If you have been getting bogged down in qualitative and quantitative analysis of content campaigns, you may want to take a step back and consider how engagement is viewed by your audiences.
Sparks joy
Content can mirror luxury goods and services by sparking joy and delight in the consumer. You can do this by telling engaging stories, being funny or providing added value across a variety of mediums and formats. Make stunning images, fact-packed infographics and informative articles a cornerstone of your campaigns. You want your target audience to look forward to reading and viewing your output.
Speaks personally
Personalisation is more than just hitting a bullet point list of demographics. You also need to try to speak to people in the language they use and in a conversational, engaging way. Smart Simple Marketing’s CEO Sydni Craig-Hart says that the content that forces her to engage and take action is always “inspiring, clear and actionable”, and is able to connect the dots for both personal and professional aspirations.
Engages in some way
Convince & Convert’s Zontee Hou believes that content should either be able to educate, empower, entertain or explain to inspire end users. She says that doing one or more of these and combining it with relevance and brand affinity can go a long way, especially in terms of resonating regularly with audiences.
Open to questions
Seer Interactive’s founder Will Reynolds says that companies should not try to be great at everything and instead focus on being honest and open in their content marketing campaigns. Letting readers and viewers ask questions and participate in discussions can bring them closer to the brand while also guiding the brand towards the right answers to pressing business questions.
More fun, less robotic
Consumers are more likely to react positively to fun and personalised videos and blogs during the lead nurturing stage, which can then lead to higher levels of engagement. More robotic, mechanised content during this phase can put off potential customers and clients from taking action.
Respects the consumer
Velocity Partners’ Dough Kessler concludes: “The best content brands respect my time, earn my attention, and reward that attention with smart, entertaining, well-crafted content that they clearly enjoyed creating.”
