5 Easy Ways to Write Better Content
Written content is one of the most effective ways to increase brand awareness. When done correctly, original content (blogs, articles, etc.) improves audience engagement and retention, and encourages people to keep coming back for more! It’s also a great way to reinforce your brand’s personality and voice, while positioning your business as an industry expert across multiple platforms of communication.
BUT, how do you write content that resonates with your audience? In a study conducted by Digital Marketing Community, a whopping 98% of marketing teams surveyed said written content is their most-used type of content; however, one in three marketers admit that their written content is “somewhat” or “not so” effective.
Luckily, content writing is something that you can improve upon. Below, we’ve listed five easy ways you can write better content and resonate with your target audience.
PROVIDE KNOWLEDGE YOUR AUDIENCE WANTS
It can be a challenge to figure out what information your audience finds valuable, let alone find the right way to convey that information in a digestible way. Before letting words spill out over your keyboard, make sure you have a good handle on your audience. What are their interests? What buzzwords will catch their attention? What challenges do they face? That will allow you to address a topic that’s relevant and informative to that specific group, and provide expertise and insights that your audience will actually engage with.
OMIT NEEDLESS WORDS
Even if you’re covering a topic that interests your audience, your message needs to be clear and concise in order to keep their attention. People don’t have long attention spans, and usually don’t enjoy having to read between the lines to figure out what it is you’re trying to say. By omitting needless words, you’ll be able to get straight to the point and allow the reader to easily find the information they’re looking for.
SHOW YOUR BRAND PERSONALITY
Would you rather read a research paper or have an engaging conversation with a friend? We’d guess the latter… So when you’re writing content, be conversational! That’s not to say you should throw professionalism out the window, but try to infuse your writing with your brand’s unique voice. Tap into your expertise, and share opinions on relevant topics. Your audience will appreciate the authenticity and be more likely to engage with your brand moving forward.
USE MORE ANALOGIES, METAPHORS, AND QUOTES
People are more likely to absorb and process information when they’re able to draw familiar parallels. Analogies, metaphors, and quotes are a great way to make complex ideas more accessible and interesting to your audience. Just like learning to ride a bike, once you get the hang of building these elements into your writing it’ll soon become second nature (see what we did there?). Bottom line: you should try to explain things to people in a language they’re already fluent in, as opposed to trying to teach them an entirely new one.
BACK UP WHAT YOU’RE SAYING
No matter how trustworthy your brand is, people like to see the facts. Include stats and citations in your work to validate what you’re saying and it will reinforce your position as a reliable source of information. Better yet, throw in some graphics to visually represent that data!
If you’re looking to improve your brand’s written content, these 5 tips are a great place to start. And if you’re not quite ready to take the leap yourself, Purdy Marketing Co. is always happy to help bridge that gap by developing written content for your brand!
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