In our last Marketing Strategies blog post we reviewed a great social media marketing book, Pinterest Power, and broke down some of the most helpful concepts of the book. Many of the tips outlined were universal but some were central to the power of Pinterest and its unique compounding effect. However, one concept that we can’t emphasize enough is how important it is to create killer content. For this post, we’ll unpack just what ‘killer content’ means and offer simple rules on how you can create some of your own content to die for!
What is Killer Content?
Killer content comes in all shapes, sizes, and media. On your website, it can be a clear, concise description of your business on your homepage. On Pinterest, it can be an incredible image or inspirational photo. On your blog, it can be an authentic, information rich blog post that educates your customers. And on your press page, it could be a YouTube or Vimeo video that your company is featured in. At its core, killer content is anything you create that’s well executed, relevant and engages your visitors. If that killer content is also search engine optimized then your business is way ahead of the pack!
How do I Create Killer Content?
With quality content, a blend of art and expertise is often the key. While we won’t touch on all the ways to create killer content we will touch one that provides an immediate impact; writing! Adding a great writer to your staff is often step one, and it provides big returns right away. A writer that has a strong command of the English language and can articulate ideas creatively through words is quite powerful. To be able to write interesting copy while captivating readers is a rare treasure. While this can be costly, there is no substitute for having such a resource at your fingertips. Below are four simple rules to keep in mind when creating killer content:
- Know your audience.
- Keep their attention.
- Keep it simple
- Don’t scare them away!
Know your audience
Talk about marketing strategies 101; we’ve talked about this many times before, but understanding your target audience is the key in generating relevant content. Enticing your audience on your website and through social media through engaging content is how you can capture more eyeballs for a longer period of time. Your target audience is at the core of your brand identity, and everything you create should be done so with your audience in mind – no exceptions.
Keep Their Attention
Keep it short and simple – don’t kill your audience with too much information or pages and pages of text – spoiler alert most will not take the time to read any of it. Providing clear, easy-to-understand information should be standard practice at this point. In the same way, don’t create a website that says nothing or has too little text. Rewarding your audience with useful information will also be rewarding to you – you’ll cultivate and avoid having to explain things over the phone if the information is clear and readily available on your website. To keep their attention you will need to create content that’s relevant to your target audience – after all, they are your customers, your future customers and possibly your brand advocates.
Keep it Simple
Try not to make your audience think – clever or cryptic wording that requires deciphering is not the way to go. Using big technical terms when unnecessary does not come off as expertise. On the other hand, if your audience is in fact industry specialists, then don’t dumb it down either. Just really consider your audience and their needs before attempting to come up with the right text. There should never be a need to over complicate any aspect of a business.
A Word About Keywords
When Google launched its Hummingbird algorithm last August, word spread quickly through the Internet that keywords and SEO were a thing of the past – creating quite a stir for marketing departments nationwide. But despite all the hoopla, keywords and SEO are alive and well. Just check out Google’s recent financial statements for all the evidence you can digest. And keywords are still a powerful component of the engine that drives qualified leads your way through search engine searches. “If you focus on writing clear, concise and compelling copy, you will naturally write keyword-dense copy,” says Copyblogger Media’s Chief Copywriter Demian Farnworth. “You’ll naturally write for the search engines.” While keyword-rich content is not what it used to be, it’s not yet something you want to start ignoring.
Conclusion
The pursuit of killer content requires some time, a deep understanding of your target audience and a blend of art and technique. It should be ongoing, relevant and frequent, as search engines love fresh new content created often. This also does wonders for your SEO. So take it as a necessary part of providing value and remaining relevant. Incorporating these simple rules into your marketing strategies will get you closer to establishing a meaningful and engaging relationship with your customers.