The Point of Content Generation: Providing Value to Your Customers

The Point of Content Generation: Providing Value to Your Customers
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In today’s marketing landscape, it’s essential you get involved with content generation. Your customers want great information and tips, so make sure that’s what you give them. If you are of the opinion that content generation means you can published umpteen thinly veiled sales pitches, thing again.

What? I can’t sell? Then what’s the point?

If you generate content that is just all about selling, no one is going to read it and people will be turned off your company because of it. But generate content that is full of cracking information that people love, want and need you’ll be worshiped.

Mind you, just because you can’t directly sell through your content doesn’t mean you can’t use it to gently persuade them to take a specific action. I’m talking about getting them to sign up for your newsletter, download your latest report or white paper, follow you on a social media platform (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, Google+) or subscribe to your blog RSS feed. Giving them information in exchange for a relatively minor thing (well, minor in their minds), you can enhance and build on your relationship with them.

How to Get Them to do What You Want Them to Do

There are two ways to achieve your goal:

  • Through your readers fear
  • Through your readers desires

Everyone is motivated either by having a problem they need to solve, or wanting something that’s going to improve their life, income or general well being etc.

Either way, you need to convince them yours is the company they need is to use:

First, convince them they either have problem (this will be particularly relevant if you are a company that helps solve problems) or that they will greatly benefit from your product/service.

Secondly, counter any potential objections the reader may have, such as price etc.

Thirdly, once you’ve established the fear or desire the reader is feeling, you can offer your product/service as the lifeline they’ve been looking for.

Every piece of content you produce must convince your reader to do something, but without overtly selling to them. So next time you write a blog post, create some web copy or post on a social media platform, think about what you want to achieve from your writing and make sure it has a purpose.

Sally Ormond is an independent copywriter and owner of Briar Copywriting Ltd. For tips on copywriting, marketing and social media, you can also read her words of wisdom on Briar Copywriting’s Blog.