In the digital age, content is king. But not all content is created equal. The key to successful content marketing lies in creating content that converts – content that compels your readers to take action. This could be making a purchase, subscribing to a newsletter, or sharing your article on social media. Throughout my career as a content marketer, I’ve learned some invaluable lessons on writing content that truly converts. Let me share those with you.
1. Know Your Audience
One of the first piecec of content I ever wrote was for a tech startup. It was a detailed, jargon-filled article about the technical aspects of their product. I was proud of it, but it didn’t perform well. The reason? I hadn’t considered who would be reading it.
Most of our audience were not tech experts, but everyday people interested in how our product could make their lives easier. Once I started writing with them in mind, using simple language and explaining how our product solved their problems, our engagement rates soared.
Lesson: Understand your audience. Know their needs, their language, and their pain points. Write for them.
2. Craft Compelling Headlines
Early in my career, I’d spend hours perfecting an article, only to give the headline a passing thought. But then I came across a statistic: On average, 8 out of 10 people will read headline copy, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest.
It was a wake-up call. I began experimenting with different headline formulas, incorporating numbers, power words, and curiosity-inducing phrases. The result? A significant increase in click-through rates.
Lesson: Spend time crafting compelling headlines. They’re your first impression, and often, they’re the deciding factor between a user clicking on your content or passing it by.
3. Use Stories to Engage
One of my most successful pieces of content was a case study for a client. Instead of presenting dry facts and figures, I told a story. I detailed the struggles our client had faced, how they’d overcome them with our help, and the results they’d achieved.
That piece of content generated more leads than any other we’d published. Why? Because stories engage. They draw readers in and make your message relatable.
Lesson: Use storytelling in your content. People relate to stories, and an engaged reader is more likely to convert.
4. Include Clear Calls to Action
When I first started writing, I assumed that if a reader liked my content, they’d naturally take the next step – whether that was making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. But I quickly learned that wasn’t the case.
I was writing an email campaign and decided to include a clear, direct call-to-action (CTA) at the end: “Click here to try our product for free.” That email had the highest conversion rate of any I’d written.
Lesson: Always include a clear CTA. Don’t assume your reader knows what to do next. Guide them.
Writing content that converts isn’t an exact science. It’s a skill that takes practice, experimentation, and a deep understanding of your audience. But by knowing your audience, crafting compelling headlines, using storytelling, and including clear CTAs, you can create content that not only captivates your readers but also prompts them to take action. And that, in essence, is the key to writing content that converts.
