Digital marketing strategies offer some of the most powerful and cost-effective ways available today to grow your business and improve your bottom line.
Because technology’s march of progress is speeding up, new strategies are constantly becoming available to our industry. One of these, microcontent, offers some of the most promising results for improving SEO that we’ve seen in a while.
Here at Be Locally SEO, we use this digital marketing strategy as often as possible to help our clients achieve the search engine rankings they need to grow their businesses.
Think of microcontent as a form of content marketing that ascribes to the “KISS Principle:” Keep it Simple, Sunshine!
Microcontent consists of short phrases or sections of text that can stand alone or that provide a summary of longer content artifacts. Think titles, billboard copy, subject lines, pull quotes, taglines or headlines. Microcontent is often used to prompt the user to act or respond in some way, by way of techniques such as instructions or calls to action.
Tweets are a form of expanded microcontent, as are the snippets of text that you find on website service or category cards. Cards are a critical aspect of digital marketing, and one of the most powerful ways to improve the website user experience (UX).
If you use AdWords for pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, your headlines and ad copy fall into the microcontent category, like Facebook ads and similar social media artifacts.
We live in an instant gratification society. Many internet denizens don’t care to read long content, especially if they don’t believe it will benefit them. Short snippets of content can provide an effective introduction to longer pieces, encouraging the user to peruse the information, share it or save it for later.
Users base their perceptions on headlines, in disturbing proportions. In a recent study, almost 60 percent of social media users regularly share content they haven’t read. So, as you can imagine, headlines are really important for conveying your message.
Because microcontent is eye-catching, it’s an ideal way to convey the information that’s most important. Scatter persuasive pull quotes from customer testimonials or online reviews around your website, for example, or provide short, descriptive summaries of blog posts and how-to articles to draw site visitors to your valuable content.
If you’re spending part of your digital marketing budget for PPC ads, this brief copy can be effective for targeting your ideal prospects.
Finally, as online activity moves increasingly to the mobile platform, long-form content is rarely appropriate on a smartphone or tablet. Killer mobile headlines and calls to action make it easy for your on-the-go site visitors to find what they need, even on a small screen.
Professional copywriters and content marketing experts agree that writing short bits of content is much more difficult than writing long pieces. You have very few words with which to generate the maximum response.
As we discussed above, use the KISS Principle when writing your microcontent. Stick to action verbs and basic language, but avoid using industry words or jargon. Be specific, especially in a call to action, and don’t leave it to chance that your customers will understand what you do, how it benefits them and what they need to do to take advantage of what you have to offer.
Don’t use clickbait. Your prospects and customers won’t appreciate it, and neither will Google. Clickbait has taken on a clear association with unsavory and potentially dangerous websites, prompting warnings from the Better Business Bureau and consumer watchdog groups.
Deliver exactly what your headlines promise, and you’ll keep everyone happy.
How can you leverage microcontent in your digital marketing plan?
You can use these pint-sized sound bites throughout your website, on landing pages, in your blog and in social media. In paid advertising — traditional and digital — microcontent can make or break your return on investment.
Don’t hesitate to use images, graphics, emojis or icons to help convey your message. Small bits of content can pack an even bigger punch when paired with graphic elements. Be sure to make your microcontent stand out with appropriate fonts and colors to enhance readability.
Tailor your mini-content to the platform you’re using, and resist the urge to use the same headlines and taglines everywhere, unless it’s appropriate to do so. Always consider your context, and make sure the content enhances the user experience.
Be Locally SEO uses microcontent as a critical component of digital marketing and search engine optimization. Our professional copywriters can capture your brand’s essence in a few well-crafted words or sentences. We know how to leverage all of today’s technology as a part of your overall internet marketing efforts to help you expand your business and your profitability.
Contact us today to learn more about how our professional digital marketing experts can help you achieve your business goals.