What does ‘write engaging content’ even mean? I saw a post from a LinkedIn connection about this. A rather astute, salty as fuck woman——yes, I’m in love, was bemoaning the overuse of the word, ‘engaging’. She opined that almost no one defines what it means to write engagingly.
If you’ve been following me for a while (thank you, love you), you might already know how to write engaging content. But if you don’t (or I haven’t explained it well), keep reading.
Here’s what we’re covering:
What is content?
Content is anything you have strewn/dumped/thrown across your website. Webcopy, documents, podcasts, infographics, videos, animation——you get it, that shit is content. Here, we’re talking content writing because I know naff all about the rest.
What is engaging content?
Does the content keep you reading? If it does, that is, at its most fundamental level, engaging content. “Well, thanks, Sarah, that’s super helpful.” Ok, this stuff can be tricky to define, so let’s begin by looking at what YOU find engaging. For example, think about the reason you sign up for newsletters.
Maybe you’re after some free Canva templates, or perhaps you’re interested in copywriting hacks. It rather depends on the purpose of the newsletter, doesn’t it? And that’s the thing: how engaged you are is determined by your reason for signing up in the first place.
We assume engaging content is about the business of writing, coz writers develop their gift, they effortlessly entertain and delight, but the priority of content marketing isn’t entertaining and delighting. No, the purpose is to promote a business and sell products. The style matters very little to the outcome. What matters is the desire for your product. Don’t believe me? Think about that thing you just had to have. Did you notice how enthralling or well-crafted the copy was? Probably not. Had the content been littered with grammatical errors or sounded like a bot, you might not have purchased, but even then, I don’t think you would have cared all that much.
Getting in front of the right people is key. And when you have their attention, ease the purchase decision with:
- Hi-res images
- Full product spec
- Clear pricing
- Delivery information
- An easy payment process
The bottom line: no potential customer needs convincing if they want a product. So, no, you don’t have to be a frustrated novelist to write engaging content (and copy). Instead, learn how to promote and sell your products.
“For both techniques, you must know your target customer like you know your own mother (very well). Talk to your ideal client like you would your Mum——not exasperatedly, because she’s as deaf as a post and you’ve got to repeat yourself——again, no. I simply mean, writing in a one-to-one convo stylee.”
— >>Content writing and copywriting: your website needs both<<
How do you engage YOUR audience?
Wait for it…
Ready…
Get to know them.
Yawn. I know, obvious, innit. If you’re marketing mini-breaks to the live-action role-play crowd, or selling IT hardware to SMEs in Japan (and that’s probably like selling snow to the Inuits), you’d do lots of research. Know the front and back bottom of your market, that’s it. There’s no magic dust; you just have to do the work.
“A marketer somewhere died because I’ve chosen myself as my ideal client avatar (ICA). But what a time-saving hack! I’ve spent zero hours researching my perfect business somebody, coz I know all about me. I need only ask myself what keeps me awake at night? There are many things——not fun things——things I’d gladly give up sleep for, no. What keeps me awake at night is wondering if I should change the copy on my homepage for the fiftieth time (and don’t say yes, you should).”
And finally…
Engaging content doesn’t have to be this:
- Funny
- Conversational
- Polarising
- Written for everyone
When you write engaging content, it can be funny and polarising, and anything you choose your content to be. But those things are the conduit for the message, a message that only your audience wants to ENGAGE with. Ultimately, the goal is to give potential customers a reason to say yes.
First published, 13th October 2024.
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