25 Easy Tips for Creating Great Content in 2020

Tips in Making Great Content

Having high-quality content on your website has never been so important. Just some of the benefits of publishing useful, well-written content include better rankings, increased brand and product trust, improved community engagement opportunities and professionalism online.  However, we all know that creating engaging content on a regular basis can be a grind. To help you out we’ve put together the following 25 tips for creating content that gets results.

These tips can be used for any industry, so it doesn’t matter what your target audience or niche is! We’ve used a number of these ideas to help our clients reach their target audience and engage with their community in new and creative ways, which helps them achieve their marketing goals. The best thing about these ideas is that one you create content around them, you can reuse the content for link-building, encouraging social and email sign-ups and ranking for organic and long-tail keywords your traditional target pages wouldn’t be able to. Let’s dive in!

1) Use Engaging Titles but Avoid Clickbait

In order to encourage visitors to engage with your content, it’s important to use an eye-catching title. Make sure that the title reflects the actual content, and that it is relevant to your target audience. If you are delivering content on a subject that has already been covered elsewhere, ensure that you are offering a unique spin, new information, or a style that makes the content more accessible. The aim is to set your content apart.

In the busy modern age, people have a tendency to skim-read. It’s critical, therefore, to use titles that will encourage them to stop, look, and engage. Listicles are hugely popular at the moment, as they give readers the opportunity to learn something in an easy-to-digest, straight-to-the-point format. Some examples include: The Top 5 News Stories You Need to Know Today 10 of the Best Family Dogs 100 Ideas for the Perfect Christmas Day While it is important to employ a writing style that garnishes attention, audiences have become wise to obvious click bait.

This is the practice of using provocative titles to achieve that elusive visit, only for the viewer to find that the content has very little (or nothing) to do with what was promised. Nobody likes to be misled. Using clickbait consistently does damage to brand reputation that is almost impossible to recover. Think about the longevity of your organization; is fleeting pseudo-success really worth jeopardizing long-term engagement? So, the key here is to find a balance between making a connection with readers and giving them an accurate idea of what your content is about. With a little practice, you’ll become a pro!

2) Social Media Sharing

It almost goes without saying that a strong social media presence is a crucial aspect of any modern marketing plan. Your potential audience is predominantly online, and if they’re not served by your content, they’ll look for it elsewhere. As a bare minimum, your brand should have an account on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. These are the most popular platforms, with broad and diverse audiences.

Give yourself the best chance of making a connection by posting on these platforms regularly, and taking the time to engage with people who share and comment on your content. Don’t forget to tailor your posts to the platform itself. On Instagram, visual impact is everything. This is where you’ll post high-quality photos, eye-catching graphics, and useful infographics. Make sure to deliver content that is pertinent to your audience. If you are selling products, highlight them here. In the service industry? Instagram allows you to show off how your unique approach is superior to your competitors.

Twitter is all about snappy content that is easy to digest and share. The platform recently upped its character limit from 140 to 280 characters per tweet; purists were initially skeptical, but it does allow for the greater context within each post.

On the other hand, Facebook allows you to delve deeper into every post; there’s no character limit and you can texts and photos with a more effective preview than on Twitter. It’s also ideal for direct interaction with customers and other visitors. Facebook permits a rating and feedback system for brands on the platform; make a point to respond to all comments, whether they contain praise or criticism. This demonstrates your ability to act professionally in response to any kind of feedback. Finally, take a connected approach to social media. Are you posting a beautiful image on Instagram? Share it on Twitter and Facebook while you’re there. Have you posted crucial information in a long form Facebook post? Tweet a link and place a reminder on your Instagram story. Maintain a consistent message and visitors will know you have your social media in check.

