The internet is a noisy place, and you literally have seconds to capture the attention of your audience when they land on your website, see a social media post, or open your email. If your content is even slightly confusing or difficult to understand, you risk losing them.
But writing any type of content is hard! Nevermind clear, concise content!
We feel you! We write digital marketing content and offer content consultation for a living, so we know how tricky it can be. That’s why we want to offer you some top tips to easily turn good content into great content that converts.
1. Use easy-to-read, jargon-free sentences
This is content 101, but it’s worth repeating. Sentences that are too long or overly complicated will lose your reader. Keep your sentences short and sweet for easy reading – and this even applies to industries that are very technical or complicated.
Here's an example to illustrate why this is so important. Let's say you sell software that helps businesses with their accounting. You could write:
"You will be able to expand your company with the assistance of our accounting software that is both the most comprehensive and the most user-friendly system currently available on the market."
Or you could say:
"We offer an easy-to-use accounting software that will help your business save time and money."
The second sentence is shorter, simpler, and easier to understand. It's also more likely to hold the attention of target audiences and increase conversions.
2. Break up your text with headings and subheadings
No one likes a big wall of text. It's daunting, and it's difficult to know where to start. Breaking up a piece of content with headings and subheadings is an easy way to make it more readable.
Headings help readers scan content to see if it's relevant to what they're looking for. They also make it easy to find specific information if someone is only interested in certain parts of your article or blog post.
Want to see the difference this makes? Here's a version of this exact article with no headings whatsoever.
Now, aren't you glad to be reading this version instead?
3. Use bullets and lists to organise your information
If you have a lot of information to include in your content, consider using bullets or lists. This will help break up the text and make it easier to read.
Bullets are especially helpful when you want to highlight a few key points. For example, take a look at the bulleted list below. Which content is easier to digest?
Content that is easy to read is more likely to be shared.
People are more likely to buy from a company whose content is easy to understand.
Easy-to-read content helps build trust and credibility.
or
"Content that is easy to read is more likely to be shared, people are more likely to buy from a company whose content is easy to understand, and easy-to-read content helps build trust and credibility."
Pro tip: Search engines really like bullet points and sub-headings too! So it's as good for your SEO as it is for your user experience. And that leads us to our next tip...
4. Use keywords and phrases that people are likely to search for
If you want your content to be found online, you need to use keywords and phrases that people are actually searching for. This means doing your research ahead of time to figure out what terms and phrases are most popular in your industry.
There are a few different ways to do this research. You can use a tool like Google's Keyword Planner or Google Trends. Or you can simply do a search on Google and see what terms come up in the related searches section.
Once you have your list of keywords, make sure to sprinkle them throughout your content – but don't go overboard. Using too many keywords will not only turn off your readers, but it can also get you penalised by Google, which will negatively affect your brand awareness.
Not sure where to draw the line? Consider setting up a content consultation with us to discuss your unique needs and relevant marketing strategies, or maybe enlist our copywriting services.
5. Use images, infographics, and videos
Content is not just about the words you use. It's also about the visuals you include.
Images, infographics, and videos are all great ways to break up your text and add another layer of interest for your readers. They can also help explain complex concepts or provide another perspective on a topic.
When choosing visuals for your content, make sure they are high-quality and relevant to the topic at hand. And just like with keywords, don't go overboard – a few well-placed images will do the trick.
By following these tips, you can create content that is not only informative and interesting but also easy to read and understand. And that's the kind of content that is more likely to be shared, generate leads, and convert viewers into customers.
Need help creating content that converts? At theContenTribe, we help businesses create clear content that gets them noticed online. You can even buy blog content from us that is perfectly optimised for both readers and Google, which completely removes the pain point of content creation.
Our services include:
Email marketing
Product description writing
Content marketing strategy
Lead generation
Content writing services
Social media platforms
And much more
Plus, we offer content marketing consulting so we can learn more about your business and see how we can help. Would you like to schedule a time for us to chat? Book a consultation today!