The power of content writing is widely recognized across digital media. As more and more businesses switch to online stores in a post-COVID-19 world, the demand for content writing services and social media management are at their peak. In recent years, the content producers’ focus has shifted towards the infotainment side of things. However, the goal of content production remains the same i.e. to attract and retain more audience on your website and social media pages. In this blog we cover 9 content writing tips that will help budding entrepreneurs attract more audience to their website.
1. Research Your Target Audience
The number one step for attracting and retaining traffic is to understand your target audience. Important demographics include age, gender, occupation, location and other preferences.
Understanding your audience will help you write better content that connects with your readers. Suppose that your business has a high street store in a city on the east coast. You only aim to serve clients in that area and focus on attracting local visitors through targeted ads. You should write content based on recent events in the area.
While it is good if your website attracts visitors from the west coast or outside the US as well, they should not be the focus of your content. Focus on your target audience first and foremost.
2. Align Your Writing Style to Your Readers
Web content writers test out different strategies for their content. Some use a more formal, informative style while others use a more casual or personal approach for creating their content.
Some websites are very technical with a lot of industry jargon. Regular users understand the language easily but new users may have trouble understanding the content. Some writers use more simplistic language that caters to a larger audience but suffers from lack of wit and deeper insight about the subject.
With the help of the best content writing services, websites and social pages become known for their style of writing. They attract the type of audience that wants to consume the content style produced by the website. If the writing style suddenly changes, it can confuse or put off visitors. This is why web content writers put a lot of emphasis on choosing and maintaining a writing style for their content.
3. Be Interesting and Concise
It’s time for one of our content writing tips that is easy to implement. Create simple, light hearted content; this is a great way to build a regular audience quickly. Write on current events that shape your industry and business. Most people want to be aware of what’s going on in the world and your blogs could give them their daily dose of current news while still marketing your brands in a smart way.
Do remember that people have busy lives. Most people don’t want to read a ten page essay on furniture styles, unless they are seriously planning to refurnish their homes. Instead, focus on one category of furniture at a time.
If you think your content would serve customers better as a ten page essay, divide it up into a 4 or 5 part series. Don’t publish more than 1,000 to 2,000 words at a time. It really becomes too long to read and visitors would just skip over it.
4. Focus on a Single Purpose
Many new web content writers get carried away with their writing and end up with a blog that is all over the place. This can become confusing for your readers and make them wonder what your page is actually about.
The best way to avoid this is by creating a plan for your content, based on a single purpose. Write the main theme for the body of your content first, and then write an intro and conclusion to match that. Come up with a title that captures the essence of the content.
Once you get more experienced with writing, you will be able to keep your content focused on the subject with very little effort.
5. Use Great Headlines and Sub-Headlines
Headlines and sub-headlines divide your content into smaller sections. They add clarity and give structure to your content. They make it easier to read and follow your content.
Headlines should be interesting and relevant to the section. The title of your content is the most important part and determines whether someone will read or skip your page. If the title isn’t catchy enough to grab attention and make the reader click on your link, you won’t get the desired action from your target audience.
6. Use Images, Audio and Video
Up next on our list of content writing tips is images and videos. If text is like small, consistent jabs at the reader, images and videos are like the knockout punch that is sure to get their attention. Professional content writing services understand this and enhance their work with images, audio and video to give it an edge over regular content. There is no reason you can’t do the same.
Images and videos are a great way to quickly grab readers’ attention. They always stand out when smartly placed within your content. Another popular technique is to place an image at the top of your blog that helps generate reader’s interest in what is to follow.
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The downside of images and videos is that they are more expensive and time consuming to produce. There are a bunch of free image hosting sites that you can use for your content, but the quality isn’t the best.
7. Use Research Data and Resources
People tend to listen to experts, authority figures and research organizations. Without proper research backing, your content is just your opinion. But when you use published studies and surveys from credible research institutions in your content, it makes your point of view much more convincing.
Don’t be shy about linking to publications from recent studies and surveys in your content. They give more credence to your arguments and show your audience that you are speaking with a firm understanding of what’s going on in the market.
8. Optimize for Search Engines
SEO involves placement of relevant keywords and phrases in your content that potential readers are searching for online. When you put in naturally occurring keywords and phrases in your content, it improves the ranking of your web pages for online searches.
The higher your website ranks the greater your chance of getting discovered by potential readers and customers online.
9. Proofread and Edit Your Work
There is no greater turn off than reading a web page or blog that is filled with grammar and spelling mistakes. It gives off an air of unprofessional, careless attitude. Most visitors will bounce and never look back.
Make sure that you work has been thoroughly checked for grammar or spelling mistakes and punctuation before you publish it on your website or social media pages. Use short sentences and break down paragraphs into smaller structures where you can.
Conclusion
Creating a compelling, engaging website with great content isn’t that difficult. If you have the creative spark and good writing skills, you can publish high quality content on your website to attract an audience.
There are some specific strategies that you should follow to improve the quality of your website. This improves your ranking and brings in more traffic, which increases your rank further. In this blog we covered some useful content writing tips to increase the audience for your online business.