Why Content is STILL King

In this era of Internet Marketing and strategic Social Media—it’s crucial that we don’t forget our roots. It all began with the written word. Whether it was a 2-line slogan plastered across an Interstate billboard or a 3-inch testimonial in the local newspaper, marketers have been using content to spark curiosity and engage consumers.

Today, more than ever, content is STILL king—we’re just evolving our writing techniques and strategies.

No matter what industry you’re in, marketers are harvesting the power of genuine, unique content to drive traffic and inevitably increase revenues.

It’s true—content is constantly adapting to all outlets—easily tailored to fit the needs of a website, Facebook update, Tweet or blog post. Yet it’s critical to remember that the end goal is still the same—cultivate traffic, educate visitors and keep them coming back for more.

As the Blog and Content Manger at Astonish Results, I am frequently faced with the need to create custom content that will actually benefit others. The key to stellar content comes from within. You may not realize it, but the more genuine you are, the more relevant and your level of authenticity can be felt by the reader. Gaining their trust through your text is crucial to gaining their business.

Content is what will entice people to return to your site, or better yet sign up for your RSS feed. It’s what will motivate another industry professional or blogger to want to link to you and further share your work—and we all know that when you get those links, they are the priceless building blocks needed to improve your site’s rank within the search engines.

So how can you improve your content?
Quality content—that will perform better across various Social Media platforms and enhance your ability to convert—starts with research. It may seem unnecessary at first, but after a while, trying to come up with good content ideas will become a more trying task. And even if you have an incredible idea, putting in that extra time to research will only benefit you—strengthening the value and credibility of what you write.

Leave some things unsaid. Don’t exhaust your topics. Whether it’s content for your website, a social media update or an in-depth blog post—leave room for conversation. Provide a source for discussion and commentary. You want your readers to get involved in your content, helping it to grow.

When possible, integrate visuals. People love images, graphics and are especially fond of video. Adding multimedia to your content is a great way to give it some personality and life. When you are constantly publishing content that is solely text is can begin to appear mundane. The last thing you want is for your content to be unappealing to the reader. Break up your formatting—every once in a while it’s beneficial to separate extensive paragraphs with bulleted lists, graphics and powerful quotes or statistics.

Lastly, don’t forget to keep exploring, testing and investigating. There is no doubt that content is going to continue to influence Internet Marketing, Social Media and SEO—so don’t hesitate to try new things!