Is Your Content like Taylor Swift or Lena Dunham?
“43% of millennials rank authenticity over content when consuming news. They first have to trust a company or news site before they even bother reading the content that they produce.” (Source: Forbes)
Your content needs personality.
We buy from people and companies we like. And we like companies because they represent our values, beliefs, and opinions – or what we want our values, beliefs and opinions to be. It’s how companies build communities and sell products.
For example, Grace and Lace has built a business on the simple value of compassion and their belief that children should have their basic needs met. Their mission is to get “children off the streets and give them shelter, food to eat, fresh well-water, clothes on their backs and most importantly, raise them in Christ.“ (Read more about their mission.) Their philanthropy and values are part of their brand and it’s reflected in every piece of their marketing.
You don’t have to be a philanthropist to build a community around your personality and brand. You simply have to communicate it consistently. So how do you do that?
Write conversationally.
Write content that sounds like you’re talking directly to the individual customer or prospect. This isn’t just on the topic that you choose to write about but also the words that you use. For example, when you use “I” and “You,” your reader feels like you’re talking to them.
Conversational content is usually less formal. You might share personal stories and examples. To create a strong connection to your reader, it’s important to make sure you know who your audience is. Create a description of your prospects and customers and write your content to them. Learn how to identify your target audience here.
Consistency Matters
My regular readers and followers will probably roll their eyes when I mention being consistent. But consistency matters. In a post on Inc.com Lewis Howes relates an interview with Tony Robbins. He asked Tony if there was a common denominator he sees in incredibly successful people. Tony’s answer was consistency. He stressed that you can’t reach massive success if you aren’t consistent.
To be consistent with your content creation, you want to make sure that the tone and voice of your content, as well as the subject matter, provide the expected experience. If you write a very formal and structured blog post one day and a free flowing conversational piece the next, you’ll confuse readers. They like to know what to expect. It’s how you build and strengthen your brand.
“Trust is built with consistency.” Lincoln Chafee
Use Consistent Formatting
Consistent formatting helps too. While there are some rules of thumb for formatting your blog posts, you have many ways to brand your content. Create a look and feel unique to your content. This might include image placement, colors, logos and even the color and placement of your call to action buttons.
Consistency is essential for branding and adding personality to your content. The more you write, the easier it becomes to integrate your brand voice naturally into your message.
Review your content on your website, content and even social media posts. Does it have a consistent tone that your audience will recognize as your brand? Is your content relatable? If not, devise ways to infuse some personality into each piece of content you create. And remember…..be consistent!
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- Why You Should be Blogging
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- How Long Your Blog Post Should Be
- How to Format your Post for Easy Reading
- How to Harness the Power of Graphics
- How to Encourage Social Sharing
- How to Craft a Good Call to Action
- Ways to Monetize Your Blog Posts
- Tips for Outsourcing Your Content Creation
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- Identify the Goal of Each Blog Post