Content Engagement: 9 Key Steps for Writing Engaging Content

Let’s talk about content engagement

No, it’s not measuring how many people fall asleep on their keyboards while reading your blog.

Although, if that were a metric, some of us would be setting records!

We get it; creating engaging content in 2023 can be a real challenge.

But worry not!

We’ve put together a practical guide with tips and tricks to help you out. Let’s get started.

What is content engagement?

The term “content engagement” describes a level at which a person is interested in and involved with a specific content. This interaction can take various forms, such as:

• Likes and reactions
• Comments and feedback
• Click-through rates (CTR)
• Shares or repost
• Time spent
• Conversion actions

Why does content engagement matter?

Engaging content builds trust and credibility, enhances visibility, and drives conversions. Moreover, it provides valuable feedback for content improvement and fosters long-term relationships with your audience.

Steps to create engaging content

Step 1: Understand your audience – The secret key

Before you put pen to paper, you need to get inside the minds of your readers. What are their pain points?

What keeps them up at night?

Tailoring your content to their needs and desires is the first step to engagement.

Step 2: Craft a catchy headline – Reel ’em in

Your headline is the first thing people see.

Make it count!

All the best headlines have the following qualities:

• Emotionally compelling
• Problems, questions, and curiosities
• Relevant keywords
• Perfect length
• Clear and specific

Without a catchy headline, your content won’t get a chance to engage readers. So craft headlines that stop readers and compel them to click through. Creating engaging challenges as part of your strategy can motivate readers to interact and participate, enhancing their overall experience with your content

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Step 3: The storytelling magic

Stories connect with people. They remind us that we are more alike than we tend to think. That’s why storytelling is one of the most popular writing methods among marketers.

Some of the stories you can tell:

• Success stories
• Case studies
• Showcase your brand’s values
• Your challenging beginnings
• Choosing to take chances

Remember, great storytelling combines high-quality content, using real-life stories and testimonials from customers and employees.

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Step 4: Formatting matters – Create digestible content

Nobody has time for long, dense paragraphs. Format your content for easy scanning, making it accessible and engaging. Lists, for example, are shared more frequently than other types of content.

Try Adding:

• Contests
• Quizzes
• Assessments
• Infographics

Learning doesn’t have to be boring or monotonous. It can be a thrilling adventure that keeps you hooked and wanting more.

Step 5: Add some personality – Don’t be a robot

Readers can easily spot when something feels forced or insincere. Try adding some personality.

Whether you’re writing a blog post, an article, or even a social media caption.

Let your true self shine through.

• Write as you talk
• Be Relatable and Trendy
• Use a “behind the curtains” approach
• Build suspense
• Use User-Generated Content
• Be witty or humorous

We know adopting a more formal or generic tone when writing is easy. But when you add relatable content, it builds trust with your readers and also keeps them coming back for more.

Step 6: Power of visuals 

Gone are the days when plain text alone could captivate an audience. In this age of “pics or it didn’t happen,” visual content is a must.

A well-designed image or video can instantly capture the viewer’s interest. Stats showed that

• Video content generates 1200% more shares than text content.
• Infographics are shared 300% more often than text-only articles.
• Images are shared 94% more often than text-only articles.

This content format is highly suitable for sharing on social media platforms as it allows for compelling storytelling and visual representation of events.

Step 7: Guide your readers with CTA’s

Every piece of content should have a purpose. So craft compelling CTA’s (calls to action) that guide your readers toward the desired action, whether subscribing, sharing, or purchasing.

Some of the evergreen brand-friendly CTA’s include:

• Learn more
• Sign me up
• Get for free
• Shop now
• Let’s do this
• Check now
• Try now

Create benefit-oriented CTAs for your websites and multiply your conversion rate and lead generation.

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Step 8: Optimize your content

Increase your credibility with potential readers by making it easy for them to find the information they want in your content.

Some tips to optimize your content

• Target long-tail keywords
• Use key phrases with less competition to rank better
• Matching the search intent of a search query
• Adding an optimized meta title, meta description, and URL
• Fixing technical SEO issues affecting your website
• Adding relevant internal links and working on your backlink strategy.
• Answer frequently asked questions.

While content optimization focuses on improving the user experience and providing value to visitors, SEO primarily drives traffic and improves a website’s visibility in SERPs.

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Step 9: Use of AI tools

You can produce high-quality content that resonates with your audience, thanks to Ai. Here’s how AI helps you in the following fields:

• Keyword Suggestions: AI tools can suggest topic keywords, helping you hit the bullseye with your content.
• Content Structuring: They help structure your ideas, ensuring your content flows seamlessly and keeps readers engaged.
• Data Analysis: AI tools analyze data and trends, giving you precious insights to make your content stand out in the crowd.
• Grammar and Spelling: Bid farewell to embarrassing typos and grammar slip-ups. AI tools ensure your content is polished and error-free.
• Enhanced Readability: AI paraphrasing tools offer style and tone suggestions, making your writing more engaging and enjoyable.
• SEO Optimization: Boost your content’s visibility with AI’s SEO process. They analyze keywords and offer tips to improve your content’s search engine ranking.

In short, AI tools have transformed content creation into an efficient, streamlined process, saving time and effort.

How do we measure content engagement?

There is a famous saying; ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’ When you have a detailed report, you can measure your achievements and identify past mistakes However, tools like Usermaven provide privacy-friendly websites and product analytics with pre-built reports.

Here are some key metrics to consider:

1. Session metrics

Understanding the average session length helps decipher user behavior. Long sessions signal that your content structure effectively guides users to explore more. Short sessions, on the other hand, can be positive if users quickly find what they seek.

2. Page views and (CTR)

These basic metrics show how many people view your content and click through to read more. While they don’t provide deep insights into engagement, they are still essential indicators.

3. Time spent on page

This metric tells you how much time users are spending on your content. A longer time spent typically indicates higher engagement as it suggests that users are reading or consuming the content rather than quickly bouncing away.

4. Social shares and likes

Monitoring how often your content is shared on social media platforms, and how many likes or reactions it receives, can provide insights into its popularity and appeal.

Utilizing specialized analytics tools like ContentStudio and staying up-to-date with trends in the field is crucial for successful social media engagement tracking.

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5. Scroll depth

This metric measures how far users scroll down a webpage. If users are scrolling deeply into your content, they find it engaging and valuable.

6. Email sign-ups

Email sign-ups are the link that connects visitors to leads and future customers. They represent an urge to remain connected. You may efficiently nurture leads by including a simple sign-up option within your content.

7. CTAs & conversion rates

Conversion rates for various CTAs might shed light on how effective they are. However, if your content is part of a larger marketing funnel, track how many users take a desired action (e.g., signing up for a newsletter and purchasing) after going through your content. You may also like

8. Bounce rate

This is the percentage of visitors who leave your website after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate can indicate that your content is not engaging enough or irrelevant to the audience.

Final Word

To measure content engagement effectively, it’s essential to use a combination of these metrics and tools. Additionally, the specific metrics you focus on may vary depending on your goals and the type of content you’re producing.

Regularly analyzing these metrics and adjusting your content strategy based on the insights gained is vital to improving content engagement over time.

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