Anyone who says “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink” is probably not a marketer.
And yet, this is something a lot of content marketing initiatives get wrong. Sure, the target audience may be making it to your content in droves, but leading people to your content is only step one.
As a marketer, you already know getting your visitors to perform an action is crucial to the success of any marketing initiative. Content marketing is no different. Tracking measurable actions (like newsletter subscribers, social shares, leads, clicks, and sales) tied to your content is crucial to gauging its efficacy.
Here is where most people get lost: They are creating content that isn’t leading people to perform measurable actions. Every piece of content you publish should be crafted with this in the forefront of your mind. If you’re not doing this, you’re wasting your time.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What action do you want people to take after reading your content?
- Which piece of past content inspired the highest number of these actions?
- What elements of this content do you think contributed to its success?
Below is a breakdown of eight elements that inspire action and how to add them into your content. You should be purposefully weaving these elements into your content. At the end of this post, I’ve included an evaluation rubric for you to consistently measure if your content incorporates these attributes.
The Elements of Impactful Content
So how do you create content that leads your audience to perform a desired action?
Simply slapping a call-to-action at the end isn’t enough. Chances are your past content successes contained many, if not all, of the same attributes. Including these following elements throughout your content will help move people to action.
1. Provocative
Does your content flip conventional wisdom on its head?
Easily confused with controversy, being provocative is about more than raising eyebrows. Provocative content ignites emotion by pushing boundaries and challenges the status quo.
Example: Reinventing the Toilet
Non-profits are masters at using provocation to incite action. To raise awareness around poor sanitation conditions, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation put together a stellar content marketing campaign about, well...poop. Using a combination of infographics and kinetic typography videos, they packaged content that is shocking, frankly discusses a taboo subject, and makes the viewer think differently about something as pedestrian as a toilet. Makes you want to donate, right?
2. Visionary
Are you causing a “Eureka moment” for the reader?
Visionary content puts into words a frustration, realization, or need that the reader has, but may not have been fully aware of or seen properly verbalized previously.
Example: 15 Things You Should Give Up to Be Happy
This virally successful article didn’t reinvent the wheel (or the toilet), but rather, it produces a “why didn’t I think of that?” reaction. This was a simple list of things the reader probably had never connected with making them less happy in life. The title of this post is also provocative (one doesn’t associate giving things up with happiness) and no doubt greatly contributed to its viral success. Just take a look at the social shares in the screenshot below the title to see how many actions this piece spawned.
3. Differentiated
Are you rehashing what others have already said?
Differentiated content presents a completely original idea or discusses a tired topic in a new fashion or format. This is uncommon to most content and one of the toughest attributes to master.
Example: The Noob Guide to Online Marketing
Instead of being yet another “ultimate guide” blog post, this comprehensive resource combined expert knowledge with a visually-compelling format. And the accompanying infographic is anything but typical; it’s meant to be printed out and used as a checklist (you can rip the “cogs” off of the wheel as you complete each task).
4. Relevant
Does your content appeal to your target audience?
Content should be related to your brand without being an overt sales pitch. If you do go off topic, you’re doing so from the perspective of your vertical.
Example: Nature Valley Trail View
Nature Valley understood that a map of where you could buy granola bars wouldn’t be compelling (except for someone who was really into granola bars). But what is compelling to active people (the target audience of a mobile snack) is a map where you can take virtual tours through America’s national parks. There is no mention of granola bars in this virtual map, save for the subtle branding of the Nature Valley logo. This type of content is exactly what all businesses should be doing: providing your target audience with resources of entertainment relevant to their interests and lifestyle. They also posted a blog about how they created this project, another source of content that would be of interest to their target audience.
5. Timely
Are you one of the first to cover hot topics?
Even if you aren’t trying to break news, you should be incorporating current trends and news into your content. Leverage news items your audience is naturally talking about or seeking more information about.
