Content marketing is a form of marketing that focuses on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and engaging content for a specific audience online. Content marketing can help brands attract, educate, and convert prospects and customers, as well as build trust and loyalty.
However, content marketing is not without its challenges. One of the biggest challenges is capturing and retaining the attention of the audience in a world where distractions are everywhere. According to a study by Microsoft, the average human attention span has dropped from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in 2013, which is less than that of a goldfish. Another study by HubSpot found that 43% of people admit to skimming blog posts
So how can content marketers create content that stands out and gets consumed in the age of short attention spans? Here are some tips and best practices to consider:
Know your audience
The first step to creating effective content is to know your audience. You need to understand who they are, what they want, what they need, and how they consume content. You can use tools like buyer personas, surveys, interviews, and analytics to gather insights about your audience.
Knowing your audience will help you create content that is relevant, useful, and personalized to their needs and preferences. It will also help you choose the right content formats, channels, and platforms to reach and engage them.
Use short and catchy headlines
Your headline is the first thing that your audience will see when they encounter your content. It can make or break their decision to click, read, or share your content. Therefore, you need to craft headlines that are short, catchy, and compelling.
A good headline should:
- Capture the attention and curiosity of the reader
- Communicate the main benefit or value proposition of the content
- Include keywords that match the reader’s search intent
- Use emotional triggers, such as urgency, curiosity, or humor
- Avoid clickbait, hype, or misleading claims
Some tools that can help you generate and optimize headlines are:
- CoSchedule Headline Analyzer: This tool scores your headline based on word balance, length, sentiment, and keywords. It also provides suggestions and best practices to improve your headline.
- Sharethrough Headline Analyzer: This tool evaluates your headline based on its ability to drive engagement and impression. It also provides tips and examples to enhance your headline.
- Portent Title Maker: This tool generates headline ideas based on your keyword. It also provides explanations and tips for each headline.
Use visuals and multimedia
Visuals and multimedia can help you enhance your content and make it more appealing and engaging for your audience. Visuals and multimedia can help you:
- Break up large blocks of text and make your content easier to scan and digest
- Illustrate complex concepts and data in a simple and clear way
- Evoke emotions and reactions from your audience
- Increase retention and recall of your message
- Encourage social sharing and virality of your content
Some examples of visuals and multimedia that you can use in your content are:
- Images: Images can help you capture the attention and interest of your audience, as well as convey your brand personality and tone. You can use images to illustrate your points, showcase your products or services, or tell a story. You can use tools like Canva or Piktochart to create and edit images for your content.
- Videos: Videos can help you deliver your message in a more dynamic and interactive way, as well as showcase your brand voice and values. You can use videos to demonstrate your products or services, share customer testimonials, or provide tutorials or tips. You can use tools like Lumen5 or Animoto to create and edit videos for your content.
- Infographics: Infographics can help you present complex or large amounts of data in a more visual and digestible way, as well as highlight key facts and figures. You can use infographics to compare and contrast different options, show trends or patterns, or explain a process or a concept. You can use tools like Visme or Infogram to create and edit infographics for your content.
Create catchy and compelling content for short attention spans. Get tips and best practices for content marketing.
Content marketing is a digital marketing strategy focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and engage a target audience. It aims to build trust, authority, and drive profitable customer actions.
Content marketing is vital because it allows businesses to provide valuable information, solve problems, and build a connection with their audience. It can boost brand awareness, generate leads, and increase customer loyalty.
Content can take various forms, including blog posts, articles, videos, infographics, podcasts, eBooks, social media posts, webinars, and more. The choice of content depends on your target audience and marketing goals.
Identifying your target audience involves creating buyer personas, which are detailed profiles of your ideal customers. Research their demographics, interests, pain points, and preferences to tailor your content to their needs.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is crucial in content marketing because it helps your content rank higher in search engine results, making it more discoverable. Optimizing for relevant keywords, quality backlinks, and user experience is key.
The frequency of content creation varies depending on your resources and goals. Consistency is more important than frequency. Focus on providing high-quality content regularly rather than rushing to produce content daily.
The buyer’s journey consists of three stages: awareness, consideration, and decision. Content marketing can address each stage by offering educational content (awareness), product comparisons (consideration), and purchasing guides (decision).
You can measure content marketing success by tracking metrics such as website traffic, engagement (likes, shares, comments), conversion rates, lead generation, and ROI. Use analytics tools to monitor your progress.
Evergreen content is content that remains relevant and valuable over an extended period. It’s important because it continues to attract organic traffic, providing a long-term return on your content marketing investment.
Repurposing involves adapting existing content into different formats. For example, you can turn a blog post into a podcast or create infographics from research reports. This maximizes the reach and utility of your content.