Content drives business. Whether you’re crafting product brochures, whitepapers, social posts or video scripts, good content is one of the best ways to market your business. That’s especially true for companies who deal in industrial and essential products and services. A well-designed case study or thoughtful email can make all the difference in securing a new account — and setting your team apart from other brands.
At Upswing Creative, everything we do ties back to the message. Over the years, we’ve mastered the art of building stories that resonate with all kinds of different audiences through branding, content, corporate video services and more. So if you’re struggling to create a message from your brand that feels sharp and inspired, we’re here to help. Here’s our take on how to build more engaging and effective content for your business.
Know Your Audience
Content only works if it connects with the people it’s made for. You can spend hundreds of hours developing messages to catch and persuade your clients or customers. But until you truly understand what matters to them — and what they don’t like — you’re effectively flying blind. If your content is not delivering the results you need, take a step back to make sure you’re relating to your audience.
Here’s a perfect place to start: put yourself in the shoes of a customer when they first encounter your content. They’re pressed for time and being hit with hundreds of other messages from other companies — so they ignore most of them. Enter your content. Did it immediately pique their interest? That’s the initial, most important metric for success. It doesn’t matter how clever or useful your content is; if your audience doesn’t open or engage with it, it failed.
Take video thumbnails for example. These small photos need to be eye-catching and give your audience hints on what your videos are about. If your thumbnails don’t capture interest and get your audience excited immediately, they’ll never click through to watch. In short, choosing the right content to introduce your message can make all the difference between a successful marketing push and one that flops.
If you have the bandwidth, try to gather some data on your specific audience. Use quantitative metrics to assess when and how your prospects are engaging with your content. Qualitative research is important, too. Take some time to speak to your best customers — and a few new ones — for insights into what they like and dislike about your content. You’ll walk away from these meetings with tons of smart suggestions straight from the mind of your audience, which you can weave throughout your future content.
The Power of Personas
Now that you’ve gathered some feedback from your audience, it’s time to flesh out a few personas. These are imagined customers you create using insights from your real audience. You’ll want to give them names, personality traits and their preferences for content. These personas are incredibly useful for testing and improving your content.
Personas are an awesome way to get into the mind of your audience. You can have as many or as few as you need to represent your customer base. And once you’ve built them, you can test every content idea against them. If that new blog or case study you’re working on doesn’t catch the attention of your personas, you’ll know it won’t capture your real prospects either.
This strategy works well across every single touchpoint your brand has with customers — and can help you understand the exact pain points your audience is experiencing. You can even focus on building content around addressing these specific problems, which is a great way to make sure your stories stay relevant.
Be True to Your Passion
We’ve talked a lot about research and strategies you can use to motivate your content development. But ultimately, it’s your passion and expertise that make your content worth reading. Explore the messages you’re passionate about and see where those ideas intersect with your audience. And remember: the best stories resonate with those telling them, too. Over time, you’ll find a suitable balance between what works for your audience and what works for you.
Revamp Your Creative Content
If you’re looking for an agency partner to help you craft content that resonates with your audience, then connect with us today. Our team offers a range of commercial creative services, including video, creative discovery and branding content. You can also reach out for more info on the best way to rethink your content — and step into the shoes of your audience. We’re always here to help.