Example: From Pump Pains to Pink Slips
My company, BlueGlass Interactive, created this infographic with Forbes which covered how rising gas prices affect unemployment, elections, and the stock market. We took a topic in the forefront of many people’s minds and made it compelling through data visualizations.
6. Demonstrates Mastery
Are you positioning your brand as a thought leader?
Masterful content offers an unparalleled depth of insight. It expands on complex ideas and shows a comprehensive analysis on the topic unlikely to be found from other sources.
Example: Local Search Ranking Factors
If you asked for a resource on local search, chances are you’d be directed to this mammoth survey of local search experts. Every year, David Mihm polls local search thought leaders about the ranking factors that drive Google’s Local Search algorithms and releases a new volume after each survey. Creating this type of resource (and continuously updating it) can position your brand as a top authority in your niche.
7. Can Be Delivered On
Do you provide the solution?
Content should intrigue the reader about your brand, and make them feel they have an unmet need only your brand can fill.
Example: Dollar Shave Club
You’ve probably heard the phrase “unique selling proposition,” but have rarely seen it in true form. Dollar Shave Club built their entire campaign on the very thing that no other competitor can offer: one dollar for razors mailed to you each month. With a unique selling proposition this strong, the viewer is almost forced to take action and sign up for the club. It doesn’t hurt that the video is hilarious, only adding to the uniqueness of the brand.
8. Narrative
Are you telling a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end?
Content with a strong narrative takes the reader on an exciting journey full of surprises and leads to a call-to-action of value for the brand. It’s cohesive, easy to understand, and inspires action related to the story.
Example: Water Changes Everything
Using another example from a non-profit, this motion graphic video from Charity Water takes the viewer on a treacherous journey. It illustrates how people without access to clean drinking water collect water and the repercussions of the struggles they face. It then presents a solution to the problem at hand, explaining how a specific dollar amount can contribute to helping the issue.
Using the Content Evaluation Rubric
I’ve put together an evaluation rubric that grades content on the above eight attributes.
Periodically measuring your content against this rubric will allow you to see if your content is incorporating these elements. After reading through your content, give each attribute a score of 1-5. It will be next to impossible to get a perfect 100%, but the great thing about this rubric is it will challenge you to include these elements in all of your content.
I recommend going through both your old popular content and your content that flopped to see how they fare on this rubric. Which attributes were strong or weak? You can adjust the rubric to give more weight to the attributes that resonated most with your audience in the past.
You can also customize the rubric to match the types of content you produce. For example, if you are primarily creating evergreen content, you can remove the “timely” attribute.
Conclusion
It’s tempting to chase viral success and create content that only produces traffic spikes and social shares. If you’re only creating content with this in mind, you may find yourself producing content that is completely unrelated to your business, not reaching the right audience, and not getting your visitors to perform the actions you hope.
Hi Daniel,
I liked your examples of great content. I only expected more solutions regarding "call to actions" after reading the first sentences. "What action do you want people to take after reading your content?" you asked at the beginning ... but after all nice inspirational ideas.
Thanks! I understand what you're saying so hopefully in a future post I can dive down a bit deeper. This post is really a primer to help differentiate between content that has the ability to engage and that which doesn't. The deeper we can engage with our audience, the more likely they're going to be to interact more intimately with our brand.
Nice post Daniel. I always respond better to articles that include real world examples. It makes it easier to show business executives that content does work in a variety of ways. I'll have to test out your rubric to see how some of the content I've created scores.
Excellent, I hope it's useful Scott. We use it all the time at BlueGlass!
This seems more like how to get and keep attention using creative paths, but it's excellent advice.
These examples demonstrate thinking outside the box and using clever ways to attract people to your product. In the past it was all about advertising and packaging, now it's more about connecting with people in unexpected ways.
Great article Daniel, I look forward to reading more of your stuff.
Thanks Jeremy! Some of my favorite (and also simultaneously most jealous) moments working as and online marketer come when I see something just ingenious (like some of the examples above). Doing really cool things that connect with people in unexpected ways is exactly the point, and what makes this job so fun.
