Congratulations! You’re Engaged.
Isn’t it nice to be engaged? No, not engaged to be married, but engaged in what you are doing, reading, living, seeing. Think about it. Has a book you were reading completely enthralled you? Has a web article just captured your attention from the first word to the very last? Have you ever been captivated by a photo? Has an article you read moved you to action? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you have been engaged.
Customer engagement- it’s what every good content writer strives for. And, it’s what every business should want for their communications. Even the most eye-catching website can fall flat without strong, compelling content to back it up. Consumers want something in return for visiting your website, picking up your publication and opening up your e-newsletter – they want information that is relevant to them.
How do you keep your customers coming back for more?
Grab their attention. How many times has a headline like, Five Tips You Can’t Live Without, or The Only 10 Tips You Need to Build a Better Business – caught your eye and compelled you to read? Good content not only helps build relationships between you and your target audience, but it drives people to take action. In this case, that means driving consumers to visit your website, open your emails, pick up the phone and become engaged with your brand.
Offer them something. Now that you have their attention, keep it. Your website content or e-newsletter copy, for example, should not be a sales pitch. Rather, offer your audience something they can use. Tips, industry-specific research, new services that will improve their bottom line and promotional offers are good places to start.
Are you a retail shop? Start an email marketing campaign that provides your customers with valuable coupons. Run a promotion on your website – have people sign up for your emails and in return send them a 10% off coupon, or enter them into a drawing to win something.
Build Upon Relationships. Your existing customers are a captive audience. They know you, they want your services, and they may even trust your brand. Like any good relationship, you have to keep the trust, and the interest, alive. It goes back to offering something. Know your audience and then make certain you’re providing content that connects with them and gives people the information they are seeking.
Here’s an example – A health and wellness company sends out a monthly e-newsletter to its customers. Articles include: A Holistic Approach to Spring Allergies and Five Ways to Sneak More Veggies Into Your Daily Diet. They also offer healthy recipes and tease next month’s spotlighted recipe. The content provides the readers with information that peaks their interest and is relevant to their lives, so they open the e-newsletter instead of deleting it from their in-box, or worse – unsubscribing. Maybe they even forward it to a friend or tweet about it!
Content needs to be more than just words on a page. Good copy can position you and your business as an expert in your field. Your customers can be your best brand ambassadors, so make sure your content keeps them engaged, and coming back for more.
