All online writers and marketers talk about content being king on the internet, but the truth is, interesting content is king. This means you can’t afford to be boring. You’ve got to give your target audience what they want, and in such a way that it speaks to their needs.
If you can do this, they will keep coming back for more. Even better, they might share your content with other people, giving you an even wider readership of people who want to hear all the interesting things you have to tell them.
How Boring Are You?
Before we start to discuss how you can ensure that your content is not boring, you have to determine just how boring it is now. It can be tough, but you need to be honest with yourself. There are several things to look out for:
* No comments at your blog
* Little contact with customer service in terms of feedback about your site
* Little social engagement on the main networks, such as likes, comments and shares
* Little repeat traffic to your site
* A high bounce rate of people clicking in and out, which means they are taking one look at your content and running the other way
If your tracking and testing shows more than one of these issues, it’s time to get less boring.
Types of Content
Not everything has to be a blog post or article. Other types of content that can get your target audience excited include:
* Infographics
* Lists
* Reviews
* Comparison charts
* Diagrams
* Infographics
* Slideshows
* Video
* Case studies
* Checklists
* Cheat sheets
* Interviews
* Webinars you have recorded
* Screenshare videos to show processes on a computer
* And more
Levels of Content
When you are first starting out, and when many of your target audience are too, you’re all pretty much beginners trying to learn the ropes. However, you and your audience will grow over time, and become intermediate and advanced level users. Creating those levels of content can help you stay relevant in their lives. It also means your content can be more interesting because it isn’t the same as that at a dozen other sites.
The Ring of Truth
Writing from personal experience is one of the best ways to produce vivid writing that will get read. The trouble with a lot of niche sites is you don’t get any sense of personality or of authenticity. A lot of the content can be so vague (and boring) that you are left wondering if it is worth anything, or if it just filler.
Write about what you have actually done and people will start to see you as an expert in your niche and start coming back for more. Don’t know how to do something? Track your steps as you learn, and include step-by-step instructions and screenshots. They are sure to wow an audience. If you are trying to sell affiliate products, this could be just what your audience is looking for and will clinch the deal.
Too Evergreen
Evergreen content is very useful as the foundation for your site or blog, but if you want to be seen as a mover and shaker, you need to occasionally discuss news and top trends related to your niche. Use the blogs and online publications you normally read as the inspiration for your own current events-type content.
Too Much the Same
Lots of niche-related websites seem like clones of one another. Try to be fresh and original. Don’t be afraid to play devil’s advocate or take a controversial stance.
Follow these tips and you will have your audience coming back for more.
