7 Tactics for Creating Attention-Grabbing Content

Content may be king, but it is attention that’s President. And in today’s world, it’s Presidents who are powerful.

Being able to grab and hold your reader’s attention isn’t just important. It’s essential. It’s the difference between a brand that has inspired loyalty for decades (like Nike) and one that’s getting ready to shutter its doors (like JC Penny).

As you develop a content strategy, use these tactics to develop copy that grabs folks’ attention and keeps them coming back for more.

Make Quality a Priority

You get what you pay for. Sorry to break it to you, but it’s true – even when it comes to copywriting. When you throw something together last minute or outsource your content for $.01 a word, you’ll have words on a page, but that’s about it.

You want to share copy your readers will find valuable. You want it to inspire them to keep reading and to come back for more. This means investing in your content by either designating the task to someone in-house or hiring a skilled contractor.

Develop a Voice

Think about how you make friends. You get to know someone’s personality, quirks, and idiosyncrasies. You either like those things about them or you don’t.

Not everyone is going to like your company’s quirks and idiosyncrasies. That’s fine. You want to focus on those who do. Because those are the individuals who make up your target market. Your company develops a relationship with them by being consistent.

Be Relevant

Sometimes old information needs to be rehashed. However, if you’re only talking about the same thing over and over again, your readers will begin to tune you out. Make sure you’re content is relevant. When appropriate, address current events and news.

Stay Consistent

If you run a food blog and you start talking about how to fix a car engine, there better be a good reason for it (such a the awesome batch of cookies your mechanic accepted as payment). Your audience isn’t visiting to learn about carburetors and engine belts. They are there for food. If you fail to deliver, they aren’t going to keep coming back.

Get Personal

People like to do business with people, not companies. By sharing personal stories you’re able to humanize your company. For some companies this might be a personal statement. For others, it could be an employee highlight or interview.

Make Yourself Available

While it might not be you personally who is available, make sure there is someone responsible for answering your customer’s questions and concerns. This includes, but is not limited to: monitoring review sites, social media accounts, blog comments, and customer submitted inquiries and complaints.

It’s important that the person responsible for responding to these sites is able to embody your brand’s voice.

Keep Experimenting

When you stop pushing the envelope, your brand becomes stale. This can quickly lead to your brand becoming outdated. Make sure you’re continually experimenting with your messaging. Just be sure to monitor how your audience responds. By seeing what works and what doesn’t, you’ll be able to keep developing attention-grabbing content.