Here at The Content Company, we are kind of obsessed with writing the highest quality content for our clients. And by “highest quality” we mean content that is clear, concise, free from amateur mistakes and above all else, engaging. That’s why we have created a short blog series called “The Rules of Engagement” that will explore various aspects of writing engaging content.
We will discuss a new component each week, so you can start creating the kind of content in your websites and posts that sets you apart from your competitors.
What Is Engaging Content Anyway?
Just to be clear, let’s lay the foundation for what engaging content is, and what it isn’t. Engaging content must speak to the people who are reading it in a way that they understand; in a way that slides right under that outer shield and cozies up alongside the conversation they are having inside their head. It grabs attention, and it keeps attention throughout the message to accomplish your goals. That goal might be providing useful information, it might be getting the reader to provide an email address or it might be a direct sale of a product or service.
Engaging content is NOT content that speaks to your own ego, it is not cold and analytical (unless the target audience demands it) and it doesn’t always follow the rules of grammar and style we learned in school. You are “engaging” the reader, and in some situations many of those hard rules must be tossed out the window to get the job done.
Why You MUST Engage Your Audience
With so many things designed to distract and entertain, engaging content isn’t a buzzword or a cliché; it is a must. If you don’t make the content engaging from the top to the bottom, you will lose your reader / prospect somewhere along the way, and it will all be a big waste of time. You’ll also be just like everyone else, and no one likes that!
Where Can I Use It?
Once you learn all the tricks and tips for producing engaging writing, you can use them in virtually all the writing materials your company creates. This includes websites, blog posts, articles, e-books, ads, press releases, TV or radio scripts…the list is endless.
The Tools of Engagement
Now you know what it is and isn’t, why you need it and where you can use it; so it’s time to get into some practical techniques that will take your writing to an entirely new level. Next week, we will start things off with the one element of every piece of content that is most important, and the one that most businesses get horribly wrong: the headline. See you then!
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