Simple Rules for Creating Better Business Content

The constant struggle in content marketing is balancing audience and business needs. We want the readers to enjoy the content and come back again and again. But we’re also in business, and we need to meet business goals. At Cup O Content, we have a few rules we follow.

1. Put the Audience First

This is a crucial element of a successful content marketing program. Think "audience first, business second." After all, If your audience doesn’t want to read it, it doesn’t matter what you say about your business. Content marketing is about attracting people to your business through content. In order to attract, you need to create compelling content that draws people in. Pick topics that appeal to your customers, and then think about ways to bring that together with your business and your sales objectives.

2. Talk to One Audience at a Time

It’s tempting to stay broad and to appeal to more people. We advise against it. The most engaging content is the kind that is focused on a single, well-defined audience, such as owners of salons, busy moms, new auto dealers, organic food fanatics, etc. As the old saying goes, when you try to appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one. If you have a lot of things you want to say, try splitting them up into multiple campaigns. Talk about one topic at a time. Talk to one set of audiences at a time.

3. The Gift of Information

No matter what you’re talking about, or who you’re talking to, you should fill up your content marketing with practical advice. And be generous. Pack your content full of insider tips that your audience can really use. This blog, for example, is giving the reader several specific tips on how to make content more engaging. We're giving you high-value information that you could use to improve your content marketing program, regardless of whether you hire Cup O Content. We know that this kind of information gifting is critical to good content marketing. It adds value for the reader and ensures that we’re attracting our best customers. After all, if you weren’t at least a little interested in content marketing, why would you ever read a blog about how to write good content?

4. Telling is Selling

When you tell or show someone “how to,” or when you give advice or share information in a blog, you are also selling your business, your approach, and your philosophy. Telling readers how to do something demonstrates your expertise. When Cup O Content is giving detailed advice on how to write blogs, we’re really telling you that we know how to write blogs. We’re communicating that we’re experts. But we do it by telling, not selling.

5. Measure and Optimize

One of the most common obstacles we encounter with content marketing is impatience with analytics. Although analytics may feel tedious, If you don’t know how well you’re doing, you can’t get better. Set up regular analysis checkpoints, and dig deep. A few hours of analysis a month can really boost your site’s performance. Make sure your site has Google Analytics set up or a similar site traffic tracking tool. All social media business sites offer free analytical tools, so use them. You’ll quickly start to see what kind of messages work and what is getting ignored. Cup O Content offers analytics of the content we generate for our clients, but we can do regular third-party analyses on content marketing programs generated by other people or agencies.

Regardless of whether you want a few blogs or an entire content marketing program, Cup O Content is your one-stop shop. Contact us today for a free analysis, and let us show you how we can caffeinate your content marketing.