Attractive website content is still a very effective tool for Inbound Marketing. However, large companies are finally getting wise in this regard and spending most of their marketing resources on Content Marketing.
So what does this mean for companies with small marketing budgets? Don’t worry, there’s still time. Content marketing is all about a long process. It’s about engagement. Big companies are still struggling with no small effort.
The Importance of Attractive Website Content
Before launching a website and being effective with its content, you need to know what content to create, how best to create it and how to use it to your advantage.
Let’s start and assume that we all agree that content is important for successful inbound marketing. Now what? Here are 5 tips for using engaging website content to drive traffic, increase conversions, build a presence, and be successful with your online marketing.
Tip 1 – IDENTITY
Know yourself and what you do. Looks simple doesn’t it? Of course. But, have you taken the time to write this? Do you know your own story? How to read it?
Before you can start creating all this engaging website content, you’d better know who you’re talking to and what you need to say. To figure this out it is recommended that you start with a little creative writing.
Spend 30 minutes with a blank page and start writing. Answer the following questions:
- Who are you?
- What’s your history?
- What are you doing today?
- What makes you different from your competitors?
- Who cares?
Don’t take too long to write this, just facts, keep it simple. We seek the essence of who you are as a business or organization. Leave technical or detailed stuff in white papers and Blog posts (a little shadow for you).
Put down your writing, walk away and do something else. Once you’ve had some time apart from your story, come back to it and read it again. Does it still sound like you? Not? Edit some and repeat the last step.
Yes, does it sound like you? Good. Now, share it with some of your best clients, colleagues, colleagues, members, etc. And get some of the best feedback about your business you’ve ever read. The feedback you get will help you determine how these people think about your organization. Take note of this; You will have to refer back to it often.
Tip 2 – INSPIRATION
I don’t care what people say, writing is hard. Even if you’re writing about something you really care about. It still takes time and dedication. It also takes a lot of inspiration.
Ideas give birth to ideas. Even if you disagree with someone else’s idea, it can still get your creative juices flowing. The creation process generally starts with some kind of catalyst. So where do you get good content ideas from? From other content.
So start reading blogs, newsletters, trade journals. Watch YouTube videos from experts in your industry.
Here are some ways to deliver amazing content to you every day…
- Google Alerts – Say you are a bike shop, set up alerts about “cycling”
- Blogs and newsletters – Some of the better blogs out there have a way to subscribe. This can be an email newsletter or an RSS feed.
- Subscribe to the YouTube channel – there are several seminars, presentations, etc.
- Competitors – Seriously, what are they talking about? What are they not talking about? Find out how you can do it better.
Now that this channel is open and receiving lots of inspiration, start jotting down ideas. Keep a notepad on your desk or wherever you do your best thinking and fill it with doodles only you can understand.
When you find time to write something, you can return to the list for ideas. Make sure you write down on this list where the ideas came from, in case you need some reference points.
Tip 3 – RECYCLING
Not all content you create for online marketing has to be completely new. Take a look back at all of your past material for some things you can reuse.
If you’re a technical company, you probably have a series of white papers you’ve written about. Can this be reused for your website or blog? Or can they inspire blog posts that refer to and link back to the white paper, also on your website?
How about a long email you write answering a client’s question? It is often a source of inspiration for blog posts. Think about it, a client asks you about something specific. You reply to a brilliantly written explanation that the client is grateful for. Well, turn this into a blog post.
If you are writing content for your website for the first time or you want to improve or refresh your content, you can certainly look to the same place for ideas. You can also look back on your past marketing materials. Which of them was the most successful? How can you create that success online?
Tip 4 – WRITE
If you’re going to run into any of these problems, you want to make sure you can actually write. You want to have the tools in place so you can write and post your own content.
It may sound obvious, but so many of our clients come to us to talk about interesting website content but have no plans on how they will create and manage it on a day-to-day basis. With today’s blogs and content management systems you can create content easily and on YOUR SITE.
That’s really the key. If you’re going to write, make sure you’re writing for your own site. Don’t just give away all your great content by posting it on Facebook or other sites that you don’t own.
Sure, content sharing and guest blogging are equally beneficial, but you don’t want to give it all away. Even with all the transparency and openness today, ownership still matters.
There are different levels of content management systems for different levels of budget. WordPress, for example, is a scalable content management solution that can be customized or fully customized, depending on your budget.
You want to make sure you have all the tools in place so you don’t have an excuse not to write when the time is right to write.
Tip 5 – PROMOTION
You can’t create compelling website content in a vacuum. This is marketing, you need to share. If you don’t put content out there, then who will read it? The more you get this content out there (see our post on SEO) the more traffic your site will get.
If you create a blog, do it yourself. You can easily link your Blog to your Facebook page or tweet your latest blog post. In fact, most social media outlets will have a place where you can add an RSS feed directly from your blog. Make sure it’s on your site first so the link you create goes back to your website.
To promote other content on your website, simply promote your website. Display your website address in various places. Place it in your email signature, on business cards, in your advertisements, on your social media profiles, etc.
Email newsletters (newsletters) are also a great way to promote your content. You can include summaries of your most recent blog posts, information about specific product offerings or updates on what’s going on at your company.
Promoting attractive website content will make you a better writer. Promotions and tracking help you see what content is working and what content is dead weight. You will see which blog posts are getting comments or feedback. You can find out which pages of your site are popular by checking your website statistics. You can see what topics in your email newsletter were clicked.
The feedback you get will help you find out more about who you are. And it will inspire you to create more content and seek more inspiration. It is a cycle perpetuated by the successes and failures it creates.
All of this leads to higher quality website traffic, better conversion rates, and more successful marketing strategies.
