In a digital world, posting engaging web content isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s essential if you want to convert customers, achieve strong SEO ratings and make the most of your most valuable digital marketing tool. Meanwhile, 73 percent of marketers say they plan to further prioritise the creation of engaging content. If you want to learn more about how real estate agents are successfully generating leads through this marketing method there is plenty of info at the Real Estate Pro’s podcast by Stepps. If you would like some tips on better blogging continue below.
If you’re one of those people and you’re not sure where to begin, use these 6 content writing tips to keep your audience engaged and coming back for more.
1. Answer a Question
The first thing your content should do is answer a question that your audience genuinely needs the answer to. Writing to self-promote without providing value to your readers will result in low readership levels — and ultimately low ROI for your time crafting content. Be sure the heart of your content addresses a real consumer need before you begin writing.
2. Keep It Simple
The best web copy keeps readers from thinking — at least the kind that involves deciphering what you just said. It’s simple, short and sweet. We’re not aiming for literary gold; we’re aiming to deliver a message as quickly and simply as possible. If you can say it in 15 words instead of 50, go with 15. If you can say it in five, even better.
3. Break Up Copy Blocks
The human eye hates looking at long blocks of text, and the brain hates reading them even more. If your content is filled with long paragraphs, no matter how exciting the words are, you’re likely to lose readers.
Break up chunks of copy into shorter paragraphs, and insert numbered or bulleted lists to give your readers a break (and keep them engaged). Why?
- The eye is drawn to white space and more likely to read lists.
- Bullets add variety to long posts.
- Lists make it easy to scan and absorb information.
- You just read this list.
4. Mix Up Sentence Length
Before you post web content, assess the diversity of your sentence structure.
Try a technique where you hard return after every sentence, like we’ve done here.
The result should look staggered, like this.
This technique allows you to assess how varied your sentence lengths are throughout your post.
Your sentences should vary in length to keep readers interested.
Otherwise, they’re likely to get bored.
And leave.
Aim to have a staggered result, and when you see long blocks of long sentences, break them up with shorter ones.
5. Leverage Visuals
Using photos and illustrations to break up longer posts is a simple way to increase engagement. One study found that readers were 80 percent more likely to read a piece of content if it included a coloured visual. Another study found that readers were 55 percent more likely to retain information in a post if there was an image associated with it.
Take your visuals to the next level and capitalise on natural visual processing by creating a custom infographic that supports and overviews your content.
6. Add a Clear CTA
As many as 44 percent of website visitors will leave a company’s website if there’s no contact information or phone number. Don’t let your readers leave without knowing what to do next. Make your call to action clear in every post. If you want them to read more, call, email or visit your brick-and-mortar location, make it clear.
Incorporate these six simple copywriting techniques into your writing process to make the most of your web content and improve your conversion rates. They’ll help you keep your audience engaged and make the most of the time you spend generating content.
