When creating a new website or improving an existing one, we often find that writing content for the webpages is the toughest part of the project for our clients. Yes, professional content marketing services can often help.

However, as the business owner, you will in many cases have all that is needed sitting right inside your head. The key to effective content marketing is getting that information onto a page in a manner that will engross your audience.

So let’s introduce to you an approach which will help you break through your writer’s block and initiate more engaging conversations with your website visitors.

Step 1 – Know your outcome

Know your outcome

Before even thinking about what to write on your webpage, the first step is to know your outcome. In most cases, deciding on the one thing you want to achieve helps the process.

For example, do you want your website visitor to follow you on social media, opt-in via a website form (e.g. download a free report), register for an upcoming webinar, or make a purchase online?

Step 2 – Understand your target audience

Understand your target audience

Always take the time to understand your target audience.

The best way to do this is to ask 2 simple questions.

  1. Who am I having a conversation with?
  2. Why am I having this conversation with them?

By keeping this in mind, you can now approach your writing in a more conversational and targeted manner.

Step 3 – Get your facts right

Get your facts right

Successful content marketing is also about understanding the information you want to get across, and the order and sequence that you want to present this in. Like all good conversations, your webpage should have a beginning, a middle and an end.

Some questions to get you started include:

  1. How do I introduce my topic (i.e. the beginning)?
  2. What information do I want to present?
  3. Why is this information important to my reader?
  4. What are the benefits if they apply this information (or the impacts if they do not)?
  5. What value am I offering?
  6. What is the next step that I want my visitor to take (i.e. the ending or Call to Action)?

You can now structure your webpage by deciding on the main heading and following sub-headings, then filling in the gaps with your content.

Step 4 – Make your content engaging

Make your content engaging

It’s essential to remember that when it comes to creating engaging content and marketing it, this is not just restricted to written content. It could also include images, videos, infographics, audio, testimonials, client case studies, and even downloadable assets such as eBooks and reports.

The second thing you need to remember is that you are having a conversation with a person, so make it conversational. Tell a story, give social proof (e.g. testimonials that talk to the benefits) and always write with passion and influence. If the reader likes you and what you have to say, you will have succeeded in your outcome.

Step 5 – Have keyword-rich content

Have keyword-rich content

After you have written your content, you should go over it with a fine-toothed comb and start to re-word some of it to ensure you have sufficient keywords to help your visibility on search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo.

For example, if you are trying to promote your digital marketing services, you want to be targeting keywords such as search engine optimisation, social and display advertising, search engine marketing, content marketing, email marketing, video marketing, conversion rate optimisation and social media marketing. Of course, you don’t just flood content with keywords because it will detract from your message.

Step 6 – Make it flow

The Icing on The Cake

If you have structured your webpage as outlined in step 3, then most of the work has already been done. However, think of flow as the icing on the cake, it will add much more credibility to your content marketing strategy.

Make sure that your beginning clearly and succinctly defines what it is that you will be talking about. Then make sure each of the sections (typically no more than six sections of content) flow.

And finally, has your ending brought everything together? The simplest way to approach this step is to put yourself in the seat of your audience. Would they know what you are talking about? Have you provided enough value to make them want to continue a conversation with you? Have you made it clear what the next step is?

Step 7 – Improve, improve, improve…

Improve, improve, improve???

The idea with any published content is to get it about 80% right. You can then continue to improve the conversation based on the feedback you receive from your target audience.

Feedback can come in many forms but the best indicator of powerful content marketing is visitors converting from your website (i.e. a sale, an opt-in form, signing up for a webinar, following you on social media, etc.).

Let’s face it, we will probably never get a website page to 100% and in fact, chasing perfection can sometimes be counterintuitive. So let’s just make a conscious effort to continue to improve until we meet our desired outcome.

If you’d like to learn more about how effective content marketing can enhance your website and keep your customers engaged, get in touch and we’ll arrange for a free no-obligation consultation!