How to Write Content That People Can't Help but Read

Beyond crafting a content strategy is making sure people see your posts – and continue to read them. Find out how to get more eyes on your content.

Key takeaways

• Understanding your target audience and the channels where you should be active is key to getting more attention.
• Focus on content quality, not quantity.
• SEO strategies, both on-page and off-page, help your content get noticed by the all-important Google algorithm.
• Use the right channels, including social platforms, email campaigns, content syndication, and repurposed content.
• Track performance metrics to continue to adapt your strategy.

For your brand to all but exist in today’s world, you need to get noticed online. That may seem intimidating, especially with all the other businesses out there trying to connect with people and make it big, but content is your friend for boosting visibility. You just have to know how to play it right: 79% of businesses depend on content marketing to get high-quality leads. So, the potential is there.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the key to making your content stand out. It’s like a map that guides users to your content by improving its visibility on search engines like Google. Without SEO, even the best content can remain hidden in the vast online expanse. 

Let’s explore how to get more eyes on your content and how SEO can boost your content’s visibility and impact in the digital world.

Understanding your target audience

Knowing your target audience is the cornerstone of content marketing. This takes time and careful listening. To begin, define your target audience demographics such as: 

• Age
• Gender
• Location
• Income level
• Education

These demographic insights give you a clear picture of who your audience is and enable you to tailor your content to their specific needs and interests.

Next, dig deeper and analyze their interests and behavior. What are their hobbies, preferences, and pain points? How do they interact with your content, and where do they spend the most time online? 

Conducting market research and leveraging analytics tools can unearth valuable data to answer these questions. Understanding the motivations and behaviors of your audience helps you create content that resonates on a personal level, which boosts engagement.

Finally, tailor your content to audience preferences. This might involve adjusting your tone, messaging, or content format to align with what resonates. You not only capture their attention but also increase the likelihood of achieving your content marketing goals – whether that’s driving conversions, building brand loyalty, or providing valuable information.

How to craft high-quality content

Valuable, relevant content is the name of the game. Everything you send out to your audience needs to be reflective of your brand voice, but also well-written and near flawless. People won’t trust a brand with content that makes no sense, is overly salesy, or has a ton of errors.

Here are a few ways to ensure high-quality, engaging content:

• Incorporate storytelling
  Everyone loves a compelling story. Pull at people’s heart strings and emotions to reel them in.
• Use visual elements
  Use a fair share of photos, images, infographics, and videos to keep people’s attention.
• Offer data-driven insights
  Establish trust by citing reputable sources for any stats or insights that would appeal to your audience.
• Ensure timeliness
  Don’t use information from really old articles or studies. Show people you’re paying attention to the latest in the industry.

Your goals should be to inspire your audience, keep more eyes on your content, and show people you know your stuff.

Effective SEO strategies to improve your content

Now onto SEO. This is the base layer that will get more eyes on your content. It helps you appeal to the master of all online masters – the Google algorithm. Let’s talk about the difference between on-page and off-page SEO optimization. 

• On-page SEO refers to the optimization efforts you make directly on your website’s web pages and content to improve their search engine rankings. This includes optimizing page titles, meta descriptions, headers, URL structure, image alt tags, and internal links, and ensuring that your content is well-structured and relevant to your target keywords.
• Off-page SEO focuses on factors external to your website that influence its credibility, authority, and visibility in search engine results. This includes building high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites, getting mentions and references on social media, and managing your online reputation. You could also incorporate guest posts on your blog or collaborate with influencers.

Both on-page and off-page SEO are essential components of a comprehensive SEO strategy, and a balanced approach to both can help improve your website’s search engine rankings and online presence. All these moving parts are important. Every piece of content you produce needs to be optimized for SEO. 

Using the right content channels

You want more people to see your content and interact with it, so you need to know where to post it. Consider using a combination of content distribution channels to maximize your content’s reach and impact. 

1. Leveraging social media platforms

Social media is a powerful tool. Identify the platforms where your target audience is most active, and share your content there. Craft engaging posts and use hashtags to boost visibility and social media engagement. Encourage sharing to expand your content’s reach organically.

