Having a high engagement rate is one of the biggest dreams (and challenges) of both bloggers and large businesses. But what exactly is content engagement? Is it just a misunderstood concept? And how do you achieve high engagement? Are you crafting enough content to attract your audience? Are you creating enough value? Are you up to date with the latest trends?
It certainly can be disheartening to spend time and resources crafting content that no longer resonates with your audience. So, if you’re looking for a boost in your engagement, you need to do a bit of research. This article will help you get started. You will also better understand the type of content that can drive the most engagement on your website—increasing comments, shares, and mentions across the web.
Do you know how to surprise your audience?
Customers love a good surprise. The perks of surprising your audience are worth going the extra mile to stand out in the crowd and drive more visibility. Moreover, it will inspire your audience to reward you for the surprise and engage with your content through comments or shares on social media.
You want to surprise your audience with valuable content, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create controversy. Consistency is key, but so is promoting content that encourages dialogue. Be careful not to choose offensive topics, however—find current, trending, and debatable matters.
This will increase interaction. Encouraging active participation should be part of an effective content strategy, and there are a lot of interactive types of content you can always use, such as surveys, quizzes, polls, or infographics.
Often, the easiest way to encourage your audience to interact with your content or with other readers is simply to ask them. Don’t hesitate to ask people questions and let them know that their opinion matters. However, before asking them to debate on a certain topic, make sure that they are familiar—or even passionate about—that particular subject. This will ensure you get a stronger response and better engagement.
Finally, make your audience feel appreciated for their efforts and time spent engaging with your brand. You can do this by rewarding them with discounts or gift codes.
5 types of content that boost engagement
When you’re creating content, you should always keep in mind your goals—both long- and short-term. The content that works best for high engagement is the kind that educates, inspires, helps, or is highly entertaining.
With each type of content, you appeal to your audiences in different ways, from their emotions to their rationality. And content that resonates with people is sharable. For example, case studies, success stories, or testimonials are highly engaging and relatable content.
You can also create high-converting content by asking your audience to take action, whether it’s about signing up for a newsletter or purchasing a product. But let’s dive in and explore five types of content that will boost your engagement today.
- How-to guides
- Infographics
- Case studies
- Resourceful lists
- Videos
The How-To guides
The more in-depth you write about a subject, the more likely you are to attract readers. When crafting a “how-to” guide, don’t hesitate to go for the long-form. Research shows that the right length of a blog post can be read in approximately seven minutes, which means around 1,500 words.
Your guide should also bring value to your specific audience, by giving them a tool to solve a problem or find solutions for a particular need. The design and structural aspects of your guide should be carefully thought out, so it results in an easy-to-read web page. To do this, use quotes, bullet points, or checklists. In general, avoid large blocks of text that don’t appear interactive or engaging.
The Infographics
Studies have shown that people are visual learners, most of the time recalling only 10-20% of written content but almost 65% of visual information. As a result, infographics are much more effective than plain text, and your readers will remember the content and your brand. This type of engaging content is easy to digest and fun to read, and it is especially useful when you have to present numbers and statistics. Plus, infographics are more likely to be shared.
The Case Studies, Personal, and Success Stories
Storytelling is one of the most effective ways to boost engagement for your content. They have a great impact on your audience because people love stories. Luckily, there are many ways to compose stories. Start with the hero’s journey template or a three-act structure that clearly defines a setup, a second act, and a resolution.
When it comes to personal stories, these give your audience the chance to engage on an emotional level, which is probably the best way to create rapport and connect with people. How do you write a personal story? Use the form of:
- An essay—writing from the perspective of personal experiences that have taught you something
- An inspirational tale—creating stories that inspire your audience to take action
- An opinion blog post—perfect for writing about controversial subjects and inviting your audience to interact with you
The Resourceful List
Sometimes there’s nothing more satisfying than finding a good list full of resourceful tools and solutions that is free to download and up to date. Readers love a useful list, and this type of content never gets old. It is also highly shareable, and it empowers decision-making without imposing one single opinion or solution. It gives your audience the freedom to choose and learn for themselves.
Long lists bring value and can also address a wider audience. It is also crucial to keep an eye on the visual elements, as they help to structure and break up the content, making it more readable.
The Videos
Studies show that video content is essential for a business, and people spend 88% more time on a website that has videos. This is a great chance to improve your engagement, as videos are easier to understand and follow than written content.
You can always add a short video to a written piece if you believe it will be helpful for your audience. And although videos require more resources than plain text, they will bring a lot of viewers and readers.
Practice, Practice, Practice
While staying agile in your practice and content marketing strategies, don’t expect engagement to happen overnight. Last but not least, you will need to be consistent—use any feedback and engagement metrics to determine how your content is performing and what you can do to improve it.
