Choosing the right type of content to distribute to your target audience can be a challenge.

There are several different types you can produce, you can’t just randomly pick one and expect positive results. You want to be strategic. To see maximum results, take the following components into consideration before deciding on your material.

Determine your long-term goals

Before sitting down to create your online material, think about your long-term goals. Do you want to inform people about a subject or do you want them to take action and buy?

Will your information to be easily absorbed and shareable? Does your audience want to sit down and think about a concept? Depending on your goals, consider the following:

• Blogs are informative.
• Case studies inspire action.
• Social media is easily digestible.
• White papers require focus.

It’s exciting to publish an article you’ve created. However, it won’t help you achieve your long-term goals if it’s forgettable or isn’t designed to achieve purpose.

Define your target audience

You need to identify your target audience first before you begin to write. It’s not a good strategy to attempt to appeal to the masses because it’s likely they’ll ignore you. Determine who you want to talk to. This way, you can focus on those likely to engage with your brand. Then, you can create information that is relevant to them.

Next, think about distribution. Is your audience digitally savvy and apt to visit your website for updates? Or are they more likely to open emails to read your material? If your audience primarily uses social media, identify which networks they use and focus on those for your distribution.

Select your tone, voice and style

Your tone, voice and style make up your content personality. As you get started, you need to determine how you want to sound to your readers.

Do you want to write formally or casuall

y? Will you be knowledgeable and friendly? Professional and authoritative? Or would funny and relatable define your company better?

You also need to figure out what perspective you want to write from:

• Use first person if you plan to share first-hand experiences and want people to directly relate to you.
• Write in second person if you want to talk directly to your audience in a personable way.
• Speak in third person if you want to speak more generally or present a more “business professional” tonality.

Note: Oftentimes, businesses use a combination of first and second person: The company speaks as “we/us/our,” and they refer to their readers as “you.” In third person, businesses refer to themselves as their company name.

The personality you choose matters – a lot. Think about verbal communication. How you speak to others will determine whether they’ll pay attention to you or disregard what you say. And remember: Once you choose your online persona, be sure to stick with it. To be effective, consistency matters.

At Tempesta Media, we help you choose the right type of content for your company. To learn more about our services, contact us today.