[13] How to Create Content that Deeply Engages Your Audience

Now that we know who weÔÇÖre talking to and what we want to say, we just have to fine-tune how we say it to achieve maximum impact.

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Transcript

Jerod Morris: Welcome to Sites, a podcast by the teams at StudioPress and Copyblogger. In this show, we deliver time-tested insight on the four pillars of a successful WordPress website: content, design, technology, and strategy. We want to help you get a little bit closer to reaching your online goals, one episode at a time.

IÔÇÖm your host Jerod Morris.

Sites is brought to you by StudioPress Sites — the complete hosted solution that makes WordPress fast, secure, and easy ÔǪ without sacrificing power or flexibility. For example, you can upload your own WordPress theme, or, you can use one of the 20 beautiful StudioPress themes that are included and just one click away. Explore all the amazing things you can do with a StudioPress Site, and youÔÇÖll understand why this is way more than traditional WordPress hosting. No matter how youÔÇÖll be using your site, we have a plan to fit your needs — and your budget. To learn more, visit studiopress.com/sites. ThatÔÇÖs studiopress.com/sites.

Welcome to Episode 13 of Sites.

Last week, we talked about SEO. We discussed a fantasy world in which we could simply eliminate SEO from our lives … but then thought better of it because of the important insight we gain from associated activities like keyword research — which gives us such important insight into the phrases our target audience members use when they have urgent and specific problems to solve.

We learn how they seek answers to these problems. The kind of problems we want to be the solution for.

Well this week weÔÇÖre also talking about the how — how we create content that really moves the needle for our audience once theyÔÇÖve reached our content and are consuming it.

WeÔÇÖve already spent considerable time during our content episodes talking about the who and the what of content creation. This episode brings it all together. Because now that we know who weÔÇÖre talking to and what we want to say, we just have to fine-tune how we say it to achieve maximum impact.

Here, now, is my reading of Brian ClarkÔÇÖs blog post: ÔÇ£How to Create Content that Deeply Engages Your Audience ÔÇØ IÔÇÖve adapted it slightly for clarity.

Make sure you stick around after the reading, as IÔÇÖll have this weekÔÇÖs hyper-specific call to action for you.

How to Create Content that Deeply Engages Your Audience

Art Silverman had a vendetta against popcorn.

Silverman wanted to educate the public about the fact that a typical bag of movie popcorn has 37 grams of saturated fat, while the USDA recommends you have no more than 20 grams in an entire day.

ThatÔÇÖs important information. But instead of simply citing that surprising statistic, Silverman made the message a little more striking:

ÔÇ£A medium-sized ÔÇÿbutterÔÇÖ popcorn contains more artery-clogging fat than a bacon-and-eggs breakfast, a Big Mac and fries for lunch, and a steak dinner with all the trimmings ÔÇö combined!ÔÇØ

Yes, what you say is crucial. But how you say it can make all the difference.

How you say it is determined by your ÔÇ£whoÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Marketing succeeds when enough people with similar worldviews come together in a way that allows marketers to reach them cost-effectively.ÔÇØ
ÔÇô Seth Godin

When you create a well-rounded representation of your ideal customer, what youÔÇÖre really tuning in to is the way your people view the world.

And when you understand the worldview your prospects share ÔÇö the things they believe ÔÇö you can frame your story in a way that resonates so strongly with them that you enjoy an ÔÇ£unfairÔÇØ advantage over your competition.

Consider these competing worldviews, framed differently by simple word choices:

  • Crossfitter vs. Gym Rat
  • Progressive vs. Snowflake
  • Businessman vs. The Man

These are extreme examples, and you can certainly cater to audience beliefs and worldviews without resorting to name-calling. For example, the simple word ÔÇ£greenÔÇØ can provoke visceral reactions at the far sides of the environmental worldview spectrum, while also prompting less-intense emotions in the vast middle.

