Why content experience is just as important as content topic

Have you ever clicked on an article, only to get hit with a cringe-worthy page?

Nothing makes you want to flee faster than pop-ups, flashing advertising and huge walls of awkward text – because no topic is worth that!

That’s what many brands are forgetting: the Content User Experience (UX) is equally as important as the content topic, if you want your content marketing to have any impact at all.

Here’s why (and how) smart businesses today focus on their customer’s content experience to get the best results.

Prefer to listen, rather than read? Here’s the Podcast summary!

Content reality check

Time to recalibrate our thinking here!

Content is for your customer.

Yes, dah! Right? However, this seems to escape many brands today in the rush to create quantity over quality. While we create content to attract the attention of our audience to build trust and relevance, it’s very hard to drive engagement if your content is a burden to read, watch or listen to.

It needs to provide an excellent content experience.

For more information, read: Content Marketing success – how to meet your customer’s obsession.

What is content experience?

Your content experience is how convenient and enjoyable it is for an individual to access, consume and act upon your content.

Think of it as the “mechanics” of your content marketing.

Your content must be digitally ergonomic
if you want it to earn results.

What I mean by that is, it’s easy for someone to find the value in.

Think of what you’re like when you’re watching a video or listening to a podcast. If it says, “We’ll explain how to…” and you click, then the person rambles for 20 minutes before they even get to what you’re after, that’s a poor experience.

Super frustrating, too!

Worse is, because of that, they’ll probably lose them before you’ve even had a chance to convey your core messaging.

If your blogs are difficult to navigate, hard to see or they’re full of full-screen pop-ups and random advertising banners, you’ll find people just leave.

Providing a poor content experience is counter-productive to both you and your audience.

It defeats the very reason why we’re creating content in the first place. So, how you provide a good content user experience?

Follow these tips.

7 ways how to improve your content experience

1. Focus on both desktop and mobile users

You’ve probably seen those stats showing that the majority of people now access digital content via their mobiles, right? It climbs every year, and it should come as no surprise.

So, when creating content, make sure it’s mobile-friendly and responds to different screen sizes. However, don’t forget the desktop users too!

2. Make your fonts slightly larger

Whether you’re writing written content, or you have text supporting videos, photos or podcasts, don’t make the font tiny or extremely huge. This will make it more of a struggle to read and frustrate people.

3. Keep distractions to a minimum

People have very short attention spans today and you want them to focus on your message. So, don’t sell every pixel to flashing ads and have pop-ups flying everywhere. Make it easy for people to see the value you’re offering, and they’ll stick around.

4. Use supportive media

Mix up your content types to improve engagement. For example, if you’ve written a blog, break up the blocks of text with related visual photos or videos that ‘give the eyes a break’. They’re not distracting because they’re related to the main content, and help add to the overall experience.

I even record a lot of Podcasts and offer them inside certain blogs, with a title: ‘prefer to listen than read?’. This allows people to consume content how they want.

5. Make navigation easy with ‘skimmable signposts’

Your audience prefers to skim today. That’s very normal – and it’s not just for written content. They also skip ahead during videos and podcasts too.

So, use what I call ‘signposts’ that they can navigate to. For example, I use bold call-out text to draw their eye to main content points, as well as lists, bullet points and headings. This helps them find the info they want.

6. Hyperlink to other useful information

Your audience likes to be given direction towards related content that’ll also find interesting and entertaining. So, pop them in and make suggestions for people so they can continue to engage with your brand.

See The 4 Different Types Of Marketing Content for more information.

7. Formatting is your friend

The way you format your text-based content can make or break it. So, mix up your sentence length and leave white space so that your blogs are not an intimidating experience.

For more information, read: Why Formatting Matters – The Big Barrier For Your Readers.

If you provide a great content experience – guess what? They’ll keep coming back!

Content Topic versus Content Experience

While most people naturally assume that, so long as the topic is good, people will suffer through any experience – it’s just not true.

You need to provide intriguing content subjects as well as a rewarding content experience, especially in the competitive content marketing landscape we have today.

So, here are two extra suggestions to help provide direction.

Ask yourself – if you were your ideal customer:

would you find this piece of content valuable?
would you spend the time reading, watching or listening to it?

If you get two genuine yeses, then you’re on the right track.

However, if you’re not sure, don’t have time or need help, that’s what my team and I are here for!

How can Melotti Media help you?

To engage your customer and achieve ongoing business success today, you need a powerful message, quality copywriting and consistent content. However, this is easier said than done.

Perhaps you’re time poor and spread thin, or writing may not be your expertise.

So, let us take care of your message marketing, copywriting and content marketing needs!

For more information or to speak to a quality marketing copywriter to get the results your business deserves, contact me now at chris@melottimedia.com.au.

Our Message Marketing services can sharpen your words to achieve your goals, today.

Christopher Melotti
Melotti Media | Copywriting & Message Marketing Bureau
www.melottimedia.com.au

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