Don’t Let the Advanced, in Advanced Content, Scare You

Whenever the word ‘advanced’ is uttered, thoughts of complex algorithms may suddenly come to mind, and advanced content is no different. However, you don’t need a degree from MIT to take advantage of this content to attract more visitors to your website.

Advanced content is richer in nature and does a good job in explaining why potential customers should do business with you. Although it may take longer to create then, say a Twitter post, the ROI potential is greater and also demonstrates that your business is a thought leader within your industry or market. Your leads can turn to followers and, in some cases, evangelists on your behalf—thanks to these three pieces of advanced content.

Case Studies

Most customers want to know, "What can your business do for us?" You should be able to point to a few examples. A case study is a detailed, real-world example of how a business solved a complex problem or delivered a high ROI, so it can be quantitatively or qualitatively measured. Here are some tips in creating an appealing study:

• Give details: Go into detail on exactly what the client’s goals were, how you solved their problem and met their needs, the steps and strategy involved with satisfying those needs and, finally, the results. Don’t be afraid to tell the whole story and continue updating as new goals and successes are achieved.
• Show numbers: Provide qualitative results and don’t speak in generalities like "increased leads" or "doubled sales" that leave your reader wondering. The numbers should be clear; show the real numbers and leave no doubt as to what you’ve accomplished.
• Share quotes: Client input will lend credibility and earn trust. Include real quotes whenever possible. 

White Papers

Producing White Papers for your company website is an exceptional way to produce content and establish your company as an authoritative voice within an industry. White Papers are educational pieces, designed to help solve complex issues and help make decisions. As a marketer, a White Paper can help explain a specific tool or piece of technology that can aid in making a decision or justify an expense in deploying a certain marketing tool. Creating industry-specific White Papers can differentiate your company from the competition, so here are some tips: 

• Be concise: A white paper should be no longer than 10 pages.
• Add visuals: Incorporate graphs, tables or charts to give a visual representation of the points you’re trying to make.
• Explain everything: Assume you’re speaking to someone with very little knowledge on the matter, but go beyond the basics.
• Promote, promote, promote: Once your white paper is complete, market and promote it: press release, email blasts, social media channels. Give reasons as to why your white paper is important and reasons to read it. 

Videos

YouTube is a valuable method of delivering content if used correctly and should receive the same kind of monitoring and attention that you would give to Twitter and Facebook. When creating a YouTube channel, it’s important to set it up properly to make sure it reflects the company’s brand and message while including links and information about your company. Posting videos to your website, or YouTube channel, provides a good source for providing demonstrations, putting your face with the company and engaging with your community. Here are some tips on making good video content:

• Outline content: Take the time to outline what you’re trying to say; don’t completely wing it and don't get caught up following a word-for-word script. 
• Remember value: Make sure the content provides value and that it’s worth sharing. In most cases, viewers are looking to solve a problem or be entertained, so try and incorporate that mind-set into your creation.
• Get to the point: You’re speaking to a mobile audience; viewers aren't going to watch an epic masterpiece. You’ll need to capture their attention within the first few seconds.
• Follow up: Make sure to tag your video properly, promote it on Twitter and Facebook and analyze the analytics. YouTube provides plenty of tools and offers demographics and data on how viewers found your content.

By creating this type of content, you can gain credibility with your followers or potential customers and establish yourself as a thought leader within your industry. Not only that, this type of relevant content also drives your SEO efforts and boosts your organic search results, which equals relevant leads for your company.

Photo: C4Chaos

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