Effective communication is the key to the success of any company in industries across the board. But what exactly does effective marketing content entail? Whether it be social media content, postcards or press releases, here are some tips to follow to guarantee that your marketing content hits the mark.
Know Your Purpose
Is the purpose of your content to inform the public? Invite? Engage? Fully understanding what you hope to accomplish will help guide the tone, style and structure of your communication. “Informal” marketing content, such as holiday greetings and birthday wishes, should be structured differently than a press release, for example.
Be Thorough
Strive to leave your audience with as few unanswered questions as possible. Whenever applicable, your marketing content should address the “Five W’s” — who, what, where, when and why. In other words, include the most important details like time and place in your communication. On social media, for example, include links back to relevant information or a call to action on your website. In addition, make sure to include appropriate contact information so your audience knows where to go for more information.
Know Your Audience
Depending upon your industry, your audience will have specific needs, interests and expectations that your marketing content should address. Ask yourself these questions before beginning:
- What am I trying to say to this person?
- What is the best and most effective way to say it?
- Does the communication need to be altered for different audiences?
Think about it — do you speak to a co-worker and a client in the same tone? Do you use the same vocabulary? Of course not! Consider each of your audiences individually in order to make a significant impact.
Avoid Jargon or “Fancy” Words
But still aim to be creative. At times, using jargon in your marketing content may be unavoidable. Overusing business buzzwords or phrases indicated laziness — or worse — that you don’t understand the topic you’re writing about. Avoid “fancy” words in your communication, as well. Choose “use” instead of “utilize,” for example. Many people believe using complex words makes them appear more intelligent, but readers are not impressed. They’re frustrated. Cut to the chase in your marketing content.
Proofread, Proofread, Proofread!
While it might be easy to wash your hands of a piece of marketing content after you’ve dotted the last “I” and crossed the final “T,” you’re not done proofreading yet. Read your document over two or three times or ask a co-worker to review the final product for misspellings, unnecessary or misplaced punctuation or lack of clarity. To put it bluntly, grammatical errors can be a surefire way to kill your credibility. Mistakes can happen, but you have to be careful to keep them to a minimum.
Putting together professional content — that clearly shares your message and intrigues potential customers — can be daunting. Contact the experts at GREENCREST to help with your content marketing.