Top 5 ways to improve your digital content
We’re a fickle lot, aren’t we? A decade ago, when the digital realm was just kicking into the mainstream, we could make purchasing decisions without Googling them first.
But no more. Most of us judge a business by the quality of its digital footprint. If you’re a business without a website, you effectively don’t exist.
Driving the digital revolution – technological leaps and bounds aside – is data. And in this increasingly over-crowded space, only a commitment to adding significantly more content all the time to your digital pursuits is going to get you noticed.
We blog, post, tweet, interview, research and write every day to create content for our clients. Here are some of the tricks we’ve learned.
1. One size doesn’t fit all
Just because your words looked great on a fact sheet doesn’t mean they deserve to get a guernsey on your web site. Long ago, web developers derived this practice as ‘brochureware’, and deservedly so.
Just like Twitter demands we cut our words to a character count, we need to amend and rewrite our message to suit every medium.
2. Fresh is best, naturally
Ban ‘under construction’ pages. And make it a life-or-death discipline in your business that new content needs to be added to your website regularly, and your social media refreshed daily.
Think of how many conversations you’ve already had today. Wouldn’t you start to avoid the person who wanted to say the same words, over and over?
Your digital words are no different. Change the conversation and more customers will want to hear what you’re saying.
3. Beg and borrow, but don’t steal
Not everyone’s comfortable or skilled at writing. (That’s why we’re in business.)
So a great way to generate more content for your website is to obtain content from elsewhere for free. Usually, all you’ll need to do is place a small bio of the original writer at the bottom of the article or tutorial.
To get started, search for ‘free content’ and list what you’re after. Sites like articlegeek.com abound that are willing for you to use their content for zero cost, just attribution.
4. How do I love thee? Let me list the ways.
Everyone loves a list. (Clearly, so do we).
Demonstrate your knowledge in your field with a list of helpful hints for your customers that relate to your business.
Make the entries easy to read, and don’t get caught up in detail.
5. When in doubt, tell a story
I’ve seen many clients get hung up with analysis paralysis, worrying if what they’re saying strikes the right tone or casts the right image.
One of the most enduring forms of communication continues to be storytelling. It cuts through marketing mumbo-jumbo and presents a business in the most honest light.
Don’t be afraid to show your human side. Tell a story that shows a mistake you made and how you fixed it. Or what you learned from a tough time in your business. Or positively profile one of your clients that highlights your relationship with them.
You’ll end up with creating a warm, cosy environment that makes people want to stay.
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