11 Crucial Factors to Consider for Engaging Your Audience in Content Creation
To gain a deeper understanding of what makes content truly engaging, we posed a question to eleven industry professionals, including Vice Presidents and Founders. Their insights range from the importance of personalizing generic topics to the effectiveness of adopting a conversational writing style. Here are crucial factors to consider in the content creation process.
- Personalize Generic Topics
- Maximize the First Three Seconds in Videos
- Speak the Audience’s Language
- Include a Compelling Call to Action
- Ensure Content Relevance
- Prioritize Authenticity in Content
- Address the Audience’s Pain Points
- Maintain a Consistent Posting Schedule
- Create Friendly Content
- Utilize Humor in Content Creation
- Adopt a Conversational Writing Style
Personalize Generic Topics
As an avid content consumer myself, I really love it when someone takes a generic topic and adds a personalized spin to it. We all know that no content is original on the internet.
However, reading a generic topic from a different perspective and point of view really makes an enormous difference and leaves a lasting impression on the reader’s mind.
So, while writing content for my agency’s blog, I always add my point of view to any topic. That way, I make sure that readers get a fresh perspective on a “not-so-fresh topic.” Proofread and correct.
Sangeeta Kumar
VP of Marketing, Healthcare DMS
Maximize the First Three Seconds in Videos
When working with video content, especially, the visuals in the first three seconds are the most crucial to audience engagement. “Research shows it takes only three seconds for your viewers to decide if they’ll continue to watch or scroll past your video in their social channel’s feed” (marketingessentialslab.com).
Video content traditionally starts with an establishing shot; a slow, wide shot that sets the scene. However, for online content, this is the opposite of how you want to begin. The opening visuals ideally need to be fast-paced and set the scene through quick cuts and eye-catching camera movements.
Motion graphics and integrated titles are also incredibly useful in thumb-stopping, providing a bold signal to what the content is—which should apply to your audience. These first three seconds shouldn’t just be considered in the edit, but also in the planning phase. Consider that your opening visuals have a strong correlation with whether your video gets watched.
Ryan Stone
Creative and Marketing Director, Lambda Films
Speak the Audience’s Language
In my individual content-creation process, one factor I always consider engaging my audience is ensuring I speak their language. It’s not merely about explaining a point; it’s about providing information that resonates with their specific needs and ensuring the message can easily be understood and appreciated by experts within their niche.
For instance, if I were tasked with crafting content for a tech startup, instead of generalizing with phrases like “improving software,” I’d explore the intricacies of “optimizing cloud-based server performance.”
By fine-tuning my language choices to align with the audience’s niche, I can establish a genuine connection, ensuring the message isn’t just read, but truly understood and valued.
Kayla Croser
Content Marketing Executive, RGC Digital Marketing
Include a Compelling Call to Action
As a business owner of a short-form video editing agency, the Call to Action (CTA) factor is crucial for engaging the audience, and even the clients’ audience. In every piece of content created, whether it’s a promotional video or a social media post, a clear and compelling CTA is always included that prompts viewers to take action.
Whether it’s visiting the website, subscribing to the services, or sharing the video with their friends, the CTA motivates the audience to engage further with the brand, or the clients’ brands. Without a strong CTA, the content may fall flat and not yield the desired results.
Daniel Willmott
Founder, Shortformvideo.co
Ensure Content Relevance
A critical factor for engaging your audience in the content creation process is relevance.
This, of course, is all about capturing your audience’s attention and making it relatable to their interests, problems, and needs.
This factor is vital in the sense that it:
– Add value to your audience. Your content should answer their questions, entertain them, and provide solutions to their problems that align with what they want. This will make them want to get more engaged with your brand.
– Encourages interactions. When your content aligns with their preferences, it helps encourage comments, discussions, likes, and shares. You wouldn’t want to go through the entire process and then have no reaction to your post.
Last, relevance remains vital to keeping and building long-term audience engagement. Ensure your content resonates with your viewers’ interests, as this will keep them coming back for more.
Peter Bryla
Community Manager, ResumeLab
Prioritize Authenticity in Content
Authenticity is an indispensable factor for engaging our audience during the content creation process. Authenticity inspires confidence and appeals to today’s discerning consumers. When we create content that authentically reflects our brand’s values, personality, and mission, we establish a deeper connection with our audience.
Our audience can detect insincerity from a mile away, so it is essential that our messaging is authentic and straightforward. Not only does authentic content attract attention, but it also fosters a sense of loyalty and credibility. We prioritize narratives that emphasize actual experiences, highlight our team’s expertise, and provide value to our audience.
We also regularly communicate with our audience, listen to their feedback, and implement it into our content strategy. By keeping true to ourselves and creating material that aligns with our brand, we build a lasting link with our audience, which increases engagement and brand advocacy.
Jessica Shee
Senior Tech Editor and Marketing Content Manager, iBoysoft
Address the Audience’s Pain Points
In the content creation process, one factor I consider crucial for engaging the audience is addressing their pain points. Understanding the challenges and problems your audience faces allows you to create content that is relevant and valuable.
By focusing on these pain points, you can offer solutions, advice, or insights that resonate with your audience. This approach not only captures their attention but also establishes your brand as a thought leader in the field.
Remember, content that solves problems is content that engages. Always aim to provide actionable solutions that your audience can apply in their own lives or businesses.
Madhurima Halder
Content Manager, Recruit CRM
Maintain a Consistent Posting Schedule
I keep a consistent posting schedule, as inconsistency can lead to a drop in engagement and trust. Your audience should know when to expect new content from you. A consistent content schedule can also positively influence SEO.
Search engines favor websites that regularly update their content. So, consistency is not just for your human audience but also for the algorithms.
Aysu Erkan
Marketing Manager, Character Counter
Create Friendly Content
Friendliness. While so much has gone to “sec” and “wow factors”, I still focus on friendliness. It’s what I believe is best in the actual customer experience, so it’s what I believe should be portrayed in any marketing content created. Friendly content is more memorable than you think.
Christopher Olson
General Partner, Southern Bay Realty
Utilize Humor in Content Creation
The content we have access to seems endless nowadays. But what do we keep going back to? Content that has the power to make us feel good! Humor has the immediate effect of breaking down barriers and engaging our audience, making it a powerful tool for content creators to stand out in today’s competitive spaces.
For this to work, the subject itself needs to be interesting, and humor should give it an added advantage. Witty one-liners, clever puns, or funny anecdotes are effective ways to inject humor, creating a connection with your audience, uplifting them, and ensuring they are always eager for more.
Harry Morton
Founder, Lower Street
Adopt a Conversational Writing Style
The content creation process involves crafting innovative and interesting pieces that engage your audience. One factor I consider particularly important is the writing style—artfully crafted words can be highly effective in captivating readers’ attention.
An uncommon approach to this could be using a conversational tone, as opposed to a formal one. Having an interactive dialogue with your readers helps foster a connection with them, making content more engaging.
Kate Duske
Editor-in-Chief, Escape Room Data
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