2. Planning email marketing campaigns

Email is still highly effective, so build a subscriber list and segment it based on audience interests. Send tailored content to your subscribers, providing value and encouraging them to engage with your brand. Automation tools can help you optimize the time you’re spending on these campaigns and can trigger immediate responses to serve your audiences better.

3. Content syndication on relevant websites

Partner with websites and publications in your niche to syndicate your content. This exposes your content to a broader audience and establishes your expertise in the field. Ensure that the syndicated content includes backlinks to your website.

4. Repurposing content for different formats

Repurposing content allows you to reach different audience segments. Convert blog posts into podcasts, videos, infographics, or slideshows. Each format caters to diverse learning preferences and consumption habits, extending the life and reach of your content.

Being strategic with these content distribution channels can help you effectively reach and engage your target audience across their platforms, increasing the visibility and impact of your content.

Engage your audience like never before

Planning out all your content is one thing, but how can you really engage people and inspire them to connect with your brand or convert? It’s all centered around showing people you care and that you’re there and listening to them: 

• Encourage comments and feedback when you post content. 
• Ask questions people will want to respond to on social media. 
• Respond and engage anytime someone comments on a post, sends you a message, or starts a discussion, respond and engage. 
• Show people you’re paying attention. 

Try hosting special giveaways, contests, or polls on social media. Use interactive elements like quizzes and surveys. These types of content are easy to create and will help you go beyond getting eyes on your content, fully immersing people in your messaging and brand.

Analyze metrics and continue adapting

Tracking content performance metrics is crucial for gauging the effectiveness of your content marketing efforts. Metrics such as page views, engagement rates, and bounce rates provide valuable insights into how your audience interacts with your content. High page views and engagement rates indicate that your content is resonating with your audience, while a high bounce rate may suggest it needs improving.

Using tools like Google Analytics can help you break down content performance. Google Analytics, alongside social platform analytics tools, provides data on user behavior, traffic sources, and conversion rates. You can then identify which content pieces are driving the most traffic and engagement. Regularly reviewing these metrics can help you pinpoint top-performing content and replicate its success in future content creation.

Use all these insights to refine your content marketing approach. If certain topics consistently generate high engagement, for example, consider creating more content around those themes. If a specific content format performs really well, allocate more resources to producing more of it.

Remember that tracking metrics and adapting are ongoing parts of your content strategy. The more you learn, the better your content becomes.

Always be consistent

People will stop caring about your content if you’re inconsistent. Consistency means a few different things, like maintaining the same brand voice and tone or posting content regularly on your important channels. Here are a few ways to promote consistency:

1. Establish a content calendar

Creating a detailed calendar provides a clear roadmap for creation and distribution. By outlining which content to create and when to publish it, you ensure that your efforts are organized and aligned with your strategic goals. This keeps you on track and helps you maintain a steady flow of content, which is crucial for keeping your audience engaged and returning for more.

2. Set realistic publishing frequencies

Find a publishing frequency that aligns with your available resources and your audience’s expectations. Whether you choose to publish content weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, sticking to a manageable schedule ensures that you can meet your audience’s desire for fresh content. 

3. Maintain consistent content quality and voice

Your audience relies on your content not only for information but also for a reliable experience. Maintaining a consistent voice, tone, style, and level of expertise across all your content builds trust and brand recognition. It reinforces your brand identity and establishes your authority in your niche. 

When your audience knows what to expect from your content, they are more likely to engage with it and consider you a reliable source of information.

Get more eyes on your content with ContentBacon

The quest to capture and retain your audience’s attention is an ongoing challenge, but you can get more eyes on your content and keep people engaged beyond initial impressions with the right approach.

Remember that quality trumps quantity. Craft content that resonates with your audience’s needs and aspirations, and always aim to provide value. Embrace multimedia formats, optimize for search engines, and be ready to adapt as platforms and algorithms evolve.

If this sounds like a lot, we’re here to help. The ContentBacon team knows all the tricks of the trade to turn your brand into an authority on your channels with consistent, sizzling content.

Reach out to our team of experts to learn more.