Framing your story against a polar opposite, by definition, will make some love you and others ignore or even despise you. ThatÔÇÖs not only okay, itÔÇÖs necessary.

YouÔÇÖll likely never convert those at the other end of the spectrum, but your core base will share your content and help you penetrate the vast group in the middle ÔÇö and thatÔÇÖs where growth comes from.

Based on who youÔÇÖre talking to, you have to choose the way to tell the story so that you get the conclusion you desire.

ItÔÇÖs the delivery of the framed message that keeps your heroic prospect on the journey so that their (and therefore your) goals are achieved.

The ÔÇ£howÔÇØ is essentially the difference between success and failure (or good and great) when it comes to content marketing. You must tell a compelling story with the right central element for the people youÔÇÖre trying to reach.

ItÔÇÖs all about the premise

When you think about how a story is told, youÔÇÖll hear people talk in terms of hooks and angles. Another way of thinking about it is the premise of the case youÔÇÖre making.

As a term in formal logic, the premise is a proposition supporting a certain conclusion. Applied to content and storytelling, we use the word premise to mean the emotional concept that not only attracts attention but also maintains engagement throughout every element of your content.

In other words:

The premise is the embodiment of a concept that weaves itself from headline to conclusion, tying everything together into a compelling, cohesive, and persuasive narrative with one simple and inevitable conclusion ÔÇö your desired action.

And yes, youÔÇÖre telling smaller stories along the buyerÔÇÖs journey that forms an overall empowering narrative. YouÔÇÖll have a ÔÇ£big ideaÔÇØ thatÔÇÖs told one step at a time along the path.

The premise connects you to the emotional center of your prospectÔÇÖs brain, stimulates desire, maintains credibility, and eventually results in the action you want.

This happens when you understand how to frame your message and overall offer to mesh so tightly with your prospectÔÇÖs worldview that the ÔÇ£this is right for meÔÇØ trigger is pulled subconsciously.

Of course, each piece of content reflects your core values and overall positioning in the marketplace. HereÔÇÖs a famous example from the world of advertising.

Nike has one of the most powerful positioning statements on the planet, expressed in three little words ÔÇö just do it. Beyond selling shoes, this is a way of viewing the world boiled down to its essence, which is why itÔÇÖs so powerful.

Now, think back to NikeÔÇÖs commercial from the 80s featuring John LennonÔÇÖs song Instant Karma. If you have never seen this ad, or donÔÇÖt recall it, IÔÇÖve placed a link to it near the top of the show notes at studiopress.blog/sites13.

WhatÔÇÖs the premise?

First, notice how you donÔÇÖt see a logo or company name until the very end. Even then, itÔÇÖs only for a few brief seconds. In fact, the camera barely shows the shoes of the athletes. ItÔÇÖs all about the lyrics married to the visuals.

The first lyrical tie-in hits with ÔÇ£Join the human raceÔÇØ when an image of Olympic champion Michael Johnson is shown lining up for a race. Then things really kick in with ÔÇ£Who on Earth do you think you are, a superstar? Well right you are!ÔÇØ

And then the unifying chorus paired with images of athletic adversity punctuated with triumph, as John Lennon repeats, We all shine on .

This individual promotion supports Nikes overall brand positioning of just do it in a powerful, unique way. Did it resonate with everyone? Not at all  and Im guessing that very same commercial today would be absolutely despised by a certain segment of the U.S. population.

But the Instant Karma clip did highly engage the people it was aimed at. Repeat this to yourself over and over:

The content you create is for a particular ÔÇ£who,ÔÇØ and no one else.

LetÔÇÖs now look at a process for finding your how, both with your overall positioning and at each step in the prospectÔÇÖs journey.

4 steps to creating your winning story concept

Great ideas are unique. ThereÔÇÖs no formula for innovative ideas, and anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is selling the slickest of snake oil.

That said, great premises always have certain elements in common. It took me many years to understand that, beyond all the tactics, itÔÇÖs the premise of the message that matters first and foremost.

