourselves in their place and try to understand what drives them. What will make or break them? What problems do they have and what solution and assistant we can offer them through the content we provide? what do they need to know in order to be compelled into engagement with our content?  Who is the target audience and what do they want and need? We want feedback from our readers, we should be able to check ourselves and give our own feedback, to make the content even better.

2 - KISS - Keep it short and simple
In the era of the world wide web, people have a very short attention span. Patience is almost non existent. this means we need to keep our messages and our content short and simple. Over elaboration will cause a loss of interest in our readers. Lack of focus will cause confusion. Before you set about to write your content make sure you have defined your target. What do you want the readers to learn from your content? What is the main message? What activity should the reader undertake after reading your content? How can you achieve these goals? If you know the answers, you will be able to write focused and simple content that is engaging and is thus efficient for your business.

3 -"If you have to shoot, then shoot. Don't talk" - Start your content with a big bang!
The short attention span of readers today has already been mentioned. The first paragraph is paramount to peaking the readers interest, so put all the big guns right at the beginning. Focus your first few sentences on the needs of the reader and push all the buttons you think will make readers react to your content the way you want them to. readers need to understand what is wanted of them right att he start. If they wish to comply, they will stay to read the rest. then at the end you remind them of the action you want to take and provide closure to your content that way.

4 - Do not over sell
Yes, we are all marketers. Yes, our readers know this. still if we over do it with selling and marketing jargon, readers will be put off. To many exclamation marks and bold or colored font will also annoy our readers rather then serve the emphasis purpose. Readers what to know that they are getting value for their time. Our content needs to provide them with that value. the WIN WIN situation occurs when both the reader and the writer get value from the content and the engagement it has spurred.

5 - Be professional and organized
Write using correct language and grammar. check your spelling. Organize the content into understandable paragraphs and headings for easy reading. Make the reader feel that this content was written by a professional. Good professional content created a reputation that is transferred also to the product you are marketing. Making a good impression is always conductive to good marketing content.

Remember that you need to provide great text, but images can also help enhance your content. There are many ways to present content today, like info-graphs and videos. But even so, the basis of all content formats is a well thought message and a great script. So the above tips are always relevant. I hope you will find them helpful.

The Rules of Engagement in the Era of Social Media

The presence of the Internet in the lives of every individual has forced marketing specialists and commercial companies to change their tactics. The world of Marketing has completely changed in the last 10 years, with online marketing and web promotion becoming increasingly more meaningful and more varied. This process is ever continuing with social networks (such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter etc.) and applications (Whatsup) taking center stage. Everyone is online all the time. They can search for a product or service 24/7 and time in which they cannot find you on the web is simply a lost marketing opportunity.

B2B2C

While it would seem obvious that any company selling consumer goods (from apparel, via cigarettes to food stores), with a business model targeting you and me as customers (known as the B2C model – businesses that sell to consumers) would need a web presence and preferably also a social network presence, many managers in companies that sell to a corporate client do not find that a successful online marketing campaign and a good web presence is mandatory. Many managers in the B2B market (businesses that sell directly to businesses) still ask their marketing staff, why they feel that a Facebook profile is required. I would argue that in this day and age, every company needs to be present in the social media. It’s all about engagement.

Engagement

What does engagement mean? It means that a company selling a product or service should aim to connect with as many people as it can in its buying chain. The B2B2C model is being recognized as a true selling chain for many companies. This means that although a company has a corporate client and sells its products and services to businesses, the end user of the equipment can influence the purchasing decision of the business client.

A good example is equipment such as Laser hair removal machines. The laser hair removal device will be directly purchased by cosmetic networks or clinics that will provide hair removal services to the end user. A good marketing plan would engage both the end user and the cosmetic clinics. A good brand must filter to the knowledge of the general public. Clinics will purchase equipment if they know that this can score them extra points with their potential client, that’s the end user.

The automobile industry is also an interesting example. Cars are driven by everyone, but they are not sold directly to people from the production line. The big car companies have agencies that sell their product to the public. Big car companies also have large clients that purchase many cars at once, such as leasing companies or large corporate firms.  The buying chain is complicated but the brand has to filter to everyone and competition is ferocious. This is why adverts for cards can be seen in any local newspaper. Automotive manufacturers work on their brand from as many directions as possible. From Formula 1 to a personalized paint offer for your car. Automotive exhibitions and events dealing with future technologies are also popular with the public. BMW scored high in a Facebook campaign inviting people to graffiti its cars

The internet is an endless space in which your company can expose its products and services.

ROI

The cost (especially when compared to off line options) is relatively low. So the first rule of engagement is to use this opportunity and enlarge a web presence as much as possible, targeting different groups in the buying chain. Even classic B2B companies should target the end user or their product or service. A company page on Facebook with information for the public that relates to their field of activity is a great way to develop such brand awareness with relatively low means. Blogs and forums can also be opened to discuss related topics in which the company and its product could shine. All industrial magazines now have a web version. There are professional portals and index websites for almost any industry in which one can publish expert articles.

Content is King

The options are endless and content is the key! If you are doing something, just write about it. Talk about it everywhere and try to create a buzz by calling people to join in the action. If you are going to be present in an event, then tell everyone who is someone in your industry that you will be there. Put it on your website, on social media (targeted campaign to groups on Facebook and LinkedIn) in an email (newsletter) in a PR pickup website and in your blog. Call people in to enjoy benefits of visiting you. Lure them with a special app, get them to download content via their smart phones with a QR code, invite them to join a lottery for a prize that will be drawn at the event. Invite them to play with a digital gimmick that is connected to your product.

Write about your preparations before the event, your experiences during it and your conclusions after it. Invite those who visited you to comment. Provide special materials for those who visited. Keep them busy with your product. The more people you can connect to and engage in some sort of conversation on the web, the more you will eventually sell. The “lead to a deal” process may be a long one, but the equation remains the same. More exposure means more sales in the end. The Internet and social media make possible to increase exposure, so do not miss out on this opportunity to expose and engage.