Sifting through the buzz on content and getting to what matters, conversions!
Content would seem to be a given on any media platform. You can’t publish a newspaper or magazine without articles and images. Well you can, but you aren’t likely to get many buyers. But what if you’re not in the business of publishing, does your business website really need to have that much “content”? Depends, if you plan on using your website to convert potential clients into paying clients, then yes you need content. Not just any content, good content. Content that speaks to your ideal customer.
When you developed your business plan, you identified your target market, but that description isn’t good enough to develop a content strategy for today’s savvy consumer. No longer is the consumer looking for just another pretty face, aka business website, with a phone number and a shallow promise of “We’ll make you happy.” Consumers are evolving. Their behaviors and expectations are what drive best practices for web development and what set content trends on fire.
So what is the right content to create conversions? Is it cute pictures with witty quotes on Facebook, white papers published on your site, or should you be jumping on the latest call for How To’s pin-ready for Pinterest? There is no cookie cutter answer, because ideal customers come in many forms, each with their own expectations, verbiage and behaviors. Before you throw in the towel, realize this: buyers are highly influenced by word of mouth and brand presence. Potential buyers want to know who they are giving their money to. You deserve their business not because you say so, but because they believe so.
Rules for creating content that converts:
RULE #1: Know your audience. Know how they uniquely identify themselves, not who you see them as.
RULE #2: Speak their language. Ditch technical jargon and flowery answers.
RULE #3: Respect your audience’s time. Know when to shut-up, seriously.
RULE #4: Respect your audience’s priorities. Create content they want and enjoy.
RULE #5: Make it less about you, and all about the customer.
You see, if your audience “gets” what you are saying and feels that you “get” them, respect them, know them, then audience members become brand converts and buyers. Whenever you create content (web copy, blog entries, whitepapers, status updates, etc.) think of it as the beginnings of a beautiful relationship, not a business-ship.
