How to create traffic-boosting content

Coming up with creative ideas is tough. You sit down, scroll through Instagram for 6-8 hours, and before you know it, it’s time to go home. Well, racking your brain for an idea which actually boosts traffic is at least twice as difficult. Coming up with fresh, new content ideas takes time, patience, a tool on your phone that blocks Instagram, and a damn good understanding of how traffic and engagement works. So, we’ve put together a list of four types of content proven to boost traffic and audience engagement. You’re welcome, guys.

Entertaining Content

Much like the baying mob who watched gladiators tear each other limb from limb in the colosseum, consumers want to be entertained. They’re looking for viral content that they can share with friends and family. Short, snappy, snackable pieces of content that make them lol. Content that entertains an audience ultimately makes an audience feel positive emotions. Those positive emotions are then associated with your company, brand or organisation. This makes the audience feel like they can relate to you, no longer seeing the company as another faceless corporate advertiser, but as someone more like them, with a sense of humour and an identity. This, in turn, leads to a sense of trust. Trust, in the long term, brings people back, equating to higher engagement levels both now and in the future. For posts destined for social media, a good example of entertaining content is, you guessed it, memes. Entertaining pics with funny captions overlayed can accomplish a lot. They’re among the most likely pieces of content likely to go viral, for starters, but they provide more than just amusement. They can inject a bit of much-needed personality into your content - you can subtly introduce your brand without force feeding it!

Conversion Content

Conversion content, also known as a lead magnet, is content that encourages the reader or viewer to take an action. This could be anything from taking an online course, signing a petition or buying a product. Conversion content is heavily reliant on how good the script is. It’s not enough to just pop the name of the product into the text somewhere. The content must be as persuasive and well written as this article (i.e. very). So what should you use in conversion content?

1. Attention-grabbers: Sadly, many of us aren’t exactly blessed when it comes to online attention spans. Studies have revealed that the average person’s attention span is approximately 8 seconds! But for good social practice, the optimum time is actually within 3 seconds. So, that’s just 3 seconds worth of content to draw in your reader before it’s too late. With this in mind, make sure to mention the crucial stuff first - your headlining facts, so to speak, and save the waffle for later.
2. Power words: Words that evoke emotion and create a graphic picture of what you’re trying to convey.
3. Visual metaphors: While the script is important, pics and visual aids are, on the other hand, like food stuck in the teeth of someone you’re talking to; hard to ignore. Images, videos and infographics are great for capitalising on grabbing your consumer’s attention.
4. Keep it short, keep it simple: People are natural commitment-phobes with their online behaviour, so they’re far less likely to sign up for something if it’s sold as long-term. Make sure that somewhere in your script, you make it clear that you can opt out or commit short-term to the services provided. The use of free trials will also help increase conversion engagement.

Educational Content

We know how to have fun at Don’t Panic, so one of our favourite phrases to use is “educational content”; it’s one of the finest types of content for boosting traffic, we’ll have you know. While good-humoured, entertaining content breaks down barriers between consumer and brand, it’s the educational content which appeals to the consumer’s rational and creative mindset. This is partly because educational content ‘benefits’ the consumer. The consumer feels they’ll get more than just a giggle out of dedicating their time to a brand or product, meaning they’re more likely to either save or share it.

Inspiring Content

Finally, we have inspiring content. This is a mix of educational and ‘successful’ content. Inspirational content normally shows the journey of someone overcoming adversity. It’s this happy ending, the inspired, educated outcome, to which the consumer aspires. To create inspirational content, you can show stories that chronicle the success of your brand or highlight your corporate values in a way that touches on human interest and emotion. And just like that, they’re sold! Easy. Well... it’s not that easy. But that’s what we’re here for.

Creative Agency with a Purpose

At Don’t Panic, we don’t just talk the talk – we’re busy walking the walk too. To see our work, click here,or if you’re after an attention-grabbing campaign of your own, click here.