The work youÔÇÖve done so far on who and what was the heavy lifting of the how. But to refine your content marketing strategy even further, here are four essential elements of a winning story concept.

1. Be unpredictable

The first thing you absolutely must have is attention. Without initial attention, nothing else youÔÇÖve done matters.

And nothing kills attention faster than if your prospective reader, listener, or viewer thinks they already know where youÔÇÖre going. Beyond curiosity, a great premise delivers an unpredictable and unexpected element that makes it irresistible.

It all comes back to knowing who youÔÇÖre talking to at an intimate level and what they are used to seeing in the market.

What messages are they getting from your competition? This is what you must use as the benchmark to create your own unique and unexpected angle that forms the foundation of your premise.

In this day and age, you might have to dig deeper for a new and unexpected message that startles or downright fascinates people. A creative imagination combined with solid research skills help you see the nugget of gold no one else sees.

Part of why people tune things out is a lack of novelty, which makes even a previously desirable subject matter mundane.

Taking an approach that differs from the crowd can help you stand out, and thatÔÇÖs why unpredictability is crucial for a strong premise.

Just remember that things change. What was once unpredictable can become not only predictable, but trite. This is why being able to come up with a fresh premise is a valuable skill for anyone who creates content or markets anything.

#1: Be unpredictable.

2. Be simple

One of the fundamental rules of effective content marketing is to be clear and simple. Because a premise by definition is an unprecedented and grand idea, sometimes boiling it down to its essence is difficult, or worse, neglected.

DonÔÇÖt get me wrong. IÔÇÖm not saying to water down your big idea to the point of stupidity.

That defeats the purpose.

What IÔÇÖm saying is youÔÇÖve got to make it so simple and clear that it travels directly into the mind of your prospect, so he begins to tell himself the story. Your copy must guide him and inspire him, not beat him over the head.

So, youÔÇÖve got a grand premise thatÔÇÖs unpredictable and destined to shake up your market. Reduce it to a paragraph.

Now, take it down to two sentences.

Get it even shorter.

Just do it.

At this point, you may find yourself with a great tagline. At a minimum, youÔÇÖve now got the substance for the bold promise contained in your primary headline.

#1: Be unpredictable
#2: Be simple

3. Be real

YouÔÇÖve heard that in this day of social media, youÔÇÖve got to keep it real. Speak with a human voice. Be authentic.

Be you.

You also hopefully know that social media hasnÔÇÖt changed the fact that itÔÇÖs about them, not you. In fact, itÔÇÖs more about them than ever.

How do you make that work? What makes a premise real to the right people?

First of all, your premise must be highly relevant to your intended audience, while also being directly in line with your core values. Without relevance, you canÔÇÖt inspire meaning. And itÔÇÖs meaningful messages that inspire action.

Meaning is a function of what people believe before you find them. As we discussed earlier, what your ideal customers believe reflects how they view the world, and your content has to frame that view appropriately to be effective.

As a function of belief, meaning is derived from the context in which your desired audience perceives your message. That context is the heroic journey of the prospect, with your brand serving as a guide.

ThereÔÇÖs another aspect of being ÔÇ£realÔÇØ with your content. Your messages must communicate meaningful benefits that are also tangible. This is the second important aspect of an authentic premise, and itÔÇÖs critical to help your prospects understand and connect with your message.

In this sense, tangible means real or actual, rather than imaginary or visionary. This is the aspect of your premise that is express, meaning the part where you tell the story in a way that concretely injects certain information into the prospectÔÇÖs mind in a specific way.

Remember the Total cereal ad from the late 1980s? (Again, if youÔÇÖve never seen this ad or donÔÇÖt remember, IÔÇÖve placed a link to it at the top of the show notes at studiopress.blog/sites13.)

