How to make a connection with your content writing
Why do you write and publish content?
I’m pretty sure many of you are going to say, “for better SEO”.
Although, this is not a wrong approach, if you are writing and publishing content merely to improve your search engine rankings, you’re missing a great opportunity to connect with your core audience.
Your content writing increases your conversion rate if it is able to connect with your readers.
Your content writing must be able to establish a connection with your readers/visitors, as very nicely explained in this blog post, titled “How to write magnetic content that resonates with your audience”.
The author draws a parallel between a chance encounter with a letter carrier or a mailman, and the importance of different approaches towards storytelling to establish a connection with your audience.
He begins his blog post by telling a story about a letter carrier who used to deliver mail in his office, six years ago. Then he got transferred to another city or another area.
The author observes that the letter carrier has grown heavier.
During his previous posting, the letter carrier had to visit individual offices or homes to deliver mail and letters. He would park it struck somewhere and then walk to different offices and homes.
In his new posting, he didn’t have to move much. All he had to do was open the mailbox doors, put in the letters, and close the doors, from within the truck itself. Result: he gained weight.
Such a subtle difference, such a big impact.
In my own blog post, this one, I begin with the importance of making a connection with your readers.
Why is it important to make a connection with your content writing?
Why is it important to make a connection with your content writing?
By now you must have read multiple times that every buying decision is an emotional decision.
A Harvard business School professor says that 95% of purchase decisions are made subconsciously.
Emotions are triggered when you make a connection, whether the connection is visible or invisible, whether it is perceptible or imperceptible.
The connection doesn’t even have to be immediate.
Maybe a connection was made a year ago or a month ago and then, even unconsciously, it comes to the fore, when you are making a purchase or making a buying decision or deciding to hire someone like a content writer.
In the above-linked blog post, the author says that you can make connections, you can write magnetic content, by opening every piece of writing with an engaging story.
Why is storytelling important?
You may like to read Importance of storytelling in content marketing.
Recently I have worked on a few landing pages and the clients have insisted on having a short story on the landing page.
I begin a typical story like this:
There was this guy named Peter. He was having problems with his business. These problems had spilled over his personal life. He was on the verge of getting a divorce. He was thinking of filing for bankruptcy. He had laid off most of his staff.
Then he came across this app that completely transforms the way he manages his business.
… and so on.
Yes, at this time when explaining it here, it may seem a bit artificial, but on the landing page, I create an entire narrative and you can feel a connection with the protagonist.
When you tell a story, people can immediately relate.
These days there is the Coronavirus pandemic going on.
If you go through various blog posts and articles preparing lists of books that you can read while you are confined at home, you will notice that 80% of the books have some sort of outbreak or epidemic as the main theme. This is because these days people can relate to such plots and stories.
You can interweave storytelling and content writing by creating a context.
Does the story always have to be real?
It’s great if the story is real, but even if it isn’t real, as long as it is believable and practical, use it.
Why storytelling makes your content writing unique from your competitors?
When you’re writing and publishing content on your website or blog, how unique is it?
Haven’t all the topics also been covered by your competitors?
For example, if you are a mobile app development company and you want to explain your development process, aren’t there thousands of other websites out there that are explaining their development process in the same manner?
How do you make your mobile app development process unique?
Through storytelling.
Your story is always going to be unique because, it’s your story.
So, instead of simply explaining your development process, tell about a client who had a certain problem and then how you used your development process to solve that problem.
This can be applied to any situation.
For example, instead of explaining how to do online trading using your platform, talk about how Rajesh used your platform for strategic investment and growing his money.