What You Say Isn’t as Important as How You Say It

Capturing your audience’s attention and keeping it is harder than ever before. With countless social media platforms, smart phone apps, and cat videos, consumers today are never far from entertainment. The average attention span for a US adult in 2013 was 8 seconds. To put this number into perspective, the average attention span of a goldfish is 9 seconds. Over the last 13 years, Americans have reduced their attention span by 4 seconds according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. This means that as a small business, the content you produce and messages you send have to engage your audience immediately.

When creating content, the first step is to know who your audience is. If you are a restaurant writing for foodies, it’s probably ill advised to suddenly go off on a tangent and talk about motor cross. You’ve got to give the people what they want. Giving your audience the topics they want isn’t necessarily the hard part. Crafting your content in the right way is where it gets tricky.

Establish a Voice

When creating a blog post or twitter status, your company needs to create an active voice that is true to the brand (i.e. your brand voice). Getting back to the restaurant analogy, if you are writing a blog about creating a decadent cake or a scrumptious cocktail, both posts need to have the same style of writing, tone, and format. This level of consistency is key to maintaining your brand identity and followers.

Know your Audience

When creating content, the first step is to know who your audience is. Your followers and consumers are people that are interested in what you have to say. Now that you have their attention, your business needs to be able to keep it. Create content that provides a quality experience and adds value to your audiences’ life. Make sure that topics are relevant and up to date within your given field of expertise. If writing an accounting blog, keep your terminology simple and your tips prevalent. If you are writing for a technology firm, discuss industry trends and what is new in your field.

Presentation

Catchy titles or interesting images are tools you can use to attract your desired audience. Your content may not be the problem, but your presentation might use some work. People are innately drawn to images that relate to them or something they want to know more about. Use high quality images when creating your content. You can either sign up for stock photo services like istockphoto.com or download images for free using flickr. Both of these sites are useful tools that can help you create enticing content that engages your followers.

One of the main goals of content marketing is to engage with your consumers and keep them coming back for more. By using these tips, your business will be able craft content that is appealing and connects with your followers. In your next blog, try using high quality photos, stay true to the voice of your brand and always keep in mind who your audience is. For more tips about blog posts specifically check out:

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/26-tips-for-writing-great-blog-posts/

– Mackenzie Priest