3) Keep an Eye on your Competitors

Your competitors’ content can provide useful insight into what you should be producing. While we certainly don’t advocate plagiarism, it’s worth noting the styles and formats that create successful engagement with other brands in your industry. For example, your competitors may be producing infographics that gather plenty of likes, comments, and shares across social media. If you’re not yet creating your own infographics, it’s time to start. The key is to emulate and enhance; make sure that the information you provide in your infographics is pertinent to your audience, useful, and presented within designed that are well-organized and perfectly polished.

In order to stay competitive, you will need to be on top of the trends that are present in your sector. Assign a member of your team, or take responsibility independently, to thoroughly research what’s happening within your industry, and review it regularly. If using the example above, your industry moves away from infographics as the most effective format, ensure that you wind down your efforts, too. Move along with the times to maintain audience engagement. It’s also a good idea to learn from your competitors’ mistakes, to avoid making them yourself! If another brand creates content that completely tanks, ensure that your company doesn’t follow suit. In combination, these approaches will help your brand to produce high-quality content that is relevant and attractive to your target audience.

4) Listicles

Let’s turn our attention to ideas for content formats, starting with listicles. This is a portmanteau of ‘list’ and ‘article’. You’ve probably seen them hundreds of times. In fact, you’re reading one right now! Listicles are attractive to an audience because they present a lot of useful information in a way that is easy to read, understand, and utilize. Massive walls of text are unlikely to hold the attention of most readers. Breaking everything down into a logical list format allows for greater interest and comprehension. For the content creator, listicles are something of a dream! They can be more straightforward (and enjoyable) to write than complex narratives. It’s also easy to come up with ideas for this format. Find a niche topic that your audience will want to know about, assign an appropriate number of points, and get writing!

While you may wish to work with a professional copywriter to get the most polished result, this format can be managed in-house by experts with a gift for transforming their complex knowledge into bitesize chunks. Of course, listicles don’t have to be serious! Presenting information in a light-hearted, accessible way leads to successful engagement with an audience. Don’t make your visitors work too hard to absorb content that is pertinent to them; it’s unlikely that many will choose to stick around. Instead, offer articles that have the ability to entertain. It’s important to note, however, not to use clickbait. As we mentioned above, your visitors don’t want to be misled. Certainly, be creative with titles, but make sure they are absolutely relevant to the content.

Listicles

5) Infographics

The power of images can never be underestimated. There’s no better way to make an instantaneous connection with your audience than by presenting information in the popular infographic format. But what is it that makes these images so successful? First off the bat; they’re eye-catching. When scrolling through a busy social media feed, it’s the pictures awash with colour and innovative design that will get noticed. Draw your audience in with a striking graphic, and once you have their attention, you’ll be empowered to make a meaningful connection. An infographic presents the opportunity to deliver your message in a unique format. You have a black canvas to customize however you see fit. As well as making an immediate engagement with the audience, they also allow you to build brand awareness and loyalty over time. With practice and a dash of originality, any brand can become well-known within their industry.

But what makes a great infographic? First and foremost, good design is crucial. Once your content is written, you’ll need to arrange it in a way that is intuitive and accessible for the audience. Use clear and legible fonts, and don’t be tempted to jam too much information into a small space. The colour palette is also important; be bold to encourage engagement, but don’t give your audience a headache! Choose complementary hues that work with the subject of your infographic. Finally, once your image is ready, share it far and wide! Infographics are well-suited to Instagram, but should also be shared on Twitter and Facebook to maximize engagement. Be proud of your work and show it off!

6) Slide Decks

Once you have a decently-sized catalogue of content already in place, or if you’ve been working on tutorials (as well discuss in greater depth below), it’s a great idea to collate your work and format it into slide decks, arranged according to the topic. Slide decks, in a similar way to listicles and infographics, allow you to take complex concepts and break them down into bitesize chunks. Whether in education or our professional lives, the overwhelming majority of us have had at least some exposure to this format. Information presented in this way can be absorbed easily, and most people will be able to navigate a slide deck intuitively.

