In late 2017, as the world went up in smoke, a lot of content flooded the web. From TikTok to blogs, from memes to spoofs, from quizzes to infomercial-esque videos – the world went digital. Suddenly, everyone and their dog was producing content to make money online.
What’s interesting is that while the overall quality of content went up, the amount of advertising in the content, specifically in the form of commercials, went down. That’s because people realized the value of customer engagement and opted-in for longer, more in-depth content rather than shorter, more frequent bursts of information.
Here are three of the biggest ideas that were born and raised in this climate of content abundance. Can you guess where these ideas came from?
Long-Form Content Is The Key To Future Growth
Let’s start with the elephant in the room: Infomercials. The format enjoyed a bit of a revival in the middle of 2020 as people searched for quick and easy ways to make a quick buck. It might surprise you to learn that the most popular form of advertisement today isn’t necessarily news or advertising or even a combination of the two — it’s long-form content.
The average American spends a whopping 4 hours and 46 minutes a day consuming content. That means you’ve got a great opportunity to engage with your audience for as long as you can.
Consider the case of Fit Small Business, a company that builds and sells fitness equipment. They create content around health and fitness tips, advice, and how-to guides. These days, they create highly engaging articles that develop a sense of community between them and their readers.
This content strategy works because it provides value to their audience and allows them to establish trust. When someone is reading an in-depth article about how to eat healthier or how to achieve better fitness results, they expect to be given some form of value in return. That value can come in the form of a discount, a free sample, a coupon, or any number of other ways.
Since their inception, infomercials have always been about providing value to their audience. However, in the age of digital distraction, people are constantly seeking quick hits of entertainment. That’s why infomercials enjoy a bit of a revival – because with the help of automated tools like HubSpot’s Content Manager and Typeform, creating long-form content doesn’t have to be as daunting a task as it seems.
Raising Awareness For A Cause Is Popular These Days
If you’re looking for an idea that’s enjoying popularity right now, try raising awareness for a cause. Consumers want to feel as though their purchases are helping to improve the world around them, and helping to achieve a social purpose is a great way to connect with your audience.
Take the case of Humblebrag, a platform that connects people who want to share their good deeds and acts of kindness. They provide a space for individuals to share their good deeds, be it anonymously or not. If you’re a person who wants to help others but doesn’t have the time to do so yourself, this is a great place for you to do so. They provide a platform to help you find the causes you believe in and want to support.
One of the main ways in which Humblebrag makes money is through affiliate marketing. When someone clicks a product or service link they’re taken to a retailer’s site where they can make a purchase. Humblebrag gets a small commission for the sale, but the benefit to the customer is that they’re supporting a good cause.
Choosing a cause doesn’t have to be difficult. You can essentially pull from any number of issues that you feel strongly about. Whether you want to support LGBT rights, animal rights, world peace – there’s a community out there that feels the same way and is willing to work with you to raise awareness for your chosen cause.
Varying Your Approach To Attracting An Audience
If you want to attract readers to your content, try varying your approach. While some content strategists believe that consistency is the key to ensuring maximum impact, others believe that sticking too closely to one strategy will keep you predictable and safe in a world of digital noise.
Consider the case of Bonjoro, a digital marketing agency that specializes in inbound (a.k.a. attracting, engaging, and delighting) marketing strategies. They recommend that businesses vary their approach and experiment with different marketing techniques to see what works best for them. What does that mean for you as a copywriter?
If you want to explore varying your approach, try doing so in a small way. With A/B testing, you can compare the results of two different approaches and choose the one that produces the best results. You can’t do that if you don’t have control over which approach you try first. That’s why you should experiment with different tactics and see which ones work best for you. Once you establish a good base, you can increase your efforts and try something new. Perhaps you tried something new last year that worked well and you want to try it again. Or, you’ve established a relationship with a specific group of customers and want to see if more deeply personal content will resonate with them better than something more business-oriented.
The point is to keep your reader engaged through varying your approach. If you want to be successful as a content creator, try experimenting and choosing the methods that work best for you. The more you vary your approach, the more you’ll be able to keep in touch with your audience and engage with them on their own terms.
Above all else, be consistent while experimenting to establish trust with your readers.
Creating long-form content isn’t a trend that will soon pass. As the saying goes, content is content, and although more people are producing short-form content, it would be safe to assume that long-form content will continue to grow in popularity.