As a content creator, what is your number one goal when creating content?
Go ahead…
Are you looking for your content to be
- Noticed?
- Engaged with?
- Shared?
- Talked about?
Ultimately, your goal is to create content that converts, right?
to con·vert – cause to change in form, character, or function.
In Marketing that means converting …
- Cold leads into warm leads
- Online lurkers into engaging followers
- Blog readers into subscribers
- Potential customers into paying customers
- Brand enthusiasts into Brand Ambassadors
In this article we will look at 9 steps that will aid those who work in digital marketing to create great content that converts!
9 Steps Needed to Create Great Content That Converts
Conversion is not always tied to exact numbers as the ROI of organic social media content isn’t as straightforward as it is with paid media.
We certainly can measure reach, reactions and video views, for example, but while we can measure web traffic, we can’t ‘measure’ who reads your content online, especially when it’s shared from one social media platform to another.
When we talk about ‘content that converts’ that includes content pieces like
- Websites
- Landing pages
- Blog content
- Videos
- Images
- Graphics
- eBooks
- White Papers
- Social media posts
- Webinars
- Infographics
- Guides
And so much more! So let’s look at what it takes to create this type of content!
1 Dive Deep into the Business’ Goals
Start your content creation process with your business goals.
Ask yourself, and your team: What are we trying to accomplish both short term, and long term? What are we building and growing? What message(s) needs to get out to accomplish these goals? What is our Unique Selling Proposition (USP) that we want to convey?
2 Research the Industry
Without research, you have no data. Without data, you have no starting point, no frame of reference and nothing to measure success against.
Researching your industry is an important step in creating content that converts: in order to write copy that converts, you need to understand the industry and its terminology. Learn the lingo aka keywords to be used in your copywriting.
3 Compile a Swipe File
As you do research, start collecting resources for future reference.
eBooks, downloads, blog articles, advertisements, websites and anything you can get your hands on about the industry you are researching: keep this in one place!
Creating this reference guide will come in handy as you get ‘stuck’ or ‘stranded’ trying to expand on an image, blog article or concept. A swipe file should never be a ‘copy my competitor’ file!
Instead, it should serve to inspire. Use the swipe file as a starting point for your content creation process.
4 Know Your Customer
Let’s be honest. It’s sometimes easy to forget who the content you are creating is for. When working with certain clients, they ‘know’ or claim to know who their ideal client, aka their target audience is.
The truth? The client isn’t always right!
Marketers, take head! Do your own research on this. By diving deep into the pain points of an ideal customer you will get to know them at a deeper level. We suggest creating and naming one avatar for each segment of audience you are targeting
These avatars should have likes and dislikes, fake families, hobbies and jobs. The profile isn’t complete without an income, educational background and their spending habits!
The more you hone in on who you are talking to when you create each piece of content, the more likely you are to drive conversion with that content!
Is it completely crazy at this point we have to mention you need to create high quality content? Whether its’ a blog post, video or email, quality trumps quantity!
So before writing content that converts, you need to know who you want to convert and to what! Simple enough.
5 Determine a Clear Call To Action
As you write and create content, determine what the call to action will be for that piece of content.
Will you ask for
- Likes
- Shares
- Tags
- Reactions
- Comments
- Sign ups
- Payment
- Clickthroughs
Determining the call to action will help you decide on copy and imagery.
When you determine what call to action to use, pay close attention to the headline. The headline is what ‘stops the scroll’ on social media. A headline that converts includes that call-to-action, a clear benefit or evokes an emotional reaction!
6 Create Multiple Assets
Create several versions of copy, imagery, call to actions and video. These can be used to layer in content with the same link to the same landing page, but with a completely different look and feel, appealing to multiple avatars.
The ‘angle’ or ‘objective’ of the content should be related to a benefit, rather than a feature of the product or service!
7 Test Variations of Content
Test, test, test!
Measuring conversion rates and comparing these versions is most easily done by A/B testing, running Facebook ad campaigns, using those multiple assets mention in #6.
When testing, don’t forget to test things like adding emojis or bullet points to the copy as well.
As the saying goes, assuming makes an “ass” out of “u” and “me”. You don’t know what will resonate with an audience until you test.
8 Analyze Data
Once you start testing, don’t stop. Facebook ad campaigns and organic content should be monitored and adjusted often.
Minor tweaks and changes can have a huge impact on the conversion rate. Using certain keywords can attract more eyeballs on content, while other keywords or imagery might repel potential customers. You can learn almost as much from seeing content ‘fail’ as you can from content that works or goes viral!
9 Repeat and Recreate the Best Content
As you might guess, after analyzing data comes the ‘rinse and repeat’ part.
You do not have to reinvent the wheel each time you want to create new content. You can use bits and pieces from previous, successful campaigns to build new campaigns.
Pay attention to trends and world events. Listen to what your audience is saying, including the word they use to talk about your industry. Make small tweaks to existing content. Test, test, test.
Content That Converts: It’s Human Psychology!
My parting words are these.
“Learn to listen to people. Observe. Understand what makes people tick.”
Content that converts uses imagery, emotional hooks, power words, and frankly…
SUCKS. YOU. IN!
Your content should do at least one of the following:
- Educate
- Engage
- Entertain
Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and implement out-of-the-box ideas in marketing. Innovation keeps content fresh, trendy and fun.
Be that Purple Cow!
I am a Certified Social Media Manager, Strategist, International Keynote Speaker, Organic Specialist and Agile marketer! Blogging is my creative outlet. Running, hiking and skiing are how I recharge. You’ll recognize me on stage and online by my always present orange glasses, a nod to my Dutch heritage.
