10 tips for creating effective content

The expression “Content is king” originates from a 1996 essay by Microsoft founder Bill Gates in which he describes the future of the internet as a marketplace for content. The original article was actually not about writing blog posts, creating presentations, or uploading videos: Gates wrote about the business model of selling information and advertising using the internet as a mass-market distribution channel.

Almost thirty years later, content is still king in on the web (and beyond). For getting revenue from selling books, music, and video (Amazon, Spotify, and Netflix’s origin). For making money through paid advertising, leveraging a vast user base, and sophisticated targeting capabilities (Google’s business model). But also for generating demand, and for nurturing and converting leads into customers. Because in the fast-evolving landscape of digital marketing platforms, channels, and tactics, content is the bridge that connects businesses to their audience:

• Content creates value: High-quality content brings value to your (target) customers by educating, entertaining, or inspiring them. When people find content valuable, they are more likely to engage with it and develop trust in the brand behind it.
• Content establishes authority: Consistently producing valuable content helps companies establish themselves as authorities in their respective industries. W) hen your (target) customers perceive a brand as knowledgeable and trustworthy, they are more likely to choose your products or services.
• Content builds relationships: Content allows brands to connect with their audience on a deeper level by addressing their needs, concerns, and interests. Through content, you can foster relationships with your (target) customers, leading to increased loyalty and advocacy.
• Content drives engagement: On digital platforms, content encourages interactions such as likes, shares, comments, and clicks, which are essential for building brand visibility and reach . It helps you stay top-of-mind and maintain relevance in a crowded marketplace.

Photo by Pxhere (CC0 1.0 DEED)

So, here are my 10 key points to remember if you want to create effective content:

1. Know your audience: Understanding your audience lets you tailor your content and messaging to their specific needs, preferences, and pain points. By knowing where your customers are in their buyer’s journey, you can provide relevant information and solutions that resonate with them at each stage, from awareness to consideration to decision-making.
2. Keep it simple, stupid: Digital content should be simple and, when possible, free of jargon to ensure clarity, accessibility, and engagement with a wider audience. Complex language and too technical wording can alienate or confuse part of your audience, hindering their understanding and discouraging further interaction with the content.
3. Think different(iation): Differentiation is essential to stand out in a crowded digital landscape, get audience attention, and distinguish from competitors. Unique, valuable content that addresses specific audience needs and preferences sets your brand apart, builds credibility, and drives engagement and loyalty.
4. Present case studies: Case studies offer concrete evidence of your brand’s capabilities, demonstrating real-world solutions and outcomes. They build trust, credibility, and authority. By showcasing successful experiences, case studies inspire confidence, help overcome objections, and guide prospects toward conversion.
5. Combine numbers and words: When you combine quantitative data for clarity and precision with engaging narratives for depth and connection, you can create content that not only informs, but also inspires and leaves a lasting impact.
6. Show the value: Content marketers should talk about delivering value rather than highlighting product details or features. As such, avoid hard selling and focus on providing valuable information, solving problems, and nurturing relationships.
7. Tell stories: A story can put your whole brain to work. It helps make the complex simple and make the message more memorable. Applying Aristotle’s ancient principle of ethos, pathos, and logos is a way to get your audience engaged beyond the rational and make them connect emotionally and/or ethically.
8. Don’t feed the chameleons: Don’t make your digital content look like a chameleon, that changes colors, style, and layout. Never compromise on the quality of language, layout, or visuals. Be creative. Be consistent. Be professional.
9. Create for multi-channel: Crafting content for multi-channel distribution maximizes reach, ensures accessibility across various platforms and media, and facilitates reuse. Leveraging multiple channels accommodates diverse user preferences, optimizes content performance, and enables a holistic audience experience.
10. Be authentic: As a marketer, you can draw from your personal experiences, emotions, and interactions to produce content that is not only relevant and engaging but also deeply authentic.

Even though Artificial Intelligence has made significant progress in generating content and continues to disrupt creative work, there’s still a human touch that AI simply cannot replace. Human marketers can bring empathy, cultural nuances, and emotional intelligence to the table — all essential for making content a kingpin in the marcom game to truly resonate with your target audience. Isn’t this what marketing is all about?

I have also created an infographic that summarizes this post. You may download the file using the download tab on top of this page.