Do you have a website? Do you have a video? Do you have a blog? The battle to create more and more content rages on! To successfully stand out in a sea of quantity you must produce quality content that provides value to the audience. When they see your video, website or blog they must be pulled in and rewarded with useable information that provokes further thought. These tips are worth their weight in gold and I believe they will help your content shine over the pretenders!
1.) Provide Information your Audience wants to Hear
Most content that is shared is meant in some way to highlight the capabilities of the organization producing it. Think of it this way local newspapers (print or online) provide you with daily news stories, helpful articles, weather reports and so forth. They do this in hopes that you view them as a trusted resource for information. To position yourself or organization as a trusted resource make sure your content is relevant and helpful to your audience. Do this by considering what they need to hear versus what you want to tell them. Research the challenges your audience or customers face. Once you identify where they need help you can create directed content that lets them know you first understand their challenges and second that you are knowledgeable and able to provide helpful solutions.
2.) Make it Interesting
People like to be entertained! From the start of your video, blog, or article entertain your audience and spark their curiosity. You want them to continually have a sensation of “what’s coming next.” For written pieces your first touch point will be the heading. For video it may be the title and or the video intro. To create something that will entertain and captivate think of the things that stick out in your own mind that have grabbed your attention. Then consider how you can apply those principles to your own original thinking.
3.) Be Honest
Credibility is of the highest importance and it is built on honesty then trust. Don’t oversell your abilities or organization and do not provide factually inaccurate information. Our opinions and perspectives may vary but facts are universally accepted as they are. Your audience will see you as credible when you deliver truth even when it is difficult or does not benefit you. This builds trust. When they need a resource they know you will be straight with them no matter the circumstance.
4.) Be Concise
The world moves fast and people have limited time. The faster you can provide value to them the better. Before you present newly created content go over it at least once if not more to see where you can remove excess filler that does not accentuate the core message. Attention spans are short, keep this in mind!
5.) Aesthetics are Important
You can grab attention by being very good or very bad. We all want the first. While this takes more thought and more effort it pays off. Use strong, memorable visuals for your website, blog or videos. Iconic visuals spark curiosity and stick in our minds. The overall aesthetics of your content directly represent you and your organization. A less than professional video or image can be used in certain circumstances, but they should not be on the home page of a website or a published article. This reflects on your brand and says we are experts but we do shoddy work. Professional, creative and memorable will win the day!
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