There is a vast amount of content available on the internet. How do you keep your readers coming back for more?
The simple answer is to give them what they really want.
This may sound hard to do, but if you take the time to get to know your target audience, or niche, you can seem like almost a mind reader and be able to market to them successfully.
Content as Your Main Marketing Tool
It is important to consider that content is your main marketing tool. This might shock bloggers and other online writers who might think it is all about being creative and expressing themselves. But the truth is, running any site or blog involves both a financial and a time commitment. Why not get paid for it? Why not treat it like a genuine paying career (which it is), not just a hobby?
Since there is considerable money to be earned in various ways online, it’s time to focus on creating better content for your readers.
Research Their Pain Points
Look over recent customer service emails and social interactions at the network. Look in any Facebook groups you might be a member of, or on forums and discussion boards you visit regularly. What are people complaining about or having trouble with? Is it possible to brainstorm content that could address their problem? Are there any products you could sell as an affiliate in exchange for a commission which would also offer them a real solution to the issue? You don’t have to be pushy – just a link to the product will do.
People want to build relationships, and not just be sold to, of course, but they are also busy and eager to find solutions that work. By creating this kind of helpful content on a regular basis, you are positioning yourself as an expert in your niche worth paying attention to. This means repeat visitors, and the potential for those visitors to tell others about your great site or blog.
Content Curation
Not such a great writer? Struggling to publish new content regularly? Content curation might be perfect for you. There are a couple of ways to do it. The first is to join a network like Taboola.com or Outbrain.com. Then you would place code at your site that would show articles from top publications automatically on your site.
If your visitor clicked on a headline about how to get low mortgage rates, for example, a new window would open and they would see an article from the popular site TurboTax (https://turbotax.intuit.com/). These services are free and very popular. If you’ve ever been to the weather.com site, chances are you’ve seen this type of content, as well as their own original material.
A second way to curate is to report back to others about what you have learned in relation to your niche through the blogs and sites you visit. Chances are you have some favorite sites that you visit often and learn a lot from. Why not tell your target audience about the breaking news in your niche?
You could just give them the link. You could even use an iFrame and embed the content right in your site.
A better option is to write an introduction of about 100 words as to why the information is important and why you think your niche needs to pay attention to it.
Guest Blogging
Invite others to write about a particular topic, or contribute a post. It will take the burden off you for a little while and give your readers some fresh perspectives.
In this way, your content can become much better for your readers, making them eager for more.