You may wish to utilize free slide decks as a method of making a conversion. This can be as simple as requesting an email address from visitors in order to access downloadable content. Don’t make access too prohibitive or complicated, however; your audience will be put off by an overly elaborate process. Instead of hosting content directly on your website, you may wish to make use of a presentation repository. Many of these platforms provide data on audience engagement. This provides insight into which styles and topics work well and which features should be avoided in the future.

7) Product Reviews

Take time to research what your industry’s audience want to know about. Are there new products coming to the market? Contact the manufacturer in advance to request a sample or early access. This helps to secure exclusivity; if you can position yourself as the first reviewer, you’ll be able to pique the interest of early adopters and tap into the pre-sale hype. If your blog or social media presence is already established, suppliers are more likely to choose you to conduct an early review. Be honest when you assess a product. An unduly favourable review may garnish some fleeting credence with the manufacturer, but your audience will not appreciate it. Think about your integrity as an impartial reviewer, and always present a factual reflection of your experience.

If you’re focused on the service industry, this doesn’t preclude you from reviews! Your audience will need to know about accountants, lawyers, mechanics, health centres, consultants, hotels, transport, and any other service you might imagine. Find out what your visitors want to know, and ensure that you can provide that information. You may even wish to be creative with your review content and choose one of the formats we’ve outlined on this list. An infographic about a brand-new product? Sounds perfect!

8) FAQs

While we’re on the subject of presenting important information in an intuitive, easy-to-use format, don’t overlook the classic frequently asked questions format. Whether your FAQs occupy their own page on your website, or you deliver them across multiple posts, acknowledging and answering your audience’s pressing questions helps to create a prized connection that can lead to conversion and custom. There are some FAQs that are standard across all brands within a given industry. If you’re selling a physical product, this may include shipping times, delivery costs, size charts, or store information. For companies positioned within the service industry, you might want to provide key information about pricing, availability, and customization options. Whichever industry you’re in, an FAQ section or post is the perfect place to remind potential clients of your customer service details. Making this a focal point demonstrates that you take client satisfaction seriously.

If you’re stuck for FAQ ideas, turn it over to the people who will benefit the most! Invite your audience to ask their own questions. There are several approaches to gather this information. The most straightforward is to simply ask across social media; a coordinated effort will certainly help you to gather a diverse range of questions. You can also set up an online survey. This allows visitors to post their questions anonymously, which may be a consideration for some. A dedicated email address is also a neat way to collect, collate, and work through your customer’s questions. Choose a memorable address moniker, such as: 

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 

In order to maintain interest in your website’s FAQ section, you may wish to try a ‘Question of the Week’ highlighted post. Encourage your audience to submit questions, and choose one to answer on a specified date each week. Don’t forget to link the updated FAQ section in your post!

9) Tutorials

All of us are experts in at least one area. Harness your team’s knowledge to create useful tutorials and how-to content for your audience. The beauty of tutorials is that they can take a number of formats. A long-form blog post allows you to go into detail and is perfect for more complex instructions. You can also embed photos, videos, and links, to give your audience the most comprehensive tutorial. Speaking of videos, this is the perfect format for a tutorial that requires a fair amount of demonstration. Sometimes, even the best-written description falls short in comparison to seeing an actual human complete the task. If you’re teaching your audience to repair a cracked screen, knit a scarf, or complete a yoga workout, an AV presentation is best.

For how-to content with just a few, straightforward steps, a square infographic is a great choice for Instagram. With the multi-image function, you can even split your content across several graphics, all within the same post. This platform also allows you to combine videos and images within one post; so, if there’s a tricky part of your tutorial that would benefit from a quick video, you have the freedom to add it in. Twitter isn’t the best platform for a tutorial, but if you have a quick how-to that can be placed within a thread, by all means, tweet it out! A better use of this platform is to spread the word about your blog post, video, or infographic series. The same goes for Facebook. Never forget your coordinated approach to social media!

