Five Simple Tips for Creating Engaging Content

By Claire Winter

If only producing content was as simple as putting words on a page …

Unfortunately, getting the words written is just the start of the content creation journey. It may seem as easy as sharing information with an intended audience, but if there is no engagement present, how will you drive results? Broadcasting to an audience is only part of the process, you need to engage and connect with them to start those all-in important sales conversations. To encourage higher traffic, click-throughs, sales and follows, try these five key tips for engagement:

Create Actionable Content

Know the purpose of your content, and make sure the consumer knows it too! Produce content that has an underlying mission in play - to sell your product or service - and make sure it’s obvious. It’s easy to relay reams of information with no direction. Instead, define the key points and include direct call-to-actions to relevant pages. Always thinking about what you want your reader, viewer or listener to do next.

Use Storytelling to Your Advantage

We all love a good story, and many marketing campaigns utilise the storytelling framework, even if we may not consciously realise it as consumers. Not only are stories more relatable, but they give context to a business and their product or service. If we can elicit a relevant emotional response through our content, the recipient is more likely to take the desired action. Most people buy with their emotions and not their logic!

Consider Visual Content

It’s all very well focusing on written content, but a lot of internet users are visual learners - they like to see what is happening for themselves. Whether you include imagery within blog posts, or repurpose articles into videos, or infographics; visual content can catch the attention of a consumer within a shorter time frame, and it’s much easier to consume whilst carrying out other tasks. Consider sharing visuals across websites, social media channels and email newsletters too.

Make a Good First Impression

What do people see first when consuming content? The headline. So, make it punchy! Consider what you would deem clickable and think about SEO tactics too. It is also important to hook people in the introduction because many of us skim through articles. Give consumers a reason to stick around. Ask relevant questions and provide meaningful solutions.

Be Accurate but Also Original

When producing content, make sure you use credible sources for your content. It’s great to give evidence to show you know what you’re talking about, but if it’s not accurate evidence, it may cause problems later down the line. Always check your data and websites before sourcing, and don’t forget to make it original too. Even if you’re using relevant information from another site, switch it up and infuse your own personality, make sure you credit data and other sources that you use too.

Creating engaging content is often one of the most challenging aspects of a marketing campaign, but it doesn’t have to be. If you follow these five tips to create original, varied and meaningful content, you will drive greater engagement in no time.

Claire Winter has been a content creator, journalist, and dedicated tea drinker for twenty years. She is a trained NCTJ journalist and started her career at ITN in radio and television. Passionate about helping business owners create content that converts via her online mastermind and 1:1 training, she loves sharing writing tips and content tips over in her own community, Cracking content.

Claire currently writes for all 41 Families magazines covering the UK and reaching 9 million parents a year. She has helped hundreds of large and small businesses with content marketing campaigns in print, online, and social media.