It’s one thing to get people to read content online but what you’re really after is conversion – turning their visits into measurable actions. Let’s look at some ideas for making your posts more successful.
- Instant Impact
The more time we spend online, the shorter our attention spans have become. It only takes a few seconds to decide whether to keep reading or not so make sure your content grabs their attention in your opening lines! Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box and try something new. Why not try making an infographic using piktochart.com? Other great image creation tools worth checking out include unsplash.com, pablo.buffer.com, or canva.com.
- Post regularly
If you make posts on a regular basis you will start to build regular visitors. They’re the people who like your content and what you offer; they keep coming back because they know there’ll always be something new. How often you post depends on your circumstances but once every week or two shows you are active and eager to engage with audience. Why bother checking a blog that only posts three or four times a year?
- Quality and Length
At the same time don’t post just for the sake of posting. You need to make your posts newsworthy so quality is everything. See what your competitors are posting and develop new spins on it. How much to write depends on the content but currently search engines are ranking longer articles higher because readers prefer in-depth articles. Aim for an average of 700 words but go as high as 1500 words if the material warrants it. Remember, if your post is really good readers will want to share it with friends and colleagues.
- Focus on Action
If your post is intended to generate an outcome, such as raising awareness or generating sales, then you’ll need to make sure your visitors can do so easily. Display call-to-action buttons in sensible places so it’s easy for your guests to follow-up their visit with action. Also, don’t forget to make it easy for people to contact you. There’s a reason most websites have “contact us” option in their main navigation bar or page footer.
- Visually appealing
Absolutely make your content attractive to the eye but don’t be “in-your-face”. Adobe Flash, background music, animated gifs, and clashing colour schemes make people close the tab! Take the time to develop a nice, minimal theme with an easy navigation system. People are more likely to come back to a professional looking website.
- Integrity
Always be honest. People share their experiences in social media so if you make an error in judgement expect it to go viral. Sometimes that means giving customers satisfaction even when you know they were in the wrong. Customer care is sorely lacking these days so people will always come back to a place they’ve been treated well. If you are making claims about your product or service, don’t forget to back it up with evidence. You can always link to case studies or supporting details on another page so the visitor can follow it up if they want.
- Build Subscriber Lists
It takes time to build a good reputation so you need to think long-term in scope. While your posts might lead to sales now, the real focus should be on building a list of subscribers. One of the proven ways to achieve this is to offer a must-have reward for signing up. It could be a free song, a free e-book, or an informative guide to purchasing within your niche. Whatever it is, make sure it is up there with your best work so it really means something!
Luke Chaffey is a Digital Marketing Specialist with KBB Digital. For advice on Digital Marketing, including SEO services and Digital Strategy, visit www.kbbdigital.com.au
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