It’s an exciting moment when you launch your latest piece of content on the World! It’s been created, proofread, glowed over like a proud parent and then it’s out there – for everyone to see…. Then it’s the sit and wait moment – whose reading it, whose sharing it, whose referring to it?
Sadly, this can be a very anticlimactic and disappointing wait, as well as enigmatic. You feel you have created something which the industry should be aware of, and would find interesting and it can be incredibly frustrating not understanding why your content isn’t gaining more traction.
There are so many elements to remember when adding content to your website, we thought we’d put together a list of criteria to ensure you are ticking all the boxes to make sure your content is linkworthy and on the top of everyone’s reading, sharing and forwarding list!
Does your content fit?
Have you streamlined what your topic is? Is it clear what you are trying to say?
Neomam have a great tip of looking at the broadsheets and taking note of their defined categories and try to ensure you are fitting your content into one of those – for example News, Health, Sport, Entertainment etc…
They also suggest a process called chunking up, this is where you try and make your topic more relevant to your reader. This is a way of remaining niche, but by creating a different spin or angle on your product you are creating new marketing strategies. Neomam give the following great example:
If you are creating content surrounding the Industrial Compound industry, it may not get as much traction as you desire being that it isn’t the most compelling of subjects. By making the subject more relevant to your reader, you have a much higher opportunity of your article being shared or interacted with.
What do you want to achieve with your content?
There are many reasons as to why you may be publishing content – a new product launch, industry news, audience engagement etc… However, it is imperative that you have outlined your goals for the content you are creating before you even start.
Just like a business plan, you need to have a clear and concise reason as to why you are publishing that particular piece of writing. Essentially, amongst other goals, one specific focal point must be creating content that is exciting enough for your audience to want to share what they have read with others.
This process ensures you aren’t sending mixed messages to your audience, and that you are staying on topic. By doing this, your content is far more likely to have a greater interaction with your prospective audience.
Are you just selling yourself or imparting knowledge?
It is vital to understand that your audience feel that they’ve learned something by reading your content. When your readers finish your articles feeling that you have added value, then the engagement levels will rise exponentially.
Have you positioned your article as a big advert for your company or have you imparted new and relevant industry knowledge whilst subtly aligning yourselves with this information? Readers will soon switch off if they feel they are just reading a reason as to why they should buy something from you, don’t cover the article with your branding and logos, use a similar colour palate with your logo at the start of the article – less is more!
How do I look?
Having great content that ticks all the boxes is key – but so is it’s visibility. Don’t let your article get lost on a page with lots of adverts and photos that aren’t relevant to the content. For your article to be taken seriously with industry big hitters and journalists – as well as online influencers and bloggers – then keep your page clean and aesthetically pleasing, only use pictures and ads that would interest the reader of that particular article. Keep your branding on point and uniform, don’t forget to check how the layout looks on all devices – most people now use their mobiles for the internet so make sure you optimise all images so they don’t take ages to upload.
Don’t be boring!
Your heading needs to shout READ ME… but that’s not where it ends. Your content must match the hype you’ve created with a great title.
In order for your article to be shared and referred to – and therefore you are gaining your well deserved place as industry gurus – then your content must be value adding, interesting and authoritative.
It’s a great idea to reference your sources for facts, this will also help gather links as well. Do your research as well – what are other writers ideas and opinions on your topic, are you factually correct on what you’re saying?
Don’t be shallow – if your content is well researched and backed up with sources then your advice is far more likely to be trusted, passed on and shared with your community.
Be original – regurgitating articles shows no innovativity and therefore there is less likely to be a positive engagement with your content. If you are wanting to post about subjects that have been spoken about before, think outside the box a bit, for example, instead of just creating written content on a concept, why not create an infographic or animation?
Video content is the future of content marketing and people are far more likely to share this format with their community; this is a great medium to get involved in to gain links and user engagement.
