You have put your best effort into creating great content that is in line with your inbound marketing goals but somehow, you’re just not seeing the engagement you expected. You review your SMART goals, review your personas and sure enough, you’re convinced you’ve delivered the right messages at the right time and you’re still not seeing the results you wanted. What on earth could be happening? To boost content engagement, you need to focus on one small word that you have likely been overlooking. That small, but powerful word is “why.

Your Audience Doesn’t Care About What you are Selling

That sounds pretty harsh and possibly even hurtful, but hear us out. One of the biggest conundrums marketers and business owners face when developing content for their inbound marketing campaigns is coming up with topics that engage their audiences while trying to meet sales goals. Since it’s your business and you believe in your products or services, it’s only natural that you would want the world to know about them but that’s the conundrum- every business online feels the same way and if you want a competitive advantage, you have to give your audience something more. That something more rests in that small word we mentioned- why.

Give your Visitors a Reason to Want What you Offer

Let’s face it, people are busy and they’ve inundated with offers and content streams every time they look at a digital device. If you want them to notice what you have to offer and spend time researching them, you have to give them a good reason. That’s where the word “why” comes into play. Forget about telling them “what” and instead, focus on why they need your products or services. What problems will your business solve for them? How will your business make their lives better? Who are your offerings going to help most in their families? Too often, marketers and business owners forget that content has to provide value to their audience because their focus is on sales targets. For the best ROI on your efforts, you have to change that thinking.

Create a Value Proposition that is Hard to Refuse

As a marketer or business owner, think of how you make purchase decisions. Do you buy the shiniest and brightest item for your business, or do you buy the product that provides you with maximum returns? That question is definitely redundant but it explains creating a value proposition for your audience- the greater percentage of them make their purchase decisions the same way. By creating the most value possible for your products and services rather than focusing on what they are, you’re showing your audience that they’re missing out on something great if they don’t have your offerings. Speaking to them about issues they face or desires they want fulfilled puts your business on a peer-level with them and makes them feel that your business cares about them and their lifestyle. Once that starts to happen, you’re inspiring trust and building loyalty, which leads to profits!

Relying on one small word like “why” to boost content may seem too easy to be true, but review some of your content that isn’t performing well. Try to view it from a prospective customer’s point of view and see if you can find the value proposition that will make it hard for them to refuse what you’re offering. Revamp it based on what you’ve learned from this article and review your numbers. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!