Let’s face it, inspiration is hard to come by sometimes, and we could all use a little help in shaking it up a bit when it comes to creating great content for your readers.
Here are some tips to keep your online content fresh, entertaining and engaging. Creating a new experience for viewers gives them a reason to come back and check up on your company often.
People don’t want to be constantly advertised to, they want to be engaged and entertained. You don’t see people getting excited for commercials- it’s the shows they are truly interested in. Make sure your content isn’t a constant advertisement of your product and services; create a personal experience with your customers. Here’s how:
1 – Write a guest blog
Writing a guest blog is a great way to increase exposure and it gives you a chance to expand on the regular content you might already have.
You can address new topics, have a new opinion on something, or introduce a way of thinking. By writing a guest blog, you show a willingness to try something new and introduce yourself to a new fan base.
Current fans will also have the chance to experience a different atmosphere on someone else’s blog. When a company’s page becomes predictable, you aren’t giving your customers a reason to come back.
2 – Feature Someone Else’s Article or Blog
This is similar to guest blogging, in the sense that you are making your content more broad, and allowing for a new face to have a say and an increase in fan base.
It can be useful information pertaining to the industry, or just something newsworthy that is worth showing to your clients. Subliminally it shows that you are willing to share the spotlight on someone else, instead of just your company.
3 – Comment on Current Events
With information passing back and forth across the world almost instantly, it is important to be in loop, so that your clients can also be informed and in the loop. It creates a presence for your company in the here and now. Thus your company is proactive, instead of reactive.
Keeping things current can include: discussing the SOPA Bill or a comment on something that recently happened in the news. It can be related or unrelated to your business, but whatever it is, try and find a way to shed light on your business.
For example, if Groundhog Day says that there will be another five weeks of winter and you are a summer related company, write a comment such as “Ground hog says another five weeks of winter- we say get ready for bikini season anyway!”
Warning: Do not slander anyone or any company, because you never know when you have offended a customer’s sensibilities. Also, making a joke of a catastrophe before the shadows are gone is also off limits. You don’t want to put your company’s image at risk because someone was trying to be a comedian.
4 – Use Pictures, Videos and Other Multimedia
Using a variety of media to punctate your message goes a long way. It increases your SEO, and also gives people a nice break. Humans are very visual, so having eye candy on the page might not be a bad idea!
Using a variety is all about keeping content fresh, interesting, and unpredictable. If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine how that can help increase your word count!
5 – Engage your followers
Ask people questions, and comment on followers’ content. It creates a personal relationship with your company, and shows that you value their opinions and the going-on’s in their life.
This is essential for any business- relating to its customers and making a personal connection. It can be as simple as posing a question, addressing a concern, or creating a FAQ page to better help their needs.
6 – Make it about ME
The content is for your customers, and not for your company. Therefore, the content should be relevant to them, and not you. Information should be entertaining or informative, or both.
It should not be there to persuade people to our products, you ads can do that. Creating an online presence is more about creating an experience, not another opportunity to advertise.
7 – Share and Share Alike
Share a story a fan told you, or be ‘sharable’. What factor is going to people likely to share your posts? Well, people are more likely going to share when they think that their followers are going to find something interesting, informative, or so hilarious they can’t keep it to themselves.
Add value to your posts by adding any of those elements to your posts: Interesting, informative, or hilarious.
Getting Exposure
Getting exposure should not be hard if you are consistently providing valuable online content to inform, educate, and entertain your audience. If you continue meeting your reader’s needs, you will see improvement through getting: Likes, Shares, Comments, Subscribers, and ultimately, an Increase in Sales.
Do you have some more tips on improving online content to get more exposure? Don’t keep it all to yourself; share your value below!
Stay Social.
