One of the biggest challenges brands face is creating content that actually matters to their audience. This is particularly true for technology companies. For them, successful content takes topics that might be challenging for the reader and makes it compelling.
It is important that content is targeted, purposeful and accessible for the audience. It needs to be something that captures the audience’s attention but is also easy to understand.
In our office, every time we write something or create a piece of content, we have to ask, “Would I read this?” If we can’t see a compelling angle or be instantly aware of a good story being delivered then maybe we need to start over. It allows us to test if the content we are creating is accessible and whether or not it’s compelling to read.
This is critical for tech companies as sometimes the topics they are covering are complex and detailed. That doesn’t mean the story cannot be interesting or effective for delivering the message.
We find that the compelling angle or story cannot get lost in the technical detail and vice a versa. Otherwise, we end up with a piece of content with a depth of expertise but no audience. Likewise, we can’t be too generic or we risk losing the ideas and concepts rooted in the technology.
When we strike a balance and the content passes the ‘Would I Read This’ test, we can reach our audience while also engaging decision-makers across an organisation. It isn’t enough to just deliver a story, we need the reader to invest their time in it. That’s why it’s critical that we create content that is both readable and matters to people.
When you’re planning your content calendar or working on a blog post or other piece of content, ask yourself ‘Would I read this?’ If not, you better start again.