Content is king, or so we’ve been told. It’s catchy and pithy and completely accurate. But it’s the quality of that content that’s the real king. It’s not enough to be churning out content – you need to be sure that everything you’re creating is thoughtful, impactful, and relevant to your audience. And before you leap into the comments to counter with statistics proving that no one actually reads anyone’s content, keep reading.
The People Who Matter Are Reading Your Content
Yes, it’s true that a lot of people don’t read your content. But those people probably aren’t in your target audience anyway. However they stumbled into your site, if they don’t need you, they’re going to bail. No matter how convincing or beautifully written your content, it’s an uphill battle to sell something to someone who doesn’t need it. Fortunately, you aren’t writing for those people – you’re writing for the people who do need your help.
That’s where high quality writing comes into play.
If you’re doing it well and your site is being served to the right audience, that excellent site copywriting is going to move people right along that sales funnel. But be warned – bad content is going to do the exact opposite. And no one wants to drive away potential customers after you’ve worked so hard to reel them in.
When Writing Goes Bad
Bad content can take many forms. Sometimes it’s written expressly for search engines, which makes it virtually indecipherable to an actual person. Sometimes the phrasing is awkward or the meaning is muddled. Sometimes the message across the site as a whole is undefined or inconsistent. The list really goes on and on. Typos. Off-putting industry jargon. Poor formatting.
What kind of message are you sending with this kind of content?It’s not good. But it can be resolved.
Do Better
Improving your messaging starts by clarifying what you want people to know. How does your product/service help them solve a problem? Keep it simple, specific, and consistent. If you don’t have a positioning statement, start there. And if you’re fighting mild panic at the thought of rewriting everything on your website, take a deep breath. Then, prioritize.
- Start with the homepage:It’s your virtual storefront. Make sure your messaging is clear and your content engaging.
- Tackle your main service/product pages: This is where you’re laying the case for why people should absolutely hire or buy from you.
- Spiff up that contact page: If people make it to your contact page, they’re considering your service or product. Give them a reason to hit send.
The Takeaway
Understanding the importance of great writing and being an expert in your own industry doesn’t a good writer make. Sometimes, it’s more efficient to turn over your copywriting to someone who can turn all of your knowledge into effective site content. Here’s how to find someone for the job.
