A quick search online on just about any topic will generate thousands, if not millions of search results. With the amount of content available online, getting readers to visit your website is a feat in itself; getting them to actually read your story and engage with your content is a whole new challenge.
In Google analytics, the percentage of visitors leaving the website from the same page they entered without further interaction is referred to as the bounce rate. For companies looking to establish their presence online, the benchmark for an acceptable bounce rate falls between 45 to 65 percent which is hard when blog posts, podcasts and articles are all competing for attention.
With consumers looking for content that INFORMS, INSPIRES and ENGAGES them, what steps can businesses take to create compelling and valuable content and boost online brand engagement?
Here are eight ways to make your content click-worthy and valuable to the readers:
1. Find out what your target audience is looking for
Knowing what interests your target audience requires research. Start by looking at your audience’s demographics, online behaviour and buying patterns. Data will tell what topics are important to them as well as the language they are familiar with. Reinforce the message by adding industry updates and context from current events.
2. Offer answers
People search for answers, so generate content that addresses readers’ pain points and offers solutions. Content that brings value to a reader is more likely to be shared which is why “how-to” guides and step-by-step articles are among the most shared content on the web.
3. Support the topic with data and information
Strengthen and support your content with research and credible data to provide readers with useful information and references. Well-researched content gets more backlinks and shares, helping drive more traffic to the website.
4. Keep it short and simple
Content should be concise, direct and easy to digest to deliver the message effectively. With the abundance of information online, research shows that people’s attention span is getting narrower. Keep track of your word count if you don’t want to lose your audience.
5. Add images and videos
There is a reason why a meme subculture is flourishing in social media platforms. People retain more information and relate more to graphics or videos compared to text. To increase engagement and shareability of content, add relevant, relatable and high-quality images and videos.
6. Make it part of a series
Topics that require in-depth discussion are best delivered as a series. Short, easily digestible articles is a great way to delve deeper into the topic and keep audiences engaged as they anticipate the next installment. Newcomers can always go back to the earlier parts, which helps build audience loyalty and improve viewership.
7. Maximise content with links
Search engines like Google display query results based on ranking, and content with embedded links tend to rank better in organic search results. Leverage this mechanism by developing an internal linking strategy that connects similar topics within your website. Linking to related articles from popular websites also increases ranking. Readers will appreciate this as well since it will be easier to find related articles.
8. Update and revisit published content
The advantage of digital publishing is that content can be refreshed and updated at any time. By adding new data and information, old articles can be repurposed as evergreen content that can be re-shared through other distribution platforms.
Now over to you: have you previously experimented with any of the 8 hacks above and, if so, what were the results? Share your experience in the comments below!
If you’d like some help, let our expert writers at Priority Consultants reach out to your target audience through compelling and thought-provoking content. Reach us at enquiries@changemandate.tech.