Content Creation Brain Freezes. How To Unthaw The Head

I recently came across an article that hit home even for my business. And that is content creation. Content marketing can be a great way to position your brand as a thought leader and build a reputation for your
product or service, but content must engage your target audience in order to be effective.

More and more companies are finding that focusing on the needs of their audience is the basis of a strong content strategy. In fact, 90% of the top-performing B2B content marketers put their audience’s informational needs ahead of their company’s sales message, according to research from the Content Marketing Institute.

However, knowing you need an audience-first approach is only half the battle. Content creation typically one of the biggest challenges business face when it comes to content marketing.

Focus on educating rather than selling
A smarter approach is to create a piece of content that uses your company’s expertise to inform readers about a topic that’s relevant to your industry -- regardless of whether or not they buy your product. Done well, this approach still generates leads and sales. Content that is more educational than promotional in nature is among the most important qualities of content reviewed during the purchasing decision making process,

Be specific -- and honest
Another important quality of content that decision-makers consider before a purchase is that it speaks to readers’ specific needs or pain points. One way to forge a connection with readers is by focusing on these pain points -- especially if they’re something your brand has also dealt with. An honest account of how a brand has worked to overcome issues that its target audience commonly deals with can build trust, and it’s a lot more compelling than content that reads like marketing copy.
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Let the function dictate the format
Once you’ve found the perfect topic to engage your audience, you also need to consider which format best suits the people you're trying to reach and the information you’re presenting. Oftentimes, one topic can be presented in multiple ways. A blog post that summarizes a webinar is a quick read and more shareable than an hour long recording. The same information can be condensed even more into an attention-getting infographic that makes a complex topic more accessible. I hope some of these tips I found and shared will help your business next time you need to do do a content campaign piece.
-roy

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Tags: #contentcreation, #contentwriting, #marketing, #branding