Especially for Valentine’s Day, here is our tongue-in-cheek guide to content that will make people fall in love with you.
There are many steps in a great romance, so we’ve picked the content you need at every stage of the affair.
Flirtation. You want to catch their eye and hold for just a second longer. Flirt with great headlines that promise more. Be cheeky to win clicks. Get your posts looking their best with sparkling design that pulls people in and makes them want to linger longer.
On the radar. You know when there’s someone on your mind and everything reminds you of him/her? Intoxicating stuff. Replicate that with your content, so it’s stumbled across in lots of places. Share your content wider than your own website. Be seen on other people’s sites. Comment on discussions. Engage in conversations on social media so they can’t help but bump into you accidentally on purpose.
Be findable. Playing hard to get doesn’t really work, content-wise. So we’d say ‘no’ to gated content. Too many barriers and the one you’re after might just turn back and walk away. Likewise ‘cool’ and ‘mysterious’ doesn’t translate well in business terms. Make ‘warm’ and ‘approachable’ your content style.
The hook. Showing you understand what’s on their mind is a great way of pulling people closer. Content-wise your hook is something that hits all the emotional touch points – it could be a brilliant blog article, it might be an amazing video. Whatever form it takes it’s your showcase work. It shows that you’re the one that really gets them, and the one that’s going to make their life and outlook a whole lot happier.
First date. Make sure your content is looking its best, so that means your website ‘home’ and ‘about us’ pages (the most viewed places on your website) need to be up together with clear messages that show people exactly who you are, and make them want to get to know you better. Have your elevator pitch perfect, so you won’t stumble over those tricky first questions.
Getting to know you. Your content has got you so far, what do you need to take you further? Engagement is the key. Show some personality in both the content you create yourself – (write like a real person not a robot) – and in the content you share. Generosity is very attractive, so be the one who bigs up other people, not just yourself. Having a variety of styles on content is good for this ‘getting to know’ you stage. Videos, podcasts, infographics – a good mix makes you easy to fathom and shows you in the very best light.
Going steady. They think you might be the one, but there are some big questions to answer. Flirting is all very fine, but where do you stand on the things that matter? Reassuringly solid case studies, white papers and testimonials show you’re reliable for the long term.
Marriage. I think we’ve stretched this analogy just as far as it will go – so we’re not going to suggest content to get you up the aisle. Using valuable content at every stage of the wooing process can get you here – now it’s over to you!
Make whatever you produce helpful, entertaining, authentic, relevant and timely – put some HEART into it, and you’ll go far.
Ha, really nice idea, well worked.
Jim