What Makes Online Content Compelling?

Online content is an essential part of any brand or business. Compelling content will not only increase traffic to your site but help keep subscribers for the long haul.

Read on to learn five qualities found in online content that keeps readers coming back for more.

 

#1 It has a Target Audience and Focuses on Them

It’s pretty simple: if you don’t know who you are providing content for, you can’t serve them. Taking the time to figure out your ideal audience will allow you to create more relevant and valuable content for them.

Demographics such as age, financial status, education level, and leisure activities are all important. For example, content geared toward teenagers should not read the same as content geared toward seniors.

Serve your specific audience well and they will not only stay on your page but will come back to your page in the future.

 

#2 It is Valuable to the Reader

Providing value to your readers is extremely important if you want to get their attention and keep it. Decide on what value you are trying to fill and focus in on it. Are you providing comic relief?

Are you showing someone how to do a specific task? If readers don’t find value, they will quickly bounce back off your page and onto someone else’s.

A good way to determine if you have provided value to your readers is the “So What?” Test.

 

#3 It Provides Good Quality, Timely Information

To keep your online content fresh and interesting for your audience, you should publish frequently and/or on a consistent schedule.

Creating a content calendar will help ensure that you are posting time-sensitive, interesting material rather than stale, outdated information.

Additionally, you can play with publishing dates so that your content is always relevant to current trends.

 

#4 It is Written in an Engaging and Creative Way

Anybody and everybody can make a website, start a blog, or own a YouTube channel.

With so many online voices vying for attention, you need to make sure that you stand out as interesting and fresh. Engaging introductions will grab your readers and keep them reading.

Writing in your unique voice and style will set you apart from similar content on the internet.

 

#5 It is Free of Grammar and Spelling Mistakes

Readers won’t care about the information you are trying to share if they are lost in a sea of grammar and spelling mistakes. Poorly written content is frustrating and decreases your credibility.

Grammar isn’t sexy, but bad grammar and spelling will send your readers scrambling to other sites.  Taking the time to spell check and use sites such as Grammarly can help you avoid errors that will drive your readers away.

The internet is a virtual sea of information. To stand out, you must provide fresh information that is engaging and easy to read.  Following the tips above will help you be heard above all the other pages vying for reader attention.