10) Case Studies

Demonstrate how your product or service integrates seamlessly into the lives of your customers by creating case studies. The first step is to find out who your ideal customer actually is. This will be done as part of your ongoing marketing strategy, but it’s always helpful to conduct an ad-hoc review. Once you have the characteristics and preferences of the ideal customer in mind, you can choose the subject of your case study. Reach out to previous customers or clients to establish if they are interested in partaking in a case study. It can be helpful to offer a sweetener, such an exclusive offer or discount code on a subsequent purchase! It’s also a good idea to make their part of the case study as straightforward and non-demanding as possible. A survey or email template can certainly help. A survey is better at capturing numerical values (such as a scale rating of a customer’s experience, or binary yes/no questions), while email tends to be best for gathering detailed answers to open questions. Give participants time to provide information for their case study; if a substantial amount of time has passed, a gentle nudge is fine, but don’t harass them every few days.

Sometimes it becomes clear that initial enthusiasm has waned, but the customer may not wish to say so; after the first reminder, feel free to move on. Once you have gathered the information you need, it’s time to present it in a format that’s useful and relevant to your target audience. The most effective format for a case study remains a blog post or dedicated page. While an infographic is great to drum up interest in the long-form case study, it can be difficult (and somewhat ineffective) to present all the information you have gathered in that format. Your case study should make use of pertinent headings and sub-headings, highlighted quotations, bulleted lists, and graphs (if applicable). The text should be clear and concise, giving a true reflection of the information provided by the subject of the case study. Before you publish, it is courteous to send a copy to the subject to confirm that the end result is in keeping with their answers.

11) Quizzes

We’ve all been there; procrastinating in the face of a deadline, killing time while commuting, or struck by Sunday night insomnia. In times of (mild) peril, an online quiz can provide a little light relief. It’s also a hugely popular style of content that can be utilized by pretty much anyone. In some industries, a jovial, light-hearted quiz is a perfect addition to a brand’s portfolio. For example, if a company is involved in the restaurant sector, they might wish to set up a quiz to determine which cuisine the participant should choose for dinner. Or, a clothing retailer might link entertainment-related questions with an outcome to do with fashion.

Within other sectors, a quiz with a more serious subject matter can provide practical guidance to visitors. For example, it’s always advisable to take serious medical issues to a health practitioner. However, if a participant suspects they are suffering from a mild ailment, such as the common cold or hay fever, a quiz with questions about symptoms can provide useful guidance about their next steps. Quizzes can also be used to help visitors choose between the products or services you offer. For example, imagine you are an athletic shoe retailer. A quiz can help potential customers to narrow down the style, function, price, fit, brand, and colorway that will work best for them. This can also be replicated in the service industry; if you offer a range of packages, a simple quiz helps potential clients to decide which one offers the most suitable features for their budget. Still, there’s always something to be said for discovering which breed of dog best suits your personality at two in the morning!

12) Introducing New Products and Services

Do you have a fresh product in the pipeline? Are you working on a brand-new feature that will enhance or revolutionize your service portfolio? Don’t be shy about it! Your online space is the perfect place to show off the latest innovations. A blog post is the best way to start. This gives you the opportunity to explain the unique or improved features of your new product or service. Emphasize the superiority of what you have to offer in relation to your competitors. In the case of a new product, use photos to make your audience familiar with its form and potential uses. For new services, opt for imagery that evokes the positive experience that can only be found by choosing your business.

Instagram is an excellent platform for showing off all that is new. You can build the hype with a daily countdown, give sneak peeks in stories, upload videos to demonstrate your new product or service, and use a unique hashtag to generate a buzz. Similarly, you can use Twitter to whip up interest, using the same hashtag as you have on Instagram. Bring everything together on Facebook. Provide a link to the blog post, with an abridged version included, a selection of photographs, and encourage your community to engage. Reply to comments, and help drive the interest around your new offering.

