When we talk about Online Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, and Content Creation, we are really talking about one thing and it all links together under one all encompassing buzz word, and that is Engagement. What we mean is that everything you’ve been reading on our blog, all of the advice and tips we’ve given you serve one purpose and that is to keep your clients and customers tied to you through the positive experience that comes from excellent social engagement. Social engagement is the sum of all of its parts: Search Engine Optimization, Online Marketing, Content Creation, and Social Media Marketing, they all work together to create the holy grail of marketing – engagement! There are countless blogs (including our own) about SEO, Online Marketing, and Social Media Marketing, but what about Content Creation? In terms of social engagement, finding content creation advice, or tips on creating content that is compelling, can be a daunting task. Giving advice on creating content is just as difficult as finding it. Every company or online marketer has a different goal or end game in mind and operates within a variety of different markets. What works for one company in terms of content creation may not be a marketing strategy that lends itself to another company operating with a different set of goals in a completely different market. So, what is there to say about creating compelling content? Well, here’s what we’ve got for you: Be Clear and Be Understood. When it comes to content creation, you want to leave as little wiggle room as possible. While making a subtle veiled reference to something may seem like a good idea, consider the fact that each person will digest your content differently. The less clear and specific your message, the more it will be misinterpreted. A misinterpreted message can serve to hurt your reputation with your audience. If you want to get your message across, make sure you plainly state your message. Be Fit For Human Consumption Make sure your content is something your audience can digest. Not only does that mean you need to avoid Black Hat SEO tricks, like key word stuffing, you also need to make sure you’re creating content for your specific demographic. A good example of this would be the brand, Nike who have multiple advertisements aimed at endurance and the challenges of getting motivated to be fit. To beef out their marketing campaign, Nike has several online videos which are longer than a standard television commercial and show the athleticism in every day life. These videos are aimed at Nike’s target audience and fit for their unique consumption. Be Relevant
Your message needs to have something to do with the industry you are in and your content needs to be created accordingly. If you are an attorney, for example, filling your website with Boston Celtics updates and player statistics would not be appropriately engaging content for your market. What you say needs to be connected in some way to what you do in order that your audience will stay focused on you. While a website full of Boston Celtics info might get a lot of traffic from Celtics fans, an attorney is looking for clients for legal matters, not people who are going to stop by to see what the score was when the Celtics hosted the Miami Heat last night. Be Credible It’s important that you know what you’re talking about and that your knowledge comes across in your content. A certain amount of engagement is created through trust, and that trust comes from believability as a credible source within your field. Use your content to wow people and show them your expertise. If you’re a manufacturer of toys for small pets, demonstrate your knowledge of the needs of a small pet via an informative video, or an in-depth blog about why a hamster’s legs won’t get caught in the specialized hamster running wheel your brand manufactures. Avoid skimming over topics or assuming your audience has any background knowledge of hamsters. The more you show you know, the more your audience will know you know. Be Interesting While you’re creating clear, consumable, relevant and credible content, make sure you’re being interesting. Try presenting your content in different ways through different mediums. Try adding a sense of humour a little sarcasm or your brands own particular cliches. Consider the massively successful Canadian yoga apparel company, Lululemon Athletica. Their audience is a very specific sect of the population, and they market to them in a very unique way and even poke a little fun at the cliches associated with Lululemon’s cult like followers (1) While there is no sure fire way to make content compelling, no cross-market secret to content creation, there are elements that are the same regardless of what market your business operates in. Regardless of the medium, make sure your content is clear, consumable, relevant, credible, and interesting and it will be the sort of compelling content that is the bread and butter of social engagement.