I love these videos. BTW just donated my 20.
You can also use so-called "Easter Eggs" tactics to interact people and lead them to action... Use the original ways to manipulate users on the site.
Hi,
Your post is best for the understanding content attribute you gives perfect examples for that. We have to use our content at the right place content is a best option for building our brand and marketing our site.
u said: "Here is where most people get lost: They are creating content that isn’t leading people to perform measurable actions" ... and i got a shiver down my back .. cause what you say it's true !! and I think for some of my customers I am getting it all wrong .. hmm !! but how many hours do we have in a single day to cover all things need to be doing?
Its an important lesson....but if we're going to be taking the effort to create content (which does take quite a bit of effort), we should always be thinking about how we can best leverage that content from a marketing perspective.
A good way of checking what content provokes action is to see what has worked for other people in that niche and then emulate them. A good way is to use a site like Reddit in my opinion and see what links people in that specific niche are sharing with the community
Thanks for the post! Easy to understand and I really enjoyed reading this. And great examples there.
Great post. It is really interesting to to debate the types of creative content that makes a site's traffic becomes viral. It is like striking for an impression that lasts for ages!
I'll start immediately using the content evaluation rubrica for all new contents ,, thk s for the ideas and wow, the one dollar / month razor video is very funny!
LOL @ The Dollar shave club.Thanks for a super informative post, creating the right content in the right has always been the great challenge.
Can't wait for more neat examples and tutorials.
Content Writing is my absolute weakness. I generally have people that know how to do it rewrite all of my content, thanks for 8 very useful ideas to incorporate into my content creation.
I can sympathize with you Chris, i am in the same boat and i constantly check my grammar and punctuation but it still needs a touch up from someone else's eyes for some reason.
Frustrating to say the least but at least we know our weaknesses and develop them accordingly, which is one of the major reasons im starting to give an input into these forums and a few others i have found. I believe that writing effectively can really give an edge especially when it comes to Seo.
Rob
Holy crap what an awesome post! :) Sorry I'm late to the party.
Thanks for expanding my mind to think more creatively. But not just for creativity sake. It's so important to keep your eye on the prize. The end goal. Which should always be conversions.
Regardless of whether my goals are more customers, subscribers or something else, your 8 attributes gave me a million ideas and inspired me to believe that if I create content that has a unique spin, is thought provoking, or tells a story, chances are my conversions will increase.
One of the better posts I've read recently on content. Loved the structure and the examples you've used Daniel - thanks!
Now to remember to use the Rubric...
For anyone that's enjoyed this you should read the book "Made to Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath - it covers in depth all the things that make some ideas stick and others fail. Great book that's really made me rethink the content I produce.
Really nice way to find out great content attributes Daniel, thank for sharing such an informative and useful post with us. liked it.
I really enjoy posts like this as when you create content it can and everyone does it easy to become complacent, stuck into a rut and just be lazy. Sticking to your tried and tested format/method, but the worst thing is you don't even realise it-until you read something like this and you think oh. Maybe I could try this or even if you don't any of the above at least think twice when coming up with your content ideas.
Nice Post :-)
the quality of those graphics / videos is exceptionally high - im sure this will have a big impact on conversion too, regardless of the content.
Definitely. Good point man.
Creating truly remarkable content really is so important. In my opinion, it is far more powerful to invest the time and money in less content that is exceptional than more content that fails to resonate with anyone. Like with most things in life...quality over quantity.
Great post Daniel,
Really good example of content presents your business in simple way to attract customer on your site,
Agree with the comments here,
and it shows a great deal of correct sense
Thanks for the wonderful flow of information.
Sound advice there and questions I will definitely keep in mind and ask myself when creating content.
Second one is most I like. There are many new ways by which you can present the existing ideas and topics. Infographic is one of the best. People, in particular I, love infographic as it has power to explain things in easy and speedy way. After all which is good content? The content which engage the readers, it doesn't matter that it's new or old.
