Importance of content
It was January 1996, Mr. Gates penned down an article titled “Content is the King” and he predicted, “Content is where I expect much of the real money will be made on the Internet, just as it was in broadcasting”. Close to two decades and a half passed and he still is right. Content has, in fact, taken the center stage in modern-day Marketing. Gone are the days, when the audience was forced to gorge each and every marketing campaign without providing any meaningful interaction. Modern-day good content provides all the key ingredients of relevance, consistency, and shared values, things sought after by contemporary audiences. The rise of social media-focused contextual campaigns coupled with a sense of involvement makes ‘content’ something “preeminent in its class”.
Making or Breaking a campaign
The importance of good and relevant content, however small it might be, can’t be more emphasized without sharing real-life examples. The importance of good and relevant content, however small it might be, can’t be more emphasized without sharing real-life examples.
Bad Example: “While Company X’s metal things are extremely corrosion resistant, they are not impervious. Luxury metals with high price tags are those that are corrosion-resistant.”
Stop stressing on your damn product too much,” we gently advise clients at the outset of many content marketing discussions. Having the consumer, not the business, the hero of the story was one of the finest pieces of content marketing advice I’ve ever got. A sales pitch can be detected by most readers from a mile away.
Good Example: “While most metals are resistant to corrosion, they are not impervious to it. Corrosion-resistant metals are typically luxury metals with a heavy price tag”.
In this case, the writer makes it clear that she intends to teach rather than market a product in the following paragraphs. The writing is generic, the business name isn’t said, and the subject is centered on a common consumer complaint.
How to write effective Content for PPC
The fleeting attention span of the targeted audience, plethora of options, intense competition makes it really hard for a PPC to stand out in the 21st-century digital jungle. However, it is not impossible if the following three vital elements are taken care of while crafting the content. In addition to the basic structure, there are 4 additional salient points that need to be borne in mind while writing the content.
- The relevance and value addition of the product that is being offered has to be established in the very beginning. While tailoring content for a particular segment, understanding the profile of the targeted audience and the pain point or need that is being addressed is the first element that the content needs to include. In the above example, notice the offer of skincare product, made with precision.
- The next vital element is the offer being made. In the above example, note the subtlety with which the actual offer, “…to Have A Good Skin Day, Every Day” is being made while drawing on the emotional promise of an ideal (skin)day.
- The final but the most important element is the proposition or call to action (CTA) that the ad is put up in the first place. Now that the audience is hooked to the content and understood the product and value proposition, it’s time to steer him/her towards the next relevant action.
In the above example, listing the relevant products, “Dream Fresh BB Cream” or “Dream Pure BB Cream” are carefully crafted CTA to steer the audience to relevant products.
Now that we have discussed the overall structure of PPC ad content, let us delve deeper into some core aspects and tactics helpful in order to develop a great PPC ad.
4. Since a PPC seeks direct engagement with a customer, thorough research on the target audience is of utmost importance. This will ensure that all the crafted content/copies seamlessly underline the individual’s interest or challenges and able to solve the problems/queries that the individual is seeking consciously or even subconsciously. This is the crux of the first two elements i.e., Value addition and Offer of the PPC content structure as discussed above.
In this regard, usage of shared language and understanding of specific terminologies related to the product is essential and helps in captivating the attention of a prospective audience.
- The importance of details is another crucial facet whether writing the CTA or drafting the ad copies. The more detail-oriented the search term, the more precise the ad copy, similarly, the less detailed oriented the search term the less specific the ad copy.
In each search term, an individual is identifying his/her need. Responding to the level of details commensurate with an individual’s query helps to satisfy the customer. - Humans are emotional beings hence it is no surprise that building emotional connection generally is more effective than plain rational appeal. Words/expression that elicit enthusiasm or emotion generally captures more attention and further impels the audience/individual to react to CTAs.
- Similar to the principle of good storytelling, PPC content should have a clear arc of a beginning, the middle, and the end. As an individual, most of us are familiar with this arc from infancy, hence this familiar arc subconsciously enables an individual to engage with the PPC ad.
To summarize
It is imperative that a PPC copy/content addresses the following:
Ø What is the prospective audience is looking for?
Ø What kind of words or expression is needed to convince them?
Ø Do they feel informed?
Ø Will, they engage further?
Ø Can they read the copy and understand the message?
Ø Does the message hit the right chord?
Ø Does the narrative keep the audience bound to the core message?
Ø Are they captivated enough to further engage with your product i.e., CTA will be achieved?