Blog: Content – King of the Superhighway

Jon Henderson, SNAP Newspaper Group COO

In cyberspace, content is king and always will be. The number one reason why this is true goes right to the fundamental reason why people use the Internet - information. Whatever we produce, display or sell online – everything from Blog postings to pictures and videos - everything we do, say, and shoot is now published, posted, shared and commented on within the public realm – and it is all information.

Generally, the more useful and interesting the information is on a website, the more successful it will be. This is especially true if the content is updated regularly and presented in a graphically pleasing and easy to understand format.

If you’ve been within the marketing sector for more than a few days, no doubt you’ve already heard “Content is King” more times than you can count. I know it becomes redundant, but until more companies do a better job at focusing on their content, it does bear repeating.

I’ve seen more than my share of companies who depend too heavily upon the weight and popularity of their brand alone to drive traffic to their site. Of course, it’s great that they have established their name in the minds of the public, but lets face it, most people don’t surf the superhighway looking for brand. They are looking for information – and if they don’t find it at your site quickly, believe me, they leave and may never come back.

The “they come because they know us” mistake is a very common pitfall in the online marketplace. It’s not enough to simply be popular, if you don’t have the content to support your e-commerce. In order for your intended audience to find your products and read your page, you need every page of your site to be focused on providing useful and entertaining information.

So what makes for good content? The first step to creating good content is to be sure it appeals to your target audience. Next, ensure you have original information that engages the user and also promotes the likelihood of quality links from other sites. If someone asked me what I considered good content I'd say that it should start with content that's different and unique from the other website they just came from. Second, I would say that I am also a firm believer in plain and simple copy, photography and video.

Regardless of medium, make those first few seconds count. In an article, make sure you capture the reader's attention in the first few sentences. In a video, be sure to get their attention in the first 15 seconds. Your readers/viewers, and the potential linkers, will have a really short attention span for you if you don't truly capture their attention quickly.

Regardless, good content will be interesting, entertaining and informative. It will cater to your target audience and it will be updated regularly to ensure it remains current and fresh. If it is, you are well on your way to creating demand and traffic that will increase dramatically as time goes on.