ÔÇ£How many bowls of YOUR cereal equal one bowl of Total?ÔÇØ

You then saw stacks of cereal bowls filled with various competing brands, with one case reaching 12 bowls high.

Powerful, right?

Instead of saying something pedestrian like, ÔÇ£Total has 12 times the nutrition of the leading brand,ÔÇØ they showed you a tangible expression of the benefit. But it doesnÔÇÖt need to be done with visuals to work.

Words alone are plenty powerful to paint a picture in the mind. Think back to the beginning of this podcast episode, and the way Art Silverman explained the saturated fat content in a bag of popcorn. He took a dry statistic and brought it to life.

ÔÇ£A medium-sized ÔÇÿbutterÔÇÖ popcorn contains more artery-clogging fat than a bacon-and-eggs breakfast, a Big Mac and fries for lunch, and a steak dinner with all the trimmings ÔÇö combined!ÔÇØ

YouÔÇÖll note that both examples — the Total cereal example and the Art Silverman example — contain the element of unpredictability and simplicity. But itÔÇÖs the relevant and tangible expression of the premise that creates instant understanding.

Make your messages as real to people as possible, and youÔÇÖll create the kind of instant understanding that all truly great premises contain. But thereÔÇÖs one more critical element to a premise that works.

#1: Be unpredictable
#2: Be simple
#3: Be real

4. Be credible

If youÔÇÖre writing to persuade, you have to hit the gut before you get anywhere near the brain. The part that decides ÔÇ£I want thatÔÇØ is emotional and often subconscious. If your premise doesnÔÇÖt work emotionally, logic will never get a chance to weigh in.

If you flip that emotional switch, the sale (or other action) is yours to lose. And I mean that literally. Because our logical minds do eventually step in (usually in a way that makes us think weÔÇÖre actually driven by logic in the first place). If your premise is not credible (as in itÔÇÖs too good to be true), you fail.

That doesnÔÇÖt mean hyperbole never works, as long as the prospect wants to believe you badly enough. ThatÔÇÖs how some desperate people in certain markets are taken advantage of.

But belief is critical in any market and with any promotion, so credibility is the final key to a winning premise ÔÇö people must believe you just as your premise must match their beliefs.

Remember, the more innovative your idea or exceptional your offer, the more youÔÇÖre going to have to prove it. This brings us right back to an unexpected, simple, and tangible expression of the benefit in a way thatÔÇÖs credible.

Every box of Total cereal contains the cold, hard data about the nutritional content. And although attitudes have changed toward saturated fat, Art SilvermanÔÇÖs popcorn claims were supported by the FDA recommendations at the time.

The kind of proof any particular premise requires will vary, but the more credibility that can be baked into the premise itself, the better.

#1: Be unpredictable
#2: Be simple
#3: Be real
#4: Be credible

Now  put it out there

Consider this metaphor from the 1991 Soundgarden song Outshined, written by frontman Chris Cornell, who, sadly, passed away recently.

Im looking California, and feeling Minnesota 

He shared an interesting anecdote about writing those very personal words in a magazine interview:

ÔÇ£I came up with that line ÔÇö ÔÇÿIÔÇÖm looking California / And feeling Minnesota,ÔÇÖ from the song ÔÇÿOutshinedÔÇÖ ÔÇö and as soon as I wrote it down, I thought it was the dumbest thing. But after the record came out and we went on tour, everybody would be screaming along with that particular line when it came up in the song. That was a shock.ÔÇØ

Instead of the ÔÇ£dumbest thing,ÔÇØ those are the most famous six words Cornell has ever written. In addition to being a fan favorite, the line inspired both a movie title and an ESPN catch phrase whenever Minnesota Timberwolves player Kevin Garnett was in the news.

Why did it work? Because with those six words, SoundgardenÔÇÖs audience understood instantly what Cornell was trying to convey. He spoke to them.

