Ever seen an ad or a video and thought, ‘hey, I could have done that better!’ But could you really have? It’s easy to be on the side of the consumer. You know what you want and how you want it. And if you’re especially self-aware, even why you like it. But that’s the easy side of the equation. On the other side lie the content creators and marketers. They straddle the “Curse of Knowledge”. This is the inability to convey or impart what one knows to the intended audience. It is the state responsible for a teacher who knows their subject but doesn’t understand how to communicate it to their students. And that’s where this article steps in. All you need to do is run through this aide-mémoire every time you’re writing content.

Writing content to cater to brief attention spans

Research suggests that the average attention span has decreased from 12 minutes to 5 minutes. Use this to decide how you present your content. This includes both platform and format. The two don’t have to be mutually exclusive. The kind of content to be shared often determines its medium as well. Compact content, for instance, is suited to a platform like Twitter, that also forces you to go crisp with its 280-character limit.

Often compact formats also demand well-prioritised content. Think of deriving inspiration from journalists’ idea of the inverted pyramid. Here, information is arranged in the descending order of its importance.

Brief content finds its ideal medium in listicles. Even if you consider a certain piece ill-suited to that format, do try to break it up with sub-headings at least.

Writing content to choose the right fit for visual content

Tailoring content to the chosen medium doesn’t only apply to written material. The platform supporting a video should also determine its formulation.

A video on YouTube averages at 870.89 seconds (just over 14 minutes). Facebook, on the other hand, scales down at an average of 81.22 seconds. (source) Clearly, the attention span afforded to Facebook videos is far lesser. That is also why uploading the same video on both platforms doesn’t make sense.

If the focus of your campaign requires you to simultaneously upload the same content on both, consider using Facebook to put out a teaser for the full-fledged concept on YouTube. Much like you would use Twitter to divert your audience onto your main website.

Writing content to understand your target group

Your core audience possesses some common traits. These qualities are a good starting point for you to understand your consumers. But don’t stop there as you will end up homogenising people who are more different than same.

Millennials, for instance, will be 78 million in number by 2030. The calling cards of a group like that can’t be a few stock phrases and memes. Think of breaking down that mass with more detailed categories. Their age, gender and marital status. If they are parents. The income group they belong to. Zone onto sub-groups, but not at the cost of losing focus. Consider these-

“By a wide margin, Facebook hosts more active users who make under $50,000 a year and have a college degree.”

“19% of Millennials admitted that they rarely or never use their Twitter accounts, more than all other social networks listed.” (source)

Learning from their disparate patterns of usage, Buzzfeed has been successful in harnessing the millennial attention. It doesn’t consider its site primary and the social media secondary. Nor does it boost traffic on selective ones. Instead, it draws in consumers through proportionate views across its different social platforms. It’s a case of democratic utopia come to virtual life.

Another way to find talking points would be through tools like Buzzsumo that track platform wise engagement.

Writing content to empower the consumer

If the consumer is king then content can become his council that informs, analyses and empowers. Consider the four stages of a buyer’s journey. From awareness to research, decision making and finally purchase, content not only informs but more importantly enables. However, remember that a consumer during the initial stages of their journey would want inputs much different from after they’ve gained product awareness.

Enhancing awareness through content

Take the example of awareness. The right content can educate a consumer prior to making a purchase. Alternatively, it can also create the need for a purchase by highlighting the value addition it can make for a consumer.
Also, think about who you’re writing the content for- an average consumer or the expert? Where the average consumer will look for entry-level content, the expert would want to enhance their knowledge bank. Content must therefore cater to both.

Decision making

Eventually, a consumer can be guided to the right decision not only by awareness and research, but also by facilitating the purchase. This push can be provided through links to real time comparisons of best price points and ongoing sales. These can help consumers get the best deal.

Overall, remember-
1. Create content customised for the platform you’re using
2. Breakup written content through points or sub-categories
3. Don’t homogenise your target group
4. Don’t think of social media platforms as add-ons to your website
5. Make use of tools that aid in focusing on relevant talking points
6. Enable the consumer through all stages of the buyer’s journey
7. Content is not only an informer, it can also become an enabler