More and more companies are jumping into the content game, cluttering in-boxes and news feeds. How do you compete to be sure your content is seen, read, liked and shared?

One approach is to to simply write more, but at some point there is a diminishing rate of return. The other approach is to write smarter. Here are a few things you can do with your content strategy to rise above the clutter.

Segment Your Content

Instead of writing boring, vanilla content which might appeal to everyone, write about very specific parts of your business (aka things which only appeal to a small group.) These pieces will only have limited appeal, but for their target audience, they may be the only place to find relevant information.

A few weeks ago, Jarred shared the results of a study which indicated highly targeted content will have a 300% higher response rate. People are more likely to pay attention if they feel the information is specifically for them.

Support this segmented content with offers to sign up for updates on just that topic. Don’t dump these people into your main list. Continue to offer them focused content to keep them coming back.

Distribute Through New Outlets

It is easy to share a link to your blog post on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and call it a day. Unfortunately, that is what everyone else is already doing. If you want to get noticed, you have to do more. This also doesn’t mean posting twice as many links on those platforms!

If you want to get noticed, you need to go where there is less noise. Take the time to find other outlets and submit content where your prospective clients will see it. Write articles for your local chamber of commerce, trade association, directories or other informational blogs in your industry. If your target audience includes families with school age  kids, write articles for the PTA or Dad’s Club publications.

These publications will give you a chance to reach an audience who may not be following you on any of the other social platforms. And your content may be the only information on the subject they see on line. Don’t miss the opportunity to request links back to specific information on your blog and add each publication to your Google Author account so the content is more likely to show up in general searches.

Take the Conversation Offline

It is easy to rely on social media and email to do all they heavy lifting. But it is also easy for people to simply screen out the content. If you want to get noticed, pick up the telephone and call people who have clicked on a link in your email or downloaded a report from your website. Don’t wait for them to call you.

Consider printing something. As the cost of postage increases, fewer and fewer companies are using direct mail to reach prospects. While I don’t think most businesses should use bulk mail, limited campaigns to a targeted audience will get you noticed. And once you are on their radar screen, they are more likely to recognize your logo in their news feed and pay attention to your latest update.

Individual Attention Takes Work

The bad news? This is going to take more work than just publishing the same information to all social channels several times a day. You will need to take time to plan your content strategy, monitor what is working and offer more and more focused content to niche audiences.

The good news? Since it requires more work, many of your competitors are not likely to do this, so you have a chance to stand out.

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