4 Reasons You Should Create Killer Content

Of course everyone wants to have a great website with killer content. Well, maybe I should rephrase that slightly. Everyone understands they simply must have a website in today's world. The power of the internet to reach customers has become a well-known fact and every business wants to capture new customers. Many of these sites face the same problem eventually. How do they keep their website fresh and keep traffic coming?

The expectation

As businesses create their websites they have to decide on what pages they want to include. Web design agencies will often tell them to look at their competitors, or simply find sites they like and learn what some of the common pages are. The inevitable outcome is a quick search on Google for their industry and a brief browsing of the top results. Because these sites rank high on search engines the chances are good they have a blog of some kind or some other means of delivering fresh content regularly to their users. And you know what's coming next. Because X, Y and Z companies have a blog, these businesses decide they need one too. They expect to see a great looking constantly updated blog filled with great content.

The reality

Some web shops will be smart and ask the business who will be maintaining the blog. In fact, some shops may even offer advice and encouragement for ways to keep content fresh on the blog. The reality is sadly very different. Sure, the business may start strong for a day, a week, maybe even two. But eventually the time involved with creating fresh content becomes too much of a chore. The job gets missed a couple of times, the world doesn't end, and slowly but surely the blog gets completely neglected. Maybe it's a lack of interest, maybe even a disbelief in the importance, usually it comes down to time. [tweetable]Killer content takes time and dedication.[/tweetable] Many businesses don't see an immediate result and therefore fail to place the proper importance on the art of content writing.

The motivation

So in order to help businesses and to help you feel properly motivated to write fresh content and spend the time and energy it takes to create killer content; here are 4 reasons why you should write.

 1. Engage your reader

The first reason you should make a blog a priority on your site is obvious. You want to engage with your reader. You don't want to be "in their face" but you do want to let them know you're around if they need help. When you go into a store and you're greeted by the staff it lets you know someone is available. Sometimes people don't fully understand the importance of this concept so let me see if I can paint a picture.

Imagine you see a store which looks interesting to you. You walk up and open the door. Maybe it creaks just a little when you pull the handle and maybe it looks a little outdated. You're hesitant but still curious. As you step inside you notice there's no music playing over the speakers, the lights are dim and you might possibly be the only person in the store. You cautiously look around but you're already wondering if you've made a mistake. Finally after a few minutes of skeptic browsing of their products you decide clearly the business is closed and quickly make your exit.

If your website does not engage your reader, you are the proud owner of the store I just mentioned. You effectively turn the lights out and give the impression your store is deserted. You make your visitors feel like intruders. They don't have any reason to believe the store is open and they will think no one is home. [tweetable]Creating fresh content is critical to engaging your customers.[/tweetable]

 2. Encourage return visits

[tweetable]If you create fresh and exciting content your readers will look forward to coming back.[/tweetable] Think of it like an opportunity to get together with a good friend. You look forward to the next time you will be able to spend time with them and you enjoy the interaction you have. If your website provides killer content full of interesting tips, tricks, and facts which your friends are interested in - they will love to return. Notice I said provide content they are interested in. You must know your target audience. You must know your "friends". If you create content but it's not interesting to the person you consider to be your ideal customer they won't stick around and they won't come back. Admit it, when you are out with a group of people and the topic of the conversation shifts to something you're not personally interested in, what do you do? You don't stay engaged, you check your phone, look around the room, or lose interest. If the conversation never held anything interesting for you, you'd probably quit coming. Your content needs to encourage your readers to come back for more.

 3. Educate with excitement

How many times have you visited a website because you're searching for an answer to a problem? Probably more times than you care to admit. I know I often joke about leaving my brain in the other room if I don't have my phone handy to perform a quick search whenever I don't know something. We can all agree we use the web to educate ourselves. So let's take it a step further. When you were in school, or university, what classes were most interesting? For me, the best classes were the ones where the professor was excited and interesting. I was learning without even thinking about learning. When you write content you should take the time to craft interesting content which is both educational and exciting. I know not every industry can be (or should be) filled with comic relief, witty stories, or anecdotal advice. However, every industry can take the time and make the effort to educate without being boring and dry. Find ways to share information without sounding like an encyclopedia.

 4. Earn industry respect

Educating your audience as I described in the previous point actually does two things for you. (See saving you time already!) You may be writing your content to help educate your reader but you are also demonstrating your expertise at the same time. Now not only do your customers see that you know what you're talking about...so do your competitors. You will become an expert in your field and earn industry respect through your content. Every industry has to have leaders. Every field has to have experts. How are those experts found and identified by the community? There are several different ways to gain credibility but a very easy one which is readily available to everyone is through sharing knowledge and educating the industry. [tweetable]Killer blog content gives you street cred.[/tweetable]

Takeaway

When you create killer content you engage your audience, you encourage them to return, you educate them and you earn the respect of the industry. Don't neglect these very simple four reasons why your blog should be one of the most important aspects of your website. Yes, it is time consuming and yes it requires a certain level of dedication. But creating fresh and killer content is one of the most important ways you can spend your time. [tweetable]Dust off that blog, crack your knuckles and start writing today![/tweetable]