13) Podcasts

The humble podcast has experienced something of a renaissance in the last couple of years. After a strong start upon its introduction in 2005, the format steadily waned in popularity. However, from around 2015 onwards, there’s been a sharp rise in interest. There are many reasons for this. Firstly, innovations in mobile technology have made it easier to download or stream podcasts while on the move. Back in the day, listeners would need to download every episode from the internet and transfer it to an iPod. Now, within a couple of taps, your morning commute can be transformed into a mobile listening party! Video podcasts have also been a popular innovation. Posting episodes to YouTube allow listeners to become viewers, creating an enhanced experience with a greater connection between host and audience. You might be wondering what you can bring to the crowded podcast market. Don’t underestimate yourself! Your niche knowledge will be useful to your target audience. All you need to do is present it in a way that entertains while it educates!

This can take some practice, but it’s worthwhile. A podcast works best when the presenter can bounce ideas off another participant. You may wish to set up with a team member or other co-host to create a dynamic duo or get a group together. Note that with more than two participants, however, there must be a moderator to prevent the broadcast from becoming too chaotic! Another idea is to bring in a guest every week. This could be an industry figure, a team member, a customer or client, a representative from another company, or, depending on your connections, a famous figure. The most important thing is to collaborate with people who can carry a conversation and present ideas in an engaging manner. As with all your content-related endeavors, make sure to promote a podcast across social media. Encourage your existing audience to share with their friends; this can provide an exponential reach. Come up with a unique hashtag to keep the conversation flowing, even after the episode has ended!

14) Video Content

Also founded in 2005, YouTube revolutionized the sharing and consumption of video content online. On average, 3.25 billion hours of video are watched on YouTube every month. There’s a thriving market ready and waiting for you! When it comes to the video content you produce, feel free to play around with several formats. We looked at podcasts in the previous point; you may wish to upgrade audio episodes by offering a video option. It’s a great way to engage with your audience, allowing them to have a greater sense of being in the room with you. There are plenty of other styles you can try; product unboxings and reviews, reactions, step-by-step tutorials, service demonstrations, behind-the-scenes vlogs, and Q&A sessions. Check the feedback on every video to help you discover which formats work best for your audience.

Video content is not limited to YouTube, however! Instagram stories have become hugely popular; creating a timely link between audience and creator. It also allows you to provide content quickly, without the need to go through the editing process. It’s quick, straightforward, and effective. Don’t forget that you can also embed video within your blog and Facebook posts. Viral videos often gain traction on Facebook, as they’re so easy to share. While you shouldn’t set out to create a gimmicky viral hit with every video (always keep quality in mind), there’s no harm in editing your work to generate an instant impact that your audience will want to share.

15) Exclusive Interviews

Whatever the format of your content, exclusivity is always an attractive prospect. When you deliver content that can’t be found elsewhere, people will naturally flock towards it. Think about the most interesting characters in your industry. Who would be your ideal interviewee? Does that match your audience’s preferences? The best way to find out which people your visitors would like to see interviewed is to ask them directly. Set up a poll on Twitter or turn the question over to Facebook, Instagram, or the blog comments section for open answers. Don’t be afraid to approach leading industry figures. Although it may seem intimidating, they are ultimately just people like all of us. Certainly, they may have a very busy schedule, but if you offer them an opportunity to connect with a solid base of customers or visitors that are already invested in the industry, it’s an attractive prospect!

In terms of what you ask your interviewee, make sure to use open questions that prompt enlightening answers. If you’re recording a podcast, ask each interviewee if they would be happy to capture the conversation on video; as discussed above, this format is more intimate and allows the audience to feel as though they are present in the room. A written interview still packs a punch, however. You can ramp up the visual impact by using a creative editorial style, more in keeping with a magazine article. Take some high-resolution photos and embed them alongside the copy. It’s important to stress, both within the content and your promotional efforts, the exclusivity of your interviews. Let your audience know that your content offers something that simply can’t be found elsewhere!

