we caught up with Vicki Barlow, Marketing Executive at Reach.

Vicki has been creating content for Reach for over six years. With experience writing for business and consumer audiences, Vicki is expertly placed to share her tips on creating captivating content.

Q: How do you decide what topics to create content for?

A: Content creation should always start with understanding the target audience. I work as part of a marketing team which helps when it comes to choosing topics for content. When planning a campaign, we brainstorm the pain points of our target audience and consider content to overcome these. 

Remember, the goal is to create content that resonates with your audience and encourages them to take action.

Q: How do you choose which formats to use?

A: The choice of format largely depends on the content subject and the campaign objectives. If I have a lot of information to convey, I tend to produce a guide. These are well received when delivered via email marketing and available as a free download. The campaign as a whole is telling a story and each piece of content its chapters. We create a large guide for each campaign, with smaller, supporting guides, blogs, infographics etc. focussing on specific topics. 

Q: Where do you get inspiration for your content from?

A: Inspiration can come from many sources, including industry news, customer feedback, and competitor analysis. I also find inspiration by exploring content from other brands and industries and staying updated on the latest trends in marketing and technology. Additionally, engaging with the target audience directly through social media or forums can provide valuable insights and ideas for content creation. I would say the greatest inspiration for my content comes from everyday experiences, which I believe helps to keep content relevant and relatable.

If I am struggling for inspiration, I brainstorm what it is I want to achieve and try to imagine how it will look – sometimes going to work on something else and coming back to it later helps too! 

Q: How do you measure the success of the content you’ve created?

A: Measuring the success of content involves tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) such as engagement metrics (likes, shares, comments), website traffic, conversion rates, and ROI. Tools like Google Analytics and social media analytics platforms can provide valuable data to evaluate the performance of content campaigns. 

Measuring content success isn’t just about tracking likes or shares though – it’s about understanding whether your content has achieved its intended goal. This could be increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, generating leads or boosting sales. 

Q: Are there any tools that you recommend people use when creating content?

A: There are numerous tools that can aid in content creation. Tools like Google Trends can help you identify trending topics. Grammarly can assist with writing and proofreading, while Canva or Adobe Creative Cloud are great for designing visuals. For social media management, tools like Hootsuite can be very useful. 

It’s important to remember that all you need to create content is an idea. 

Q: In summary, what are the three key points you’d suggest people follow to create captivating content?

A: The three main points to takeaway are:

• Know your audience: Understand the needs, preferences, and pain points of your target audience to create content that resonates with them.
• Deliver value: Your content should provide value to the reader. Whether it’s solving a problem, providing new insights or simply entertaining, make sure your content is worth their time.
• Don’t get hung up on spelling and grammar when the inspiration is flowing: If you’re in the moment and the words are flowing then crack on, worry about the finer details later. You could be the most accurate copywriter in the world and you’d still need to get someone else to check, edit or proofread your work before you publish. 

If I could sneak an additional point in here, I’d say don’t worry about word count either. You can always take bits out or add more at a later date. Ironic, I know. 

And finally, just have a go and enjoy it!

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