How to Get More Love from Your Audience

By Chris Reid, Account Manager Do you ever feel like your audience isn’t really connecting with your content? Maybe you thought a blog post you recently published was amazing, but your readers seemed unmoved, no one shared it and no one converted on your website. You may start to wonder what’s wrong with your content. But don’t worry, you’re not alone. Almost every content publisher has felt this way at one point or another. Often, content you believe to be extremely valuable and relevant will simply fall flat. However, following the right approach can help remedy this problem and allow you to better connect with your readers. Define Your Objectives If you want people to take action, you’ll first need to decide what action you want them to take. Do you want themto: Sign up to your email newsletter Visit your website Share your content on social media Purchase a product Download a piece of content Post a comment Click on a link Make an enquiry When you set objectives for each piece of content you produce, you are better able to structure that content to accomplish it’s intended goal. You’ll also find it easier to inform the reader of the benefit they’ll gain from viewing that content. Ultimately, goal oriented content can give you and your reader a sense of purpose, resulting in increased action. Choose the Right Channels Even though your content can be distributed across a variety of channels – your website, blog, email and social media channels are the most typical – some channels are more suited to specific businesses and objectives. It depends on your industry and your audience, so it’s worth testing out your content across different channels to see which platforms help you accomplish your goals efficiently. Choose the Best Format The format of your content can have a profound impact on engagement rates. Should you create an ebook, blog post, infographic, newsletter or something else? The type of content you provide will depend on 1) your objectives, 2) your audience and 3) what actions you want them to take. Content can entertain, educate or promote, and each format will lend itself to different objectives. Entertaining content Use when you want to boost brand awareness and encourage content sharing. Videos, quizzes and listicles are ideal. Educational content Use when potential customers are further down the sales funnel. Ebooks, reports, articles, case studies and infographics are perfect for generating leads, boosting enquiries and increasing email subscriptions. Promotional content Use in the later stages of the sales funnel, when you want to drive sales. Demo videos and visuals highlighting product and service features can be very effective. Understand What Drives Action Every piece of content should ask the user to take a specific action but take your time. Usually, the right time to include a call-to-action (CTA) is at the end of your content, after you’ve built your credibility. However before users take action, two elements need to be in place: Opportunity If your â€Å"Download Now† button is hard to find, or it doesn’t work, it will result in a lost opportunity. Incentive If your reader can’t see the value of downloading your ebook, they will be unlikely to click the â€Å"Download Now† button. To accomplish more of your goals through your content, identify the actions you want your readers to take, and make sure they have the opportunity and incentive to act. Create relevant and interest inspiring CTAs If your call-to-action is uninspiring and doesn’t offer any benefit to your viewers, they will be far less likely to take that action. To create effective CTAs: Set expectations For example, if you want users to take a quick survey, instead of a CTA like â€Å"Take our survey,† consider â€Å"Take our five-question survey.† This will help users understand that there is minimal commitment required and will result in more clicks. Be inclusive People are more likely to act when there is a fear of missing out. By using CTAs that make readers feel like they might be missing out if they don’t act, like â€Å"Join the thousands who have already benefitted from our services† you can increase your conversions. Get personal Use language that shows you understand your customers’ pain points. For example, â€Å"Stop wasting your advertising dollars: Call today.† Goal Driven Content = More Love From Your Readers If you use these guidelines every time you create content, you’ll have a better chance at increasing engagement and encouraging your audience to take action. Therefore, before you create any content, ask yourself: What am I trying to achieve? How will this benefit my readers? What type of content will help me achieve my goals? Am I giving readers the opportunity and incentive to act? If you can answer these questions, you are on the right track to producing engaging, goal-driven content that your audience will love.