Let’s face it: there’s nothing more frustrating than producing content that doesn’t get traffic.
At the end of the day, isn’t that what we’re all trying to do? We want our content to be informative and engaging, but if it’s not driving results then you can feel like you’re spinning your wheels.
Sometimes it feels as though you’re doing everything right and still not getting any traction on your website or landing page. Well, how can you ensure your content drives action?
Let’s find out.
How Can You Ensure Your Content Drives Action?
1. Do Not Forget Your CTAs
Call-to-action is one of the first things to look at if your content is not producing any results.
When you’re publishing your content, you need to ask yourself what the goal of that content is.
Do you want the user to buy something? Do you want them to sign up for your newsletter? Do you want them to share it on social media?
If you don’t know what action you’re trying to drive with your content, then how do you expect anyone else to?
Make sure that every piece of your content has an actionable call-to-action in prominent places.
When it comes to online content, people always need that extra push to tell them what to do.
Even if you want them to share your content on social media, put a call-to-action in there asking them to share it.
Not only will they be more likely to accomplish their goal, but you’ll also get some valuable insight into how they feel about your content.
2. Solicit Helpful Opinions
Why not send out surveys to a small group of your audience and ask them how they felt about your content?
It’s an easy way to find feedback and help you better your writing style.
If you can improve some of the business-related aspects of your content, then it will make it more appealing to readers that are interested in what you’re discussing.
Also, don’t forget to always ask your audience how they feel about your writing style.
They will let you know if you need to get a bit more personal with your content or if you need to focus more on the industry side of things.
Both are valuable pieces of information when it comes to improving what you produce for your customer base.
3. Stick To A Schedule
Believe it or not, setting a posting time and sticking to it is actually very effective.
Your loyal email subscribers or social media followers are always looking for your new piece of content.
If you’re consistently posting new content on a regular basis, you’ll be noticed.
With this, it will increase the likelihood that they’ll interact with your content, like it, and share it. This is a very powerful way to drive traffic to your site.
You can even create an automated post that goes out at a certain time of day or week, which will allow you to set aside some time in your schedule for content creation.
Stick to a schedule and you’ll see results sooner rather than later!
4. Avoid Being Too Formal
Being conversational with your audience is a no-brainer but few content marketers can achieve this.
That’s not to say that you should be talking down to people, but you also shouldn’t be talking over them either.
Your writing style should always be informative and engaging but in an informal way.
This will allow the reader to feel as though they’re chatting with a friend, rather than studying a textbook.
This is especially important with the way you phrase your questions to your audience.
If you want people to take action when reading your content, make to ask questions in a friendly manner.
Remember that your readers don’t owe you anything. If they are sparing some time on your site or social media, better make it worth their while.
If you can keep in touch with your readers and have conversations without sounding too formal, then your audience will feel as though they’re getting to know you.
5. Know Your Target Audience
Your audience is the most important aspect of content creation that you need to understand.
Your content might the best piece on the internet but if the readers aren’t acting upon it, then chances are they are not your ideal target audience.
To be able to create content that will drive your intended action, you need to know who you’re writing for.
If you don’t know who your audience is and how they will perceive your content, then how can you adapt what you’re doing to suit their needs?
If you want leads and sales, do not write for the general audience. Instead, make sure that you’re creating content that targets the ones that have a specific problem that your product or service can solve.
That way, you can hook them up in the middle or at the end of your content with a strong call-to-action.
6. Make Your Content Easy To Digest
The format of your content is one element that can either drive action or shy away your web visitors.
Your content might be very helpful but if it’s a huge wall of text without a clean anatomy, the readers will bounce back and will land on your competitor’s site.
Make sure your content looks neat and tidy. If you’re having a hard time doing that, then hire someone to do it for you.
It might seem like a small detail, but it can make the difference between someone reading your content and deciding to move on.
Also, a well-structured and visually appealing piece of content will also reflect your professionalism and your readers will see that.
Consequently, they will be more inclined to trust you and motivate them to take action.
When structuring your content, make sure to include:
When it comes to content creation, the format of your post shouldn’t be overlooked. The format is what drives people to take action on your content or ignore it.
7. Go The Extra Mile On Your Title
Your title is one of the first things that a person will see when they land on your post.
If you want them to read the whole thing, you need to capture their attention right off the bat with a descriptive and engaging title that leads into an equally engaging piece of content.
For that reason, a great title will grab the reader’s attention and spark curiosity. Furthermore, your headline should be short yet powerful.
Your readers want to find out what it is that you’re going to talk about and for them to stick around for the full length of your article, you need to keep them engaged at all times.
Your title should be one of your main selling points. You want to make it stand out and have people remember your post the next time they are browsing around their feed.
Wrap Up
So, how can you ensure your content drives action? Think about these 7 simple hacks and you’ll definitely see better results from your content marketing efforts.
We often focus more on the content itself and forget those tiny details that can make or break a piece of content.
Now that you’re armed with actionable insights on how to make your content more effective and drive action from your readers, get out there and start applying them to your content creation process.