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It is undeniable that content marketing is extremely effective in terms of return on investment. Companies with blogs, on average, win an extra 67% of leads compared to those that don’t have one. Nearly half of all buyers will view three to five pieces of content before engaging with a sales representative. And inbound close rates are eight to ten times higher than those from outbound efforts.
Avoiding the Temptation to Spam
One temptation to avoid is engaging in hyperbole for the sake of attention. Do you really have the “best in the world”? If you promise things you cannot deliver, your customers will surely notice.
The temptation to stand out by making a bold or outrageous claim is another easy elephant trap to fall into. Outlandish headlines can certainly win you clicks, but this is another strategy that rarely pays off over the long term. As TechCrunch points out, “It’s bad for both sides […] clickbait is one of the easiest ways for a publisher to lose their audience’s trust over time.”
Swap Outrageous for Insightful
Instead of slipping down a rabbit hole of untrustworthy sources and outlandish claims, take the time to think about your audience and what matters to them. How can you forge real connections with them and produce content that really resonates?
If you are going to rely on external sources, ensure that they are respected and based on reliable data. The internet is full of misquotes and unfortunate statistics. Using them can seriously weaken your standing as a respected brand and undermine your argument, your content and your brand reputation.
Producing Original, Valuable Content
The best way to bring real value is to generate your own insights. This can be achieved by investing in good-quality content creators to produce original content for you. Telling your customers’ stories through interviews is one way to produce unique, irreplicable content that is meaningful for your target audience.
Conducting your own research and generating fresh data is another of the most important things you can do to elevate the quality of your brand content. As well as adding unique value for your audiences, you can also earn links and clicks that will help with your SEO strategy.
If you are going to rely on third-party sources, always make sure they are sound and proven – and credit them appropriately.
A clickbait approach might be more instantly rewarding. But if you invest in creating valuable, original content, you will earn your audience’s interest and respect over the long haul, and your efforts will pay much greater dividends for your brand.