16) Guest Posts

Interviews are just one way to gather the collective expertise of your industry. Another approach is to invite leading figures to collaborate on guest posts. As the name suggests, this is the practice of inviting guest writers or creators to create content for your blog. Usually, this will involve a payment or reciprocal arrangement, and the benefits are well worth the investment! Again, this is a type of content that can develop an air of exclusivity. Can you use your connections to nab a guest post from a key person in your industry? Perfect! Be confident in your ability to secure the content that your audience wants to see.

Aside from exclusivity, there are many additional benefits of guest posting. Firstly, it helps to attract a new audience. Your guest poster may have developed an audience of their own, or their gravitas can help to gain interest in your content. Also, by using backlinks, guest posts can help you to rise up the search engine rankings. Consider your position as a guest poster, too. Are you creating consistently successful content? Great! Offer your services to other brands; it can be a great way to diversify while offering a promotional aspect for your own work.

17) Industry News

Use your content creation talents to become a well-known news source for your industry. Keep your finger on the pulse of breaking news, and create well-researched, useful reports as quickly as possible. Over time, your consistency will set you apart as the definitive source of news within your brand’s sector. Make a point to attend industry events, particularly if they are used to showcase new products and services. Ensure that you take the opportunity to network as often as you can; make contacts that will help you to be the first to know about any developments in the market. Earlier, we discussed the power of exclusivity. This is certainly an important factor in news reporting. Approach companies that are bringing out new products or developing new services, and encourage them to speak to you first.

If you have an established reputation, it’s a relationship that benefits both parties. For the other company, they’ll have access to an audience that is already engaged in the industry. For you, it’s the perfect chance to give your visitors content that simply cannot be found elsewhere. In terms of format, there are lots of effective approaches you can take. The written news is perfect for an audience who wish to get into the depth of a story. For those on the go, a bitesize service, either on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, can get to the crux of the news without having a work through a wall of text. Don’t forget the impact of video content! Post news on YouTube or Instagram to allow your audience to get the facts quickly.

18) Guidance for People New to the Industry

When entering a new industry, the sheer amount of knowledge that needs to be absorbed can be intimidating. Make it easy for new entrants by creating content that is tailored to their unique needs. Your knowledge is an asset that is often undervalued. Be confident in your abilities, and get into the practice of sharing wisdom with those who are just starting out. If you have experience of mentoring, you’ll already be well-versed in the techniques that help novices to develop their own skills.

This principle can also be applied to your online content. People who are new to your industry will likely search online for helpful pointers. Make sure you are right in the mix by delivering guidance in written, video, and image formats. Infographics, which we looked at in further detail earlier, are perfect for people looking to learn more about their new sector. This format offers you the chance to show off your knowledge with creative flair. Work with a designer (or utilize your own skills) to ensure that your infographics are visually appealing, packed full of useful information, and presented in a way that intuitive to read and absorb. Videos are also extremely helpful; they allow you as the creator to break down complex concepts into accessible chunks of information. Having a friendly face to deliver new ideas also helps people to understand what they’re learning. But don’t write off written content! Often, having reference information to hand can instill confidence in someone who is new to a role or industry. Make sure not to overcomplicate the language, and break your content down with sub-headings and bulleted lists to optimize its effectiveness.

19) Weekly Round-up

Depending on the size of your company, there might not be time to dedicate to daily content creation. It’s perfectly understandable! Instead, a weekly round-up is a great way to summarise all of the news and updates that are applicable to your brand. For example, if you have an active Instagram account, on which your team is posting regular stories, you could pull everything together at the end of the week into one video.

