It is frustrating to spend your time and effort creating high-quality content, only for it to be ignored.

It can be frustrating to put your heart and soul into content that doesn’t resonate with your audience. Instead, visitors leave your site prematurely and don’t return to it again.

I am certain I have been there more times than I care to admit. 

My opinion is that the problem lies in the fact that content marketers talk a lot about storytelling and delivering valuable content, but fail to mention actionability.

This is a vital aspect of content marketing that’s often overlooked. It helps you persuade and encourages engagement.

What are some elements of actionable content?

Before we can decide which strategies to implement, we need to first understand what makes actionable content. These are the most common elements.

• It is targeted at your particular audience
• It adds value
• It builds trust
• It addresses the needs of your audience
• It aligns with your marketing goals
• It engages your audience
• It communicates clearly, effectively, and effectively

The “Actionable Content Pyramid” really helps to put things in perspective.

What are some ways to make your content more actionable and useful?

These are strategies I have found to be extremely effective, and they should work for you.

1. Describe the Things Readers Will Take Away

People are busier than ever and are experiencing “cognitive overload” as they are constantly bombarded with information every day.

It is important to make your content actionable throughout the entire process. Not just in short bursts.

I have found that my posts are often very effective in capturing the attention of my audience and grabbing their attention.

Any logical person can see the title and read the introduction to this post to learn more about actionable content.

What your audience will take away from your post, and how it will positively affect their lives is the point I am trying to make. 

Also, let them know what it is for them.

This should give them the motivation to read or at least skim through your content in more detail.

2. Image-Centric

Images are wonderful for many reasons.

They make it easier for readers to absorb information without having to go through a lot of text. It is ideal for people with short attention spans and those who are simply lazy.

Images are a second way to connect dots and can be used as a bridge between information.

Pictures are beautiful, third. This graph shows how important visual content is for marketing.

You can add an image to clarify any doubts about the point you are trying to make in the text.

Screenshots are great because your audience can see what you’re talking about, which reduces the possibility of miscommunications.

3. Engage Your Audience

Engaging is an essential aspect of actionable content. You want to make sure that your audience is involved in the action. 

You want them to participate and not be passive observers.

Unfortunately, marketers find it difficult to produce engaging content. Studies have shown that 58 percent of marketers consider this their greatest challenge.

How can you get more audience participation?

It has been my experience that mixing media from different sources can be very helpful. Images can be powerful, as I said earlier.

Other options include:

• Infographics
• Videos
• GIFs
• Memes

The Virtual Water Project is a great example of engaging readers.

It is interactive and allows readers to learn about water consumption engagingly.

They feel like they have learned something new and had an interesting experience.

You should visit her website to see interactive content in action.

4. Use Examples

My college professors were the best at using real-world examples.

They were able to take extremely abstract concepts and simplify them in a way that was easy to understand for fledgling students.

In content marketing, I have also discovered that examples are extremely important.

Concrete examples can make complex topics like Aristotelian metaphysics and advanced trigonometry more understandable. 

This is easiest to do by getting comfortable using one phrase, “for example”.

You can quickly remove any confusion or doubt in your readers’ minds by giving them examples.

If you don’t have enough time or the desire to cover a complex topic adequately in your post you can link to external and internal resources that provide more detail.

Keep in mind that your knowledge levels can vary between readers. Some may be able to understand what you are talking about but others might not.

If in doubt, offer some examples or additional reading to ensure everyone is on the same page.

5. Add some stats

You might have noticed that I include a lot of statistics in my content.

This is not an accident.

I find that adding statistics to support my arguments is a great way to add credibility to my content.

Custom content, for example, is influencing 61% of consumers.

You can bring your point to life by searching for relevant statistics and weaving them into your content.

You can make a bigger impact by using charts or graphs that show statistics such as the one shown above.

It’s like killing two birds with one stone. This provides concrete evidence and appeals directly to the audience’s natural desire for visuals.

6. Answer all pertinent questions

Remember my first point, where I said it was important to clearly state what readers will take away from your article at the beginning?

It’s also important to go back and make sure you have covered all the details and answered any questions that your audience might have.

Google’s algorithm update Hummingbird has made semantic search more important. You must be focused on user intent and leave no doubt marks.

Also, don’t leave any stone unturned

This is how I approach it. I ask myself:

• What questions might they have?
• What are their biggest pain points?
• These areas addressed in my content?

After I finish my first draft, it’s fun to look back at it to make sure I didn’t miss any important information.

If that is the case, I will make any necessary adjustments to ensure I have covered everything as best I can.

7. Clear CTAs

Calls-to-action (CTAs), a part of marketing, sounds very simple on paper.

It can be difficult to create the perfect CTA.

This is because the conversion process involves many variables and factors. If you miss one, it can hurt your overall conversion rate.

It is important to create a CTA that evokes urgency when creating it. This is because if someone doesn’t act immediately, they are likely to never complete the action.

A person might be interested in a product but not necessarily motivated to buy it right now.

They may then bookmark the URL or copy and paste it, but forget about it and not return it.

This is not good for you because it doesn’t result in a sale, no matter how interested they are in your product.

What’s the secret to creating a clear CTA for your website?

• Keep it brief and sweet

• Transfer the benefits

• Inspire readers to be curious

• CTA buttons can be created (this has been shown to increase conversions by 62%).

• Split testing is a great way to experiment (e.g. Try different colors, fonts, and CTA positions

Also, you’ll want to add some persuasive words. Copyblogger says that the following are some of the most persuasive words that you can use:

• You
• No cost
• Bonus
• Because
• Instantly
• Neue

Conclusion

Actionability is an important aspect of content marketing. However, it is often overlooked. It helps establish the value and trustworthiness of your content and is essential to driving engagement and ultimately increasing your conversion rate.

These strategies will allow you to have a greater impact on your audience. You should also see better results.