How to write engaging content that gets read

1. Complete a Marketing Content Brief - while I know this may seem like a lot of work, completing a brief which sets out your target market, what communication channel/s you want to use, what your objectives are, your call to action etc. - in short planning what you are going to write will really help you create your content, giving you the best possible chance of ensuring it engages your audience, and achieves your objectives and goals.
   
   Download a Marketing Content Brief template, and an example of a completed brief.
   
   
2. Keep your content short, clear, and concise - rather than overwhelming your reader with too much information, ask yourself what your client wants to read/know, not what you want to tell them. For example if you are writing content for an email, ideally you should keep it to 200 words or less.
   
   
3. Get your readers attention - for an email this is the subject line, or for an article in (for example) a newsletter the headline. Use your key proposition/insight from your marketing content brief to help you create this. It should tell your reader exactly what is in your email or article and needs to be compelling enough to get their attention. Try to keep it concise - 40 characters or less.
   
   
4. Introduction - the introduction expands on your headline, and gives you the opportunity to connect with your audience. You introduction should tell your readers why your email/article is relevant to them and why they should keep reading.
   
   
5. Body - to make a clear transition from the introduction to the body of your writing, start the body with a clear sentence that sums up the introduction, and sets up what the rest of the paragraph is going to say.
   1. At the end of the paragraph substantiate what you have already said, using your key proposition/insight, data, information and knowledge.
   2. If your body goes for more than one paragraph and covers more than one subject, repeat this process for each paragraph, leading with a clear transition that in one sentence sums up what the previous paragraph has said, and sets up what the rest of the paragraph is going to say.
   3. End each paragraph with and data and/or information etc. that substantiates what you have just written. 
       
6. Conclusion - the conclusion is where you provide a clear call to action and tie together all the parts of your writing to clearly tell why, and encourage your readers to do what you want them to do. In the conclusion you may also refer to you initial headline to come full circle and reiterate your original hook that get your readers attention in the first place. This may assist in your reader recalling what they have read, and increase the probability of them taking your desired action.

Download an example of an email using the above steps here.

If you would like more information and/or support for writing engaging content for your business contact your CDM or CDA today.