Or, if your content is focused on the news, whether it’s niche or general, a longer weekly post is an excellent way to get your audience up to speed. You may also wish to collate a week’s worth of content into a podcast episode. Invite a guest to discuss the impact of the developments that have taken place over the course of the week, and encourage audience interaction or questions. Be consistent with your weekly posts, and visitors will know to expect it. For busy working people, a weekly round-up can be the optimal format for keeping on top of what’s happening in the industry. If they can rely on you to deliver, they’ll come back week after week.

20) Seasonal Content

At certain times of the year, there’s a great deal of pre-existing hype just ready and waiting for you to tap into. Take Christmas, for example. It’s a time of celebration, togetherness, and gift-giving; all of which can be integrated into your content. If you sell products that can be given as gifts, showcase their features. Demonstrate how your products can provide your audience’s loved ones with the best Christmas ever. Visual content, either as images or videos, are very effective at this.

On Instagram, for example, a flat layer of your products, surrounded by season cues such as snow (real or artificial!), garlands, glitter, and fairy lights, places your audience right in the middle of a winter wonderland, giving them an incentive to choose you over your competitors. If you’re in the service industry, Christmas is your time to shine! Make it clear to potential clients that what you have to offer will provide an unforgettable experience. Specific seasonal packages are also a great idea to drum up business, and your content can be devoted to showcasing your services within the context of the holiday. Keep an eye on times of the year that you can promote seasonal discounts and special offers. Black Friday has transformed from a one-day USA-centric event into an international extravaganza that often spans the entirety of late November. Ensure that you focus your content, both on your website or blog and on social media, on embracing these shopping spectaculars!

21) Go Behind the Scenes

Did we mention that exclusivity is a huge bonus when it comes to content creation? If we haven’t driven the point home sufficiently just yet, let’s take a look at another approach to unique content. Offering your audience behind-the-scenes access, whether that’s to your company’s operations, an industry event, or any exclusive occasion with a limited guest list, prompts them to choose your content over the competition. For example, if you’re working within the gaming industry and score an invite to the E3 expo, take your audience along with you! Give them a glimpse into what the future holds for the industry, and try to catch a conversation with industry figures. Making an event of the event, if you will!

Create contemporaneous content on the go, using Instagram stories or live tweets, and follow up with a longer video or blog post. Ensure that you coordinate your efforts across social media, promote where you’ll be and when, and encourage your audience to interact. If your company is organizing its own event, you’ll have greater access to behind the scenes content. Show your visitors how everything comes together. This is particularly useful if you work in the service industry, and wish to provide insight into the makings of a successful occasion. You can use your experience as a foundation for a series of posts about how to prepare for and deliver the perfect event. Remember; exclusivity is key.

22) Instagram Stories

We’ve touched upon the importance of Instagram stories as part of your social media portfolio, but let’s take a closer look at the platform’s most versatile and engaging feature. Instagram stories are similar to those found on Snapchat. They are time-limited (usually up to 24 hours, although there’s now functionality to highlight stories and keep them indefinitely on your page), and can be customized with text, emojis, and now gifs. They are the perfect choice for instantaneous connection with your audience. As we mentioned in the last point, attendance at an industry event provides an ideal opportunity to grab your phone and begin posting stories. People who are interested in what’s happening at an event, but aren’t able to attend, can keep on top of the action from wherever they are in the world.

It’s also a great way to create an ongoing narrative and interaction with your audience, with a more natural connection. If you have a small team working together in an office, shop, or out and about, encourage them to use your brand’s Instagram account to keep clients and customers up to speed with what happens during the working day. Another great feature is that you can upload stories from your camera roll. This means that you have the ability to prepare a story in advance, and have it ready for upload at the perfect moment. It’s a great choice if you want to deliver high-resolution images and video, and give a premium feel to your content. However you use them, don’t ignore the potential of Instagram stories; if they’re relevant to your audience, they should be a priority in your marketing plan.

