What does it mean to write content that “engages” readers? What the heck is engaging content? According to a recent survey by the Content Marketing Institute, this is the #1 challenge for people charged with creating content that markets businesses.
These questions are asked and answered by a distinguished group of contributors to the Content Marketing Institute’s blog and you can read the post here: What Does Engaging Content Mean?
I contributed my take: your content must create an emotional impact in the brains of readers if you hope to influence them to take any sort of action.
Here’s a summary of the ideas, in case you’re in a hurry:
- Make sure content is relevant to your audience and helps them with an issue they have right now.
- Give your audience something that they can’t find anywhere else.
- Be entertaining, educational or both.
- Tell the audience a story.
- Invite the viewer to engage with you further by adding a call to action.
I’d love to get your thoughts. What is your definition of engagement? Is there anything you would add to this list? Let me know in the comments!
The B2B Manifesto, from VelocityPartners in the UK, makes this point as well, by encouraging content creators to share their world views and beliefs. Are you doing that enough in the content you publish for your target audience?
If you haven’t looked at the TED video from Simon Sinek, make some time to do so. He’s got key examples from history (the Wright Brothers, Martin Luther King), and our technology world (Apple, Tivo, Dell) about how to capture the hearts and minds of people, based on brain science.
This video will make an impact on the way you write for your blog. I like it because it does a good job of explaining how the brain makes decisions.
Okay, so I’m violating a key principle of marketing by asking you to do three things in this message: too many options, too many choices and you’ll probably not do any of them!
- First, go read the content marketing experts who contributed some great ideas over on the Content Marketing Institute’s blog: What Does Engaging Content Mean?
- Next, be sure to download the B2B Manifesto for a visual guide to what you need to pay attention to when writing content that engages readers.
- Go enjoy the 20 minute video from Simon Sinek, you’ll be really glad you did because it will make a big impact. Think about his message: People don’t buy what you do; they buy into why you do it.
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