Ever poured hours into a piece of content only to watch it disappear into the void? No clicks. No replies. Just silence?
It’s frustrating – especially when you know the insights are valuable.
But here’s the thing: great content doesn’t just inform. It connects. It meets your audience where they are, speaks in their language and makes the next step obvious.
If your content isn’t landing in the way you want, a few small shifts can make all the difference.
Speak their language, not yours
Your audience doesn’t want to Google industry buzzwords. They want to get answers in a language they understand.
It’s tempting to use terms that are common to you. But if they’re not easily understood by your audience – don’t be surprised when they move on… and fast!
I saw this firsthand when working on a campaign for a tech client. The goal was to get business leaders (not techies) engage with insights about AI governance.
Even though we had a really good thought leadership campaign, our initial LinkedIn promos fell flat.
Why? The language.
We were using terms like “AI model transparency” that likely had our intended audience’s eyes glass over. We swapped out technical jargon for everyday words we all can understand. Engagement jumped immediately.
The lesson: words matter. Be sure to find the ones that connect with your audience. These three questions can help:
- Would my audience naturally say this?
- Can I swap jargon for a clearer, more relatable example?
- Does this speak to a real problem they’re already thinking about?
So what?
There’s just too much content for us to consume. So why would we waste our time going through content that doesn’t matter to what is most important to us?
This is where the So What? Test comes in.
So what does this mean to your audience? So what are the real-world stakes? So what are the challenges your audience is struggling with right now?
Asking So what? Will speak to what’s relevant to your audience.
Structure for attention
A great idea buried in dense paragraphs is only one thing: a missed opportunity.
You want your content to be easy to absorb, so your audience actually absorbs it. To do that, I use a little formula I discovered decades ago while at a writing workshop at college: H-H-T-C
Hook: Start with a bold statement or surprising fact
Highlight: Why does this matter? Frame the problem or opportunity (this is the good time to use the So what test!)
Tell: Deliver your insights, story or solution in a way that flows.
Close: End with a clear takeaway or next step.
This isn’t just for long-form content. Use it in emails, LinkedIn posts or sales pages. If your content isn’t structured to pull people in, they won’t stick around.
Guide engagement toward action
Likes and comments sure do feel good. But if engagement isn’t turning into action, there’s a gap. Most often it’s because people haven’t been touched by your content enough (hello Rule of 7).
Or, your content isn’t guiding your audience to do what you need them to do. Your audience won’t take action unless you tell them what to do next. That means you need a clear call to action – one that’s really easy to execute.
If you give people too many hurdles to overcome, they’re going to give up before getting there. One call to action isn’t enough. Follow-up – deliver the thing you promised and pop back in after that to let them know how else you can help.
Make your content work harder
It’s true content has never been easier to create. But, do you really want to spend time creating more content? Instead, choose to create less content that will work harder for you.
If your content isn’t getting traction, don’t assume it’s the topic. More often than not, it’s about how the message is framed, structured and delivered.
Need help with your content, learn how we can help.