When someone is focused on getting a job done, working without distractions to achieve a goal, we say that person is “on task.” In this age of multi-tasking and distractions from every direction, this is quite a compliment. Can you say the same about your marketing content?

A blogger at ContentMarketingToday.com offered a great critique of a website that does not stay on task. The content is all over the place. It provides no depth and it’s not immediately clear from the words and pictures what sort of service the company provides. (And the company name gives no clues, either.)

For instance, the home page showcases a photo of windmills, leading readers to think it might be some sort of alternative energy company.  Read a bit further, and you can surmise that they provide web design services. Maybe?

The company, it seems, is no longer around, so we won’t waste any more time mocking it. Instead, let’s look at ways you can keep your marketing content “on task.”

1. Define your purpose. How can you stay on task if you don’t know your task? Define your company’s purpose, the unique selling position, the message you want to convey to prospects. Then, before you post any piece of marketing content, ask yourself (and your co-workers, colleagues, mentors or focus groups) if the content clearly conveys that purpose.
2. Keep it simple. Web readers don’t have a lot of time. Your content should be easy to read and understand.
3. Go in depth. One of the reviewer’s major criticisms of the Metwell website was that none of the content really scratched beyond the surface of basic information. Tell your website visitors a story. Give them insight they didn’t have before. Make it memorable.

The key to viral marketing content
Simple. Deep. Memorable. That’s the key to viral marketing content—and if any of your content is going to go viral, you want to make sure it’s representing your company in the best way possible. Stay on task and get your message out there.

Dawn Allcot is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments. WriterAccess is powered by ideaLaunch, a full service content marketing agency serving hundreds of clients and thousands of writers since 2000.

Image from ericsaintguillain.files.wordpress.com

Tags: content marketing

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 25th, 2010 at 3:00 pm and is filed under Content Creation, Content Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.