And yet, what if Cornell had cut the line because ÔÇ£it was the dumbest thing?ÔÇØ I suppose that would have been unfortunate, because he would have missed out on a level of engagement with his audience that the rest of us would kill for.

The content marketing strategy weÔÇÖve been working through is putting you in the position to get things right the first time. You smartly spent a ton of time on your who, and then you outlined the critical points of your story by mapping the buyerÔÇÖs journey and the customer experience.

The who and the what inform the how.

You might even be surprised at how easily the fresh ideas are coming to you now.

But ultimately, we as content marketers donÔÇÖt know for sure what will resonate. Only the audience can determine that, so youÔÇÖve got to put it out there.

When the audience magic happens, youÔÇÖll know it.

Now stick around. ItÔÇÖs time for this weekÔÇÖs hyper-specific call to action.

Call to action

For this weekÔÇÖs call to action, I want you to consider the four steps to creating your winning story concept that we discussed in this episode.

To recap:

#1: Be unpredictable
#2: Be simple
#3: Be real
#4: Be credible

Now — quick! I want your gut reaction.

Which of these do you feel is MOST lacking in your content right now?

Is it unpredictability? Is it simplicity? Is it authenticity? Is it credibility?

Pick one. Go with your gut. ItÔÇÖs probably right, after all.

Now — resolve to really focus on this area in the content you create over the next week or two. Review the examples in this episode. Use them as a guide. Think of other content that you appreciate for its unpredictability or simplicity or authenticity or credibility — whichever one youÔÇÖre focusing on — and figure out ways to apply what that content does well to what youÔÇÖre doing.

Pick one, and focus. Get better at the how — so you can connect better with your who.

Oh, and if you want extra credit, then after these next couple of weeks are up, and youÔÇÖve properly focused on one element, pick out a second element and focus on it for a couple of weeks. And so on. Get better.

And, as always, please feel encouraged to report back to me on Twitter. What did you learn by following through with this weekÔÇÖs hyper-specific Call to Action? I want to know!

Okay — coming next week, we move on to design. In this weekÔÇÖs episode, we went over some very creative examples of content. So you might think creativity is always good ÔǪ right? Well, next week weÔÇÖre going to discuss how creativity can actually kill a good website design. ThatÔÇÖs next week on Sites.

Finally, before I go, here are two more quick calls to action for you to consider:

Subscribe to Sites Weekly

If you havenÔÇÖt yet, please take this opportunity to activate your free subscription to our curated weekly email newsletter, Sites Weekly.

Each week, I find four links about content, design, technology, and strategy that you donÔÇÖt want to miss, and then I send them out via email on Wednesday afternoon.

Reading this newsletter will help you make your website more powerful and successful. Go to studiopress.com/news and sign up in one step right there at the top of the page. ThatÔÇÖs studiopress.com/news.

Rate and Review Sites on Apple Podcasts

And finally, if you enjoy the Sites podcast, please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts (formerly known as iTunes), and consider giving us a rating or a review over there as well.

One quick tip on that: to make the best use of your review, let me know something in particular you like about the show. That feedback is really important.

To find us in Apple Podcasts, search for StudioPress Sites and look for the striking purple logo that was designed by Rafal Tomal. Or you can also go to the URL sites.fm/apple and it will redirect you to our Apple Podcasts page.

And with that, we come to the close of another episode. Thank you for listening to this episode of Sites. I appreciate you being here.

Join me next time, and letÔÇÖs keep building powerful, successful WordPress websites together.

This episode of sites was brought to you by StudioPress Sites, which was awarded ÔÇ£Fastest WordPress HostingÔÇØ of 2017 in an independent speed testÔÇÅ. If you want to make WordPress fast, secure, and easy — and, I mean, why wouldnÔÇÖt you — visit studiopress.com/sites today and see which plan fits your needs. ThatÔÇÖs studiopress.com/sites.

This blog was originally posted on Studiopress.com This post is in no way associated with Kembel.ca. For more posts by this author, please click here.