8 attributes of content that inspire action

I came across this great article this morning and it got me thinking that often, when writing content or copy for websites, brochures and other marketing material, business owners don’t inspire action.

Action is at the heart of business. Without it customers don’t buy, clients don’t sign up and people don’t spend. Action is what gets you the sale and closes the deal. With this in mind, here’s a breakdown of what Daniel Tynski says are 8 great ways to get people to take action.

1. Provocative Content

Having something that makes people think or is going to get them emotional about a topic is provocative content. The content in this video is a great example of creating something that makes people think.

2. Be Visionary

Put bland in the bin and give mediocre a miss. Go big or go home. That’s what being visionary is all about. Making people think about a problem or frustration they didn’t even realise they had. A great example given in this article is 15 things you should be happy to give up.

3. Be Different

Simple to say but hard to do. Many of us spend a lot of time looking at what our competitors are doing and mimicking these activities. To stand out we need to go beyond this and create something special... this comes from having passion and doing everything you do to 100% of your abilities. No half measures and no shortcuts.

4. Be Relevant

When thinking about your marketing it’s super important to understand what’s going to be of interest to your target audience. Take this example from Nature Valley (they sell muesli bars) – they understand their target audience are active people so created this great trail view website that people can use.

5. Timely

The right offer at the wrong time or the wrong offer at the right time doesn’t get the sale. Make sure your offer is up on the latest trends and your company is aware of what’s going on in the market and in your customer’s world.

6. Be a Master

This is all about positioning yourself as an expert. The author of the article I’m referencing has done a great job at this. He provided an excellent resource that I have now expanded on and used in my own way.

7. Deliver

Let your customers know about a need they haven’t had met (or might not even know they have) and provide them with the solution and how to get it. The Dollar Shave Club is a great example of this. If you can do it in a humorous way... even better!"

8. Tell a story

People love stories and having a strong narrative can be a great way to get your story or point across. This video is a great example of telling a story and incorporating your brand message and the action you want customers to take.

The Take Away

When thinking about how you’re going to market your business really think about what you’re doing and take time and consideration to think about your message, your customers and your call to action.