23) Incorporate Data

We’ve spoken at length about utilizing your existing knowledge when creating online content. Fortunately, there are still things for even the most prolific experts to learn. And it is those lessons that can be transformed into engaging content for your audience. Continuous education is an important part of any career. Attend conferences, workshops, lectures, and other industry events that encourage you to learn new techniques and improve upon existing skills. Most people relish the opportunity to get together with their peers and keep up with the most innovative practices in their industry. Your audience is likely to be interested in discovering what you learned from these experiences, and how your brand may adapt in response.

You can also learn a great deal from an important event within your own company, such as a new product launch. Speak with your team to find out what went well, the elements that could be improved, and how your processes might change in the future. These insights are also valuable outside of your organization. The lessons your brand learned from a product launch can help other businesses to finesse their plans. Remember that you’re not only creating content for your clients and customers, but for other stakeholders within your industry. Your honesty may even prompt new collaborations! In terms of formats, all options are open to you. Infographics are a particularly effective way to deliver lessons learned. If you have pertinent numerical data, be sure to add that in, either as a table or a graph. Use bullet points, bold and italic fonts, and colour to highlight the most important lessons. Videos and podcasts are also highly useful; they allow you to transform your experience into a conversation. Encourage your audience to send in questions that can be answered as part of your report.

24) Tip of the day

We mentioned that Twitter is the perfect platform for quick and snappy content. A tip of the day is a great way to harness the potential of your tweets, particularly if time is at a premium. Think about the advice you can offer to your audience, and condense it to a couple of sentences. If you’re selling products, ensure that you integrate them into your tips. For example, imagine that you’re a retailer of pet supplies. You might have a series of top tips to help settle a puppy into a new home. Make a point of including links to the bowls, toys, collars, crates, food, and potty-training pads that you sell. Create a visual element with images of your products within their intended setting; for example, an adorable puppy resting upon a sumptuous new bed. Even brief snippets of content can help to create and maintain the emotional connection with your audience.

If you’re in the service industry, there’s certainly space to highlight what you have to offer within a tip of the day format. Let’s say that you’re running a dental practice. You might wish to use your short-form content to provide simple guidance on how to maintain good oral hygiene. At the end of each post, you can provide a link to your website, and encourage visitors to pop in for a check-up. You can also collate your daily tips into a weekly format; either written, as an infographic, or presented in a video. Always consider the ways in which one type of content can feed into another!

25) Create an eBook

Do you have a bulk of content already in place? Use it as the foundation for an eBook! It can be quite straightforward to transform articles and blog posts into chapters of a book. Look for trends in your content; topics that you discuss regularly, or a general theme that can be used as the basis for a more substantial piece of work. Collaborate with a professional writer, or utilize the talents of your in-house team to bring everything together, adapt the format, and edit into a book. If you don’t have the content to hand already, there’s no need to fret! Creating an eBook doesn’t have to be a prohibitively arduous task. If you wrote just one page a day, you’d have a viable eBook ready in less than a month. Involve your team; there might be a budding writer among your ranks! Work with an editor to help spot any mistakes, and ensure that everything flows effectively.

Once your eBook is ready for publication, you can use your existing office suite, or free online software to transform your work into an accessible format. If you’re planning to offer the eBook on Amazon’s Kindle platform, for example, you’ll need to a specific formatting style. Take the opportunity to use your eBook as a prompt to make a conversion. If you’re not charging for access, ask readers to provide their email address and offer them the opportunity to receive direct updates. Some visitors may not wish to receive anything else, but a proportion of readers will be happy to continue engaging with you, particularly if they enjoy the content of the eBook.

CREATE CONTENT THAT GETS RESULTS

As we have seen, there are plenty of techniques and formats you can employ to get the most out of your online content. Using an inclusive and coordinated approach, you’ll be able to make a connection with your audience that drives success throughout the year, and into the future! If you need help creating content that gets results for your business or want to start getting the most from your marketing budget, contact us today! We specialize in digital marketing campaigns that work with your budget and achieve your goals. Reach out to a member of our team for a free quote today!

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