You\u2019ve probably heard the phrase, \u201cContent is King\u201d to describe the power and importance of your digital content.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d like to propose an alternative phrase: \u201cEngaging Content is King.\u201d Just because content on the Internet doesn\u2019t necessarily mean it\u2019s effective or well written. It can\u2019t be king if it\u2019s boring, copy heavy, or if most people who start to read it don\u2019t get past the first paragraph.<\/p>\n
Content is truly king when it provides value, drives traffic to your website and encourages an ongoing relationship with your reader.<\/p>\n
Content is king when it engages your audience.<\/strong><\/p>\n How do you engage your audience through your content? Here are seven suggestions for encouraging your audience to not only read, but also to interact, engage and take the next step with your content.<\/p>\n Write with a friendly, conversational voice<\/strong>.<\/p>\n No one likes to read dry, uninteresting content. You have the power to personalize your words by doing the following:<\/p>\n Add a blog subscription form to your website<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Your readers can sign up to receive an email each time you post a new blog to your website. This keeps your name in front of them on a consistent frequency.<\/p>\n Ask a question that encourages your readers to comment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Your blog and\/or your social media profiles are prime real estate for customer engagement. If you wrote a blog, ask your readers for their thoughts on your article. Do they agree or disagree with your opinion? What has their experience been with the topic you are writing about? Polls and surveys on social media are another way to start a conversation with your followers.<\/p>\n Encourage your readers to sign up for your email newsletter<\/strong>.<\/p>\n If they like what they\u2019ve read, there\u2019s a good chance they will want to read more. Asking your readers to opt in to your email list is a powerful and effective way to continue your engagement with them. It\u2019s a humble honor to be allowed into their email inboxes, so be sure the content you send them is valuable, and consistent without being too frequent. It\u2019s a delicate balance that you\u2019ll learn quickly. Your followers have an easy way to disengage from your email newsletter – and that\u2019s through the dreaded unsubscribe.<\/p>\n Suggest a phone consult<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Do you offer a service or advice that you could \u201cdemo\u201d? A short, free consultation is a great way to speak one on one with your potential customer to determine what their needs are and how you can help them. It\u2019s low risk for them, because there is no commitment to buy anything. And they will gain a better understanding of what you do. Speaking live time by phone or Skype is a personal level of engagement that could yield you strong results.<\/p>\n Offer a free download<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Most customers are searching the Internet for answers to something. You can provide those answers in the form of an ebook, a checklist, or a white paper that they could download for free. All you would require to access it is their email address. Now you can follow up through your email marketing efforts.<\/p>\n Provide a contact form<\/strong>.<\/p>\n A contact form is a simple engagement option for you to create and for your readers to complete. It gives them another way to get in touch with you about a question or problem.<\/p>\n You really only need a few fields for it to be effective\u2013 a name, email address, a space to comment, and a submit button. You may choose to make a few of the field required, such as an email address and maybe their first name. But additional fields or drop-down lists can give you more information about your reader, if you can convince them to fill them out.<\/p>\n Be careful how many fields you offer and require. Your reader may not be willing to provide a lot of information if they just want to send you a message. They might be willing to answer a few more questions if they are getting something for it, such as a free download.<\/p>\n Still have questions?<\/strong><\/p>\n A successful digital presence demands content that\u2019s helpful, interesting and engaging \u2013 and you\u2019ll need plenty of it. If you could use some help creating content for your business, or would like more information about making your content connect with your readers, contact me<\/a>, or fill out the form below.<\/p>\n\n