Great post Daniel. Really I like the content ideas.
As all we know the unique and creative content goes viral most. But some time, it is not about to getting rich off your content. Not straight. The overall activity is to make the type of content that makes your products or services more findable on the Internet. The better you know who your leads are the higher your possibilities of developing content that draws the biggest amounts of them to your site.
Thanks
Most of the content marketing work we do isn't designed to result in an action that immediately produces direct revenue (although this can certainly be a byproduct). It's designed to get our target audience engaged with our brand (or our client's brand), and to engage with us.
Hmmm... in the article you said "Tracking measurable actions (like newsletter subscribers, social shares, leads, clicks, and sales) tied to your content is crucial to gauging its efficacy."
Now you're saying "Most of the content marketing work we do isn't designed to result in an action that immediately produces direct revenue (although this can certainly be a byproduct)."
I liked your first assertion better than your second, Daniel. :)
I think you were right on the money when you focused on measurable high-value actions being an important consideration in developing and promoting marketing content. For the vast majority of marketers out there (especially B2B marketers), demonstrating the ability to drive visits and pageviews isn't enough. They need to drive more valuable engagement like opt-ins, leads, product trials, and revenue.
Creative content is king. Loving this example that came across my desk a few days ago - https://producten.hema.nl/ (open and let the products do their thing, don't click on anything. You'll be amazed, I promise).
It's been floating around the web for a few years now but still gets massive amounts of exposure.
That's really cool...I'm surprised I've never seen it. Thanks for sharing!
This is nice and very helpful especially when we create some Freelancing accounts.
Interesting - cool Bill Gates vid! - This strikes a chord with me of course. I'm always trying to think of new ways to inspire action with content.
I absolutely agree with you! Creating content for well... just content is crazy! I would say just about 50% if not more marketers on the web do this!
Great ideas in here to help re-invent the wheel! I really like your examples to bring home your point (in fact I might even go donate $20 to change a life after this comment!!!). I really liked how you broke the idea up into several easy to understand categories of content, making it really easy for someone like myself to identify what type of content I am creating and how to effectively persuade my consumers to perform an action.
In my current career I take several training classes a year inspired by some of the most brilliant sales mindes in the world (I.E. Lance Cooper) and telling a story is one of the points stressed so much! I am glad you incorporated here and I personally think it should have been in BOLD and CAPS.
Thanks Again! This is certainly one of the posts I will be starring in my Google Reader for future use.
Awesome feedback Borduhh, thanks so much! You're exactly right about storytelling. In fact, storytelling is a tool used for literacy development because it is so powerful for conveying deep meaning and comprehension. Thanks again for your thoughtful comments.
Great content is always king, but it is also true that call to actions are important too and what type of call to action to use on websites, depends on market niche..
Yea, it does depend on the niche. Good identification.
I think your conclusion hits the nail on the head. You can't plan for something to "go viral." It takes the right content at the right time in the right format for magic to happen. Instead, if you focusing on creating great content for your audience you'll come out on top sooner or later.
And it can be so surprising which content you create that actually performs the best. That's part of the fun of it though! If you follow the rubric I provided, it will help you produce content that does have that WOW factor.
Agreed Nick. It's easy to get lost on focusing on conversions and as a result, you drown out the creativity - A balance is needed, adn focusing on great content will land you on top.
Interesting thing I noticed is that only 2 of your examples seem to be written content. Most of them are videos or graphics or interactive tools (the map). It seems like that is the direction content marketing is headed.
Interactive, visual content is definitely one direction content marketing is headed. Of course there will always be a place for great written content, but I expect we'll continue to see a trend of written content being supplemented with media more frequently, as well as see written content re-purposed in a variety of mediums to up engagement and sharing potential.
Thanks for sharing this with us. I've quiet enjoyed the experience of reading your blog so far. Maybe some cliff notes at the bottom would be a useful addition to summarize the lessons...regardless i will be checking back here so keep up the delightful work,your readers appreciate it...