10 tips for creating content that converts

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10 Tips for Creating Content That Converts w

Post on 17-Oct-2014

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Whether for SEO, brand awareness, or lead generation, ultimately we are creating content to increase the weight of our wallets (or those of the businesses for which we work). So how do we do that better? Are there ways we can be creating content that specifically encourages a purchase or conversion? In this presentation I hope to answer that question with a 10-point “Yes!” I’ll address the 10 approaches you can use to increase conversions when creating content or writing copy.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: 10 Tips for Creating Content that Converts

10 Tips for Creating Content

That Converts

w

Page 2: 10 Tips for Creating Content that Converts

Use Emotion to MotivateThe goal of writing good

content is not, it turns out, to encourage someone to feel any old emotion. The goal is to

encourage someone to desire.

Here are a few emotions that motivate:

● Peer pressure: Peer pressure can be an

incredibly powerful marketing force.

● Self-improvement: People want to be

the best at what they do.

● Fear of missing out: Fear is advertising

and marketing’s great motivator. Fear

elicits a desire for insight, secrets, or

loopholes.

Page 3: 10 Tips for Creating Content that Converts

Add UrgencyCreating urgency isn’t just

something you need to be implementing in your online ads, landing pages, and marketing emails. They’re factors you need to be implementing across the board.

Here are a few blog titles that show what I’m talking about:

● “Before It Closes: The Loophole

That Increases Facebook Organic

Reach by 330 Percent”

● “The 23 Strategies That Can Turn

Leads Into Customers, Today”

● “Stop Making These 9 Email

Marketing Mistakes Now”

Page 4: 10 Tips for Creating Content that Converts

Increase the RelevancyWhen creating content, only

when that content genuinely appeals to the needs, concerns, and issues of your reader will you end up with a conversion.

● Segmenting your audience: Sometimes you

need to exclude part of your readership to

speak “one-on-one” with another part.

● Cover your bases: Write for different

experience levels

● Root your content in reality: Keeping your

content relevant is not only about focusing

on your audience, it’s also about focusing on

the world outside your business domain.

Page 5: 10 Tips for Creating Content that Converts

Increase the ClarityIn order to write content

that increases awareness of your brand, you need to write content that benefits your reader, rather than content that simply informs them.

Here’s how to increase clarity:● Introduce your topic.

● Explain it in simple language.

● Explain how it affects your reader.

● Explain your recommendations on how

to approach, or benefit from the issue.

● Discuss how you think this issue will

affect your reader in the future.

● Provide relevant email-gated content

Page 6: 10 Tips for Creating Content that Converts

Reduce AnxietyGreat content reduces the

anxiety of the reader - not just by educating them but by convincing them that the words they’re reading come from a credible source who understands them.

Here’s how to reduce anxiety:● Empathize, don’t just sympathize: Put

yourself in your reader’s shoes.

● Tell a story: Show you’re more than a

robot

● Show yourself: Feature a headshot or

brief author bio at the bottom or side of

your blog.

● Don’t be afraid to show your personality

Page 7: 10 Tips for Creating Content that Converts

Eliminate DistractionsContent should be focused on

a single “ask,” rather than multiple requests all at once. Just as with landing pages, you’ll increase conversions by guiding readers and keeping them from getting sidetracked

along the way.Any link that sends a

reader to an unrelated, un-optimized blog article is a waste of effort.

Page 8: 10 Tips for Creating Content that Converts

Add Another VoiceYour readers, blog

subscribers, and half-nurtured leads are far more likely to be convinced of your business’ legitimacy if they see you associating with someone they recognize.

Here’s what I recommend:● Push for a podcast, interview, or webinar

with a well-known influencer.

● Give a well-known influencer access to

your tool or product for free in return for

an honest testimonial or, better yet, a

how-to guide.

● Try to interest well-known businesses in

co-authoring an eBook.

Page 9: 10 Tips for Creating Content that Converts

Poke the Pressure PointsIf you know your niche

market’s primary pain points, don’t be afraid to push buttons that will make your audience more aware of them.

Here’s how it might look:“Half of all CMOs have said they

are unable to measure their social media ROI. Are you one of them? Are you pouring time, energy, and resources into social without a clue as to how it’s benefiting your business? Are you paying a social media manager $55,000 a year and are at a loss as to whether it’s worth it?“

Page 10: 10 Tips for Creating Content that Converts

Give Advice, Not PitchesIf your entire content stream

is promotional, no one will trust what you say. But if 90% of your content stream is educational and related to solving the problems of your readers, those readers or leads

are more likely to believe youNot only will this decrease

the chance that people will get get scared away by your spammy content, but it also increases the likelihood that they’ll share your genuinely advantageous product info.

Page 11: 10 Tips for Creating Content that Converts

Close with the RIGHT CTAYour content’s CTA makes

the difference between someone deciding they’d like to become an email subscriber, and someone deciding to simply bookmark your page for later perusal..

Here are a few suggestions:● “For more on [your subject], check out my

new comprehensive eBook!“

● “If you’re interested in [your subject], I’ll

be diving into the nitty gritty in this

week’s podcast. Spots are limited, so sign

up now!“

● “What are the obstacles stopping you

from achieving your marketing goals?

Book a time with me now and we’ll talk

it all through!”