How do you spark conversation, engage your audience and establish your authority and status in one shot? The answer is content. Content marketing is a means of creating valuable and insightful content (written copy, podcasts, videos, etc.) that contributes to a global conversation. It’s a way for your audience to understand more about your field and thoughts on relevant topics. If you want a good reason for your audience to keep returning to you, then producing intriguing content is a good way to get them coming back time and time again.
There are so many categorical facets of content creation that make it effective for marketing. In terms of written content, you can do “how-to” articles, case studies, reviews, research posts and much more. Depending on what kind of article you do, there are a few guidelines you should follow; but we’re not talking about how to optimize your content for search engines (that’s an article for another time). We’re talking about the very essence of good writing. Here’s our writing advice in 7 important tips:
Know Your Audience
First and foremost, you must know who your audience is. I cannot emphasize this enough. Knowing your audience is like having the key to the holy grail. The way you write and speak to your audience is what’s going to create a connection. Anyone can present facts and information, but if you know how to alter your speech to a specified group, and converse with them in a way that will stick with them, then you’ve hit a vital chord in your marketing strategy. You need to be memorable, and that’s only going to happen if you know how to be relatable to who you’re speaking to.
Use Headlines and Be Bold
Using headlines is a well known writing practice for good reason; it categorizes your piece, gives the reader a slight break and it is a big player in SEO. Write headlines that are relative to your topic. If you know how to deal with keywords, then using variations of keywords in your headlines will also improve your SEO. Also, if you feel as if a certain point in your piece is important to note, then bold it, italicize it or use a block quote if you pulled the information from elsewhere. All of these points will spruce up your writing with variation.
Supplement Your Writing with Visuals
Another great way to supplement written content is with visuals. This may be in the form of:
- photos
- infographics
- charts
- tables
- slideshows
- short video clips
As noted by 3M Corporation through this Earnest Olivares infographic, 90% of information transmitted by the brain in visual.
People are visual learners, so if you can find a way that demonstrates or elaborates on your writing, then use it! It might be original content or it might not be, but no matter what you choose, it’s more interesting to see a visual representation of your written content.
Don’t Forget Lists
Don’t forget to take advantage of bullet points or numbered lists when it’s appropriate. It not only breaks up large chunks of writing, making it easier for your reader to digest, but it also makes your piece more memorable — lists are brief, concise and aren’t buried within lines and lines of words. Your readers can take note of this very easily.
Hyperlink to External Sources
Using external hyperlinks is not only great for SEO practices, but it builds your credibility as a researcher and expert. It shows that you know your field and who’s reliable. You’ll also be supporting others in your community, thus enriching your content immensely. But don’t litter hyperlinks everywhere. Be selective with what sources you pick, and only do it when you believe the link will be useful to the reader or when your own information needs support.
Be Cognizant of Jargon
Now it’s time to tap into the style of your writing. Let’s say for example you are in the medical field. As a doctor or medical professional, it’s probably very easy for you to yammer on about the topics in your profession without batting an eyelash. Terminology rolls of your tongue as if you were born speaking it, and you could easily type up an article within one sitting explaining every detail of a physical condition. But your audience is not you. They’re most likely very inexperienced in your field and we can assume that the extent of their knowledge is common knowledge.
You have to speak (or write per se) to them as if they knew the bare minimum. Write with a conversational tone, use metaphors to explain complex ideas and don’t bore your audience with bland information. Write as if you were telling a story. Don’t be afraid to liven up your writing with personality. Just because health care and wellness is rich with facts and scientific information, that doesn’t mean it has to sound dull.
Don’t Worry About the Word Count
If you’re committed to creating quality content for your business or practice, then you shouldn’t have to worry too much about the length of your written piece. You know your own time constraints and schedule. If you can only commit to one piece a week then that’s OK. Readers are more attracted to a 700+ word article once a week than a 200 word superficial post every two days. Frequency of posts should be happily sacrificed for quality of posts. Of course there is never such a thing as too much content, but if you’re filling all that content with empty thought, then you can expect little to no response.
Following these 7 writing tips will spruce up your writing. Everyone’s not born to write, but it’s also not hard to train yourself to become a good writer either. It takes practice, familiarity and a bit of confidence to type something worth reading. Undoubtedly, there is a whole other sphere of writing (content optimization) to consider when it comes to content marketing, but it’s better to know what you’re doing first before you begin to utilize writing for strategic marketing.
If you’re ready to take your practice to the next level, build authority, become a celebrity in your town, and build a 7figureclinic and beyond, then you need to get in touch with me. I’m currently taking on a few private clients right now. It’s been almost 12 months since I’ve open up space in my 7figureclinic growth system and it won’t be long until the few spots I have are filled up. Complete the application here to see if you qualify.
