Developing Impactful Content & What You’re Doing Wrong

No matter what industry you’re in, if you’re trying to make it in a world where everything happens online, you need good content. That content might come in the form of an artistically designed blog, or it may just be a single webpage and a highly convincing script.

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No matter how you slice it, content is the groundwork for any marketing, engagement and exposure you garner for your brand online. And while it may seem easy to just put some words on a page (after all, you need only talk about yourself and what you know best), there’s a lot more that goes into creating effective content. 

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That being said, you’ve got to know a little more than your p’s and q’s if you’re going to make it in the digital sphere. Do you have the chops to develop impactful content? No shade here if you feel the need to bring in the pros. 

Why is Content Important?

Content is important because it helps your customers find you. Your online content gives both your potential clients and the internet a good idea of who you are and what your brand has to offer. Everything from your website page copy to your blog headers and social media tags point back to your business. 

How Does Good Content Boost Business?

Truly great, effective content can help a business grow by attracting, converting and retaining customers. From ad copy and email campaigns to landing pages and packing slips, content does all the work of communicating in the digital space.

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When it comes to digital marketing, good content does three things. 

1. Attracts & engages the reader
2. Solves a problem or provides information
3. Converts readers into a customer

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Still think you can handle all of that on your own?

The Most Common Forms of Marketing Content 

If you’re a marketer, or you’re suddenly in charge of marketing efforts for your brand, you’re going to need several forms of compelling content. Because the majority of customer interaction take place online, your content acts as the scout, salesman and closer. 

Ad Copy

We’ve listed this one first to get it out of the way. Ad copy is very much the bane of any writers’ existence. Even with all the keyword research in the world, there’s no guarantee that you’re going to be able to make magic in under 25 characters. 

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In the realm of ad copy and performance, nothing performs the way you think it will and nonsensical keywords and search phrases rein supreme. If this is your first—or heck, even tenth—shot at creating ad copy, just back away slowly and let a pro optimize the heck out of our ads.

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Ad copy is built on careful keyword research and, lucky for you, also intertwines with your web content.

Web Copy

If your ads are the scout in this hypothetical situation, your website copy is the salesman. You’ve got to use the perfect language and tone to reach your audience, provide helpful suggestions without being too bossy. 

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Your web copy is where you and your soon-to-be-customer get to know each other. The reader decides if you’re able to solve their problem and worth their time and engagement. Good web copy helps the user along this journey, moving them in the direction of conversion. 

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Landing page copy falls under this umbrella, as an extremely specific page of your site with a laser-sharp mission. Must. Collect. Leads. 

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The copy on any page of your website should always be SEO optimized, with plenty of keywords in the paragraphs, headings and alt images. 

Blogs

Are these technically web content? Yes. But do they offer a completely different value and purpose? Also yes. 

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Blogs are magical nuggets of content that keeps your customers engaged. Maybe it’s the very way you’re serving them, perhaps your blog compliments your primary service or product.

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But they take a lot of time, work and dedication to produce. Even if you only plan to post sporadically, investing in a writer who can work serious SEO magic into your blogs is a game changer.

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Not only do blogs fill your website with juicy keywords and interesting info, they also provide a massive opportunity for link building. 

Other Types of Content

The list hardly stops there for dedicated marketing aficionados. In addition to these staples, other content you’ll need includes:

• Emails and campaigns
• Social media posts
• Scripts
• Press releases

You’re Making These Mistakes In Your Content

Eager business owners and green marketers have something in common—they’re making these mistakes when tackling content marketing:

• They’re writing their own content. Rookie mistake number one. Someone that’s only a resume away went to school for this. 
• Speaking from the heart. While genuine enthusiasm is great, customers don’t want to know why you think your brand is so great. Good content comes from the customer view.
• Not using keywords. Seriously, we don’t do the research for our help. They matter—use them. Everywhere you can.
• Using AI. Yes, innovative technology is making a lot of things easier. Unfortunately, AI content isn’t there yet. Real humans can spot bot content—best case scenario, they get a good laugh. Worst case, is Google’s new update spotting your AI content (and it will), and booting your site from SERPs all together. 

Stop Screwing It Up

Content marketing is more than just writing blogs for the sake of writing blogs. In fact, any writer will tell you that creating great content that resonates with an audience is a true art form. Reaching the right audience, at the right time, with the right message takes a certain je ne sais quoi. 

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Yet here we are, doing our best to recreate the Mona Lisa with fingerpaints and keywords. Do yourself a favor and let a pro take the lead on this one.