Our clients often ask how they can create or write content that their buyers actually want to read. In truth, you can spend a lot of time reading articles on how to craft the perfect headline, how to structure your content or how to write so that busy people can get the gist without being completely focused. I won’t be diving into any of that in this blog because I think there is something even more important than anything I just mentioned, and that is around the subject matter itself.
How can you write content that your buyers want to read? How can you make people read your content?
It’s simple. Write content that addresses questions they already have.
When we meet with our clients to consult and help them launch a content creation process, we start by thinking about the outcomes our prospects and clients hope to achieve and what the common questions that these people are asking. We’ve written about the outcomes before, so let’s focus on the common questions.
The best rule of writing content that people will actually read is to place yourself in their shoes.
Think about what they are experiencing.
What led them to browse the web? Make a search on Google? What led them to your social channels? To your blog? To your company?
Chances are that they had a question around a specific topic, they wanted that question answered, and they went out and found someone who had the answer.
These buyers know they have a problem or some unanswered question and they need an expert to solve it for them or answer it. If this is something that you can help this person with, wouldn’t it be nice if they arrived at your website and not your competitors website? Once your blog is filled with answers to a lot of typical questions that your ideal client has, your visitors will find an engaging experience on your website that will be more likely to generate trust faster.
To be found in search engines for specific questions your buyers have, you need to produce great content that answers that question.
Knowing that you need to write content around your buyers’, prospects’ and clients’ questions, you may be asking yourself how to get started.
How do you know what people are asking?
Spending some time brainstorming as a team — with sales, marketing, and operations working together, you’ll realize that there are a lot of questions that are frequently asked. Maybe your sales reps are being asked the same questions when they initially engage with a new prospect. Or maybe your account managers are getting the same comments in their quarterly reviews. Or maybe your marketing team is finding a common thread in the testimonials and reviews they get.
This is a great starting point for gathering questions. Compile a long list, see what overlap there is and where you should prioritize your efforts! Once you organize these questions, you can determine the best format for delivering the content — from social media copy to emails for sales sequences and from blog content to the slide deck for your QBRs.
Good luck in your writing!
