Content has to be
useful
A few days ago, my husband sat at the computer looking unhappy. He had to renew his driving licence, and was working his way through his home countryās traffic authority website. Even though he was getting annoyed, the website had his full attention, as it was extremely useful.
What can we learn from this? However chaotic and boring the content, if itās useful we spend time on it. Thatās why in content strategy we say usefulness is the be-all and end-all of any content. At Liip we split useful content into two areas: 1. It solves pain. 2. It delivers gains. We then use this to develop the content.
Content Strategy Recommendations
No empty marketing texts, no blah-blah-blah. Reward all visitors to your website with content that has true substance.
Driving licence renewal on the California Department of Motor Vehicles website.
Source: Department of Motor Vehicles California, accessed May 2018
Content must be
understandable
In the past, consuming content meant reading books, studying newspapers or watching films. We had peace and quiet, and the medium was large in scale. Today, consuming content means looking at something on a super small screen whilst on the train with your shopping between your knees and some foreignerās dog on your feet. When consuming content today, people are distracted. This means we have to simplify. The rules of thumb: structure your content so a child can follow. I actually test my work on our neighbourās kid. Heās 12. When he looked at this article he said: more pictures! So thanks to him, we added a bunch.
Example 1: Signing-up for a driver license
- Start your content with something that triggers positive emotions and inspire visitors to continue reading.
- Split your content up so that itās easy to follow. Use visual goodies such as images, videos, quotations, info boxes.
- The big finish is the call to action. It triggers the user to do something.
- Don't forget about teasers. They keep useres on the page.
Example 2: Page for Freitag product introduction
Source: freitag.ch, accessed May 2018
Donāt forget: be there with sales opportunities when someone is ready to buy.
The introduction outlines the text, an image or a video promise entertainment. So itās worth reading on.
Content must offer a sense of
Belonging
There are endless competitors for every product and every service. Take the example of deodorant. Itās just deodorant, but every deodorant brand now has its own particular attitude to life. For example, my neighbourās kid I mentioned before uses Axe, as he once told me (what exciting topics of conversation we have). But he didnāt know why Axe is his deodorant of choice. Axeās marketing strategists however do have an idea. They actually have had it for over 30 years when they first started positioning their product as "Irresistible".
Offer a sense of belonging by clearly stating what you stand for. Rexona, for example is for sporty and active people.
Axe has created itās sense of belonging for more than 30 years. Thatās how long they have been focusing on the brand value of āirresistibleā. For example, in 1985 it launched the claim that it was āthe smell that drives women crazy'. Just the effect that a teenager wants to have on the female sex. Sports fans instead go for Rexona, and those who prefer the sensitive touch choose Dove. Whichever you would choose ā a clear positioning helps you and all other consumers to identify with a company, and to choose its products.
Content Strategy Recommendations
Find your unique voice to draw in and unite your customers.
Have a go at
Or in other words, donāt bore your visitors. In content strategy we work with two sizes: 1. micro delightment, 2. macro excitement.
Freitag.chās website does not use dry facts to explain how its bags work ā every product video is a mini work of art. They offer surprise and delight, and sometimes even some PR potential. Freitag has mastered the art of micro delightment, and entertains users just where it is important: at the point of sale.
The other side of this is large campaigns, or macro excitement. These often target large-scale awareness, such as for example Nikeās Breaking2 campaign. Nike launched this crazy attempt and documented the worldās best runners trying to run a marathon in under two hours. An expensive undertaking, but with a high ROI: the teaser alone got 6.6 million views, 13 million life-stream viewers and 400,000 mentions using the hashtag #breaking2. Any content strategist enviously says: nice!
Content Strategy Recommendations
Make the extra effort to add a touch of entertainment to your content. Your visitors will thank you by staying on your website for longer and happily coming back.
- Nikeās Breaking2, accessed May 2018
- freitag.ch, accessed May 2018
Become part of your customers
World
Nike knows how it works: The Nikeās Breaking2 campaign takes us to a running training configurator where anyone interested in running their own marathon can create a training plan. So, of course, I did. Although I only did a half marathon, Nike was my constant companion for four months. Whatās more, I also managed to persuade my dad to join in ā and Nike also became part of his life. Nikeās content provided me with real added value, which was attractive and logically structured making it easy to follow. Nike stands for athletic performance ā something I can identify with. Nike has wormed its way into my daily life with real added value provided in an entertaining way. I buy products from them, which is exactly what Nike wanted to achieve.
Content Strategy Recommendations
Make the extra effort to add a touch of entertainment to your content. Your visitors will thank you by staying on your website for longer and happily coming back.
Learnings
Good content is time-consuming, but really does have something to offer ā satisfied and convinced customers who keep on coming back. Even if our customers just start out as observers, the conclusion is clear: ROI several times over.
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#5: Are you part of your customersā world?
Think about how to getinto their everyday lives.
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#4: Are you entertaining your customers with exciting content?
Captivate! So people stay longer and come back sooner.
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#3: Are you creating a unique experience?
Determine your brandās unique character.
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#2: Are your content pages cleanly laid out?
Make sure that visitors can follow and understand you.
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#1: Are you providing real substance for your visitors?
Solve your usersā problems and provide them with added value.