In an online world where everyone has a voice, it can be difficult to make yourself heard. This may be especially true for smaller businesses that don’t have the luxury of a full-time marketing team at their disposal.
So, what exactly can you do to give your content the best chance of standing out? While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, there are certain things you should keep in mind when attempting to connect with your desired audience.
Know who you’re talking to – While this may seem obvious, many businesses fall into the trap of writing content that they want to read, not their audience. Of course, it’s important to always remain true to your values. After all, that’s what’s going to help you stand out, but it’s essential to find the right balance. Research your target audience before writing content for them. Find out what they’re searching for, what problems they may have and then position your digital content strategy around providing them with value.
Have a clear and consistent tone of voice – Keeping your image consistent across all digital platforms is vital for building awareness and generating engagement. Developing a unique tone of voice that resonates with your audience is a crucial part of that. Think about investing some time in developing your own tone of voice guidelines. Even if you’re the sole person responsible for creating content, it can be extremely useful to have something like this to refer back to and ensure you’re remaining consistent.
Write for the web – The purpose of offline and online copywriting is the same. Both approaches require persuasive, engaging and informative copy. However, there is one fundamental distinction between the two, which is how people read. Audiences view and absorb information online differently than printed materials, so it must be presented in a clear and concise format.
Learn the SEO basics – Although some businesses do invest a huge amount of budget into perfecting their SEO strategies, there are lots of things you can do yourself to help your content appear higher in search engine rankings. There are many paid courses you can complete online to help you learn the basics, but there are also some great free ones too like Moz and Yoast.
Don’t neglect your long-term strategy – While short-term marketing strategies do provide value, it’s likely that they will only offer a temporary boost (paid advertising, for example). That’s why it’s just as important to invest time in developing long-form content that can maintain consistent results.
Final thoughts
Try not to feel overwhelmed. The best thing you can do is start by researching your target audience and build a simple yet consistent content strategy around that. Over time, you’ll learn what works best for your business and what doesn’t, and you can plan accordingly.
And, if you’ve read this and think you could benefit from the expertise of a professional copywriter, why don’t you get in touch and see how I can help?
Laura Bracher 