Today, content moves as quick as lightning thanks to an endless stream of social media and digital publishing. Carefully crafted social media posts, blogs, emails and articles can easily get swallowed up in the sea of endless posts, making it difficult for a brand’s content and products to stand out. Due to this, it’s incredibly important to create content that isn’t just interesting, but inspirational. The more unique the content is, the more likely it will stand the test of the digital timeline.
In order to create clickable, sharable and inspiring content, follow the below tips:
A story or hashtag might be trending the moment you begin the workday, but that doesn’t mean you should jump in and join the conversation. If you can find an original hook to make your product or company stand out in a unique way and relate to the trend, do so! If not, don’t worry, there will be many more opportunities to come. It’s more important to create an original article, post or update that focuses on your brand, product or services rather than what happens to be popular at this exact moment in time.
The point of a headline is to instill curiosity and persuade someone to explore the topic further. Click-bait headlines are still a common and successful way to increase readership. However, because click-bait is used so often, it has the potential to make users unhappy or less willing to click and review an article or email. When creating a headline, make sure to cover all your bases and look for that unique spin or question that could excite a reader, but don’t bait them with a headline that could leave them unsatisfied.
Make sure to balance your promotional posts with original content that offers helpful advice. People are more likely to share content with their inner circles and followers that is inspiring, useful and surprising. While promoting case studies and new products, don’t forget to write tip-filled articles and blogs that relate to your brand but also provide non-promotional information.
Readers won’t hesitate to rip apart content if it isn’t backed it up with reputable sources. Fake news is a rising concern and if a brand becomes associated with false facts, it can seriously harm its reputation. To avoid a contentious comment section on your next blog, make sure your content is thoroughly researched and accurately sourced. It’s also important to make sure you are including recent sources whenever possible so your information is up to date and accurate.
Whether it’s a headline, the first sentence of an article, a tweet or an email pitch, make sure to hook the reader in right away. Look beyond the obvious. State an interesting fact. Pair an image or video with your content. Ask a rhetorical, thought provoking question that encourages readers to offer their opinion. Most importantly, stray from dullness and lead with excitement.
Most PR and marketing content should be kept short, sweet and to the point to maintain your readers’ attention. While it is important to look for the unique hook and interesting ways to engage readers, don’t get derailed from the main subject at hand. You don’t want your readers to get lost in an endless parade of paragraphs.
Before publishing, it’s always a good idea to pass your content along to a coworker or trusted eye to make sure it’s free of typos, awkward sentences or other grammatical errors. This is incredibly important as many brands often get called out on social media platforms for small, preventable spelling errors or for providing an incorrect link. Proper spelling and grammar is also key for enhancing SEO. Plus, typos don’t present your brand in the best light and can reduce your credibility among prospects and customers rather than positioning your brand as an authority figure.
New content is published every day, every hour, every minute. This can seem overwhelming but it’s also incredibly exciting. Not only does creating original content help a brand compete with the ongoing stream of updates, but it also increases awareness and readership and helps brands establish a reliable and active identity. Whether you want to increase your social media following or provide current and potential customers with the latest updates on your business and the industry, the best way to do so is to start (and never stop) creating inspiring content.
Need help getting inspired with your content? Contact Mulberry Marketing to learn how we can bring your ideas to life through social media, blogs, e-books, infographics and more!
Alex Weiss is a Senior Account Executive at Mulberry Marketing Communications, an award-winning full-service B2B communications agency based in Chicago, London and Australia. She combines her creative writing background and B2B experience to bring client campaigns to life.