ut there are some themes which run through content that makes people stop scrolling, think differently and take action.
In fact, we believe there are seven critical factors that all written content should strive to include. A piece of writing doesn’t necessarily have to contain all of these elements but consideration to each should be given before you put pen to paper.
Emotional storytelling
Humans have been communicating through stories for more than 200,000 years.
And today, while ‘storytelling’ has become something of a content marketing buzzword, good stories still stand the test of time.
Compelling content features personal stories which readers can relate to, that stirs emotions and takes them on a journey.
People want to hear stories about other people – humans bring stories to life.
If you think about the stories we consume every day through newspapers and broadcast media, they are all about people. And the first question journalists ask themselves when working on a story is ‘so what does this mean to people?’.
Strong content harnesses this human interest in the same way.
At Thirty Seven, we use journalists to tell captivating stories in the digital world
The ‘so what’ factor
Strong content often excites, shocks and causes people to think differently.
Often, great content is original. Even the best writers will struggle to make the same tired arguments interesting for an audience that has heard it all before.
It is the same principle that makes a story newsworthy. Journalists are always looking for something unusual or new to write about, whether it is an opinion, some original insight or a new product. Stories that include these factors will get more airtime and newspaper coverage.
To stick with that journalism theme, and to use an old adage, dog bites man is not a story, but man bites dog certainly ticks the unusual box.
Just ensure that any new, unusual or bold claims in your content can be backed up. Oh – and just because something is ‘new’ does not make it interesting. Consider this carefully - why should people care about your content?
Make it personal
Often the real strength of content lies in how much of themselves the author is prepared to share.
Personal anecdotes add real credibility to content and can bring the message you hope to get across to life.
Referencing problems, issues and frustrations that you have overcome, and how you solved them, shows that you are ideally placed to be producing this content.
In the blogs I have written for our sister company Media First, it is the ones where I have drawn on my experiences in journalism and communications which get the biggest response and the most interaction.
You can also make content personal by writing the way you speak. I’m a great believer in trying to write the way I would tell the story if I was talking to friends in the pub – just without the bad language.
Originality
Let’s face it, there is a lot of content out there, so to stand out and grab attention in a really crowded marketplace you need to offer something different.
Essentially, your content needs to add something new, whether it is a different perspective or opinion on a topic. This means you need to know your subject inside out, through extensive research and interviews and also know what other people have previously written about it.
Including personal experiences and examples can certainly help boost the feeling of originality and authenticity.
Educational
Valuable content often provides answers to the questions your customers are asking.
This means that in order to produce meaningful content you need have a really good grasp of who your audience is and what the issues are that matter to them.
For some brands, the concern with this approach is that they are giving away their knowledge and expertise with no guarantee of a return.
But those who can see past this and can help customers address their challenges become trusted, are viewed as being credible and tend to build long lasting business relationships.
Strong headlines
A strong, interest-sparking headline, can be the difference between someone reading your carefully prepared work or it heading into the content abyss.
But what makes a compelling headline?
Numbers are an important tool – take another look at the headline of this blog. But, we are far from being alone in our use of numbers. If you look around on the internet you will find lots of content headlined ’9 reasons why…’ or ‘7 steps you must take…’.
Relatively low numbers can suggest your content is succinct and incisive, while it is widely considered that odd numbers work better in headlines. They also suggest authenticity because, rather than rounding up advice into a neat ten, for example, you are just giving them the information they need to know.
And as much as it pains me, as a former journalist who was taught to always spell out the numbers one to nine, using the actual digits appears to be more powerful in web content headlines.
GDPR: 10 examples of best practice UX for obtaining marketing consent via @Econsultancy https://t.co/1DskR47IPE
— Thirty Seven (@37agency) January 29, 2018
Bold statements are another good way of ensuring headlines stand out and can add intrigue while asking questions in the title can leave readers wanting more. If you look at the Daily Mail website – the most popular English-language site in the world – you’ll notice it regularly uses questions in headlines to draw readers in.
Simplicity
An often overlooked factor in strong content is simplicity.
Readers want content which is easy to understand and consume. They will quickly lose interest and switch-off if they can’t understand what you are trying to say.
This means it is crucial that your content uses the same language your readers would use in everyday conversation.
Short paragraphs and sentences are important factors here, while jargon and unnecessarily complex or decorative words should be avoided – remember, you are not producing content to impress colleagues with your vocabulary.
You can read more about the importance of simplicity in content marketing in this recent blog.
At Thirty Seven, we offer content and design services to ensure your campaigns reach the right audiences at the right times. Our journalist led approach ensures your content is interesting, engaging and informative so you gain brand awareness and engagement whether it is social media content or a whitepaper.
Media First designs and delivers bespoke media and communications courses that use current working journalists, along with PR and communications professionals, to help you get the most from your communications plan.
