GOOD CONTENT VS GREAT CONTENT
The difference between good and great content, and why great content matters for your brand
Updated 02 June 2023
Written by Omneya Nabil
Content Alchemist & Brand Storyteller
What’s the difference between good content and great content? And what makes great content great? Is it the words, writing style, tone of voice, format, sentence structure, or something else entirely?
Content is one of the most important elements of your marketing mix. It’s what people will judge you on first. And it’s the gateway to building trust and rapport with your target audience. If you have great content, people will pay attention to what you say and want to know more about who you are and what you do. Isn’t that what your marketing efforts are all about?
The most common complaint I hear from my prospective clients is that they’re not getting the traffic or ROI they expected from their content. They’ve revamped their websites, published articles on their blogs, posted on social media, put together eBooks, created infographics, and done everything else they thought would generate interest in their products or services. But it hasn’t worked. Why? Because their content isn’t that great, it’s just plain old good.
Why you need to create great content for your brand
When it comes to creating content, good is simply not good enough. Good content won’t cut it in today’s highly competitive marketplace. It may not even be effective.
If you’re looking to create something more than good enough with your marketing campaigns—something that will positively impact both your audience and your brand—you’ll need compelling, better-than-average content. To cut through the clutter and gain a competitive advantage, you’re expected to deliver great content that attracts your audience, solves their problems, and provides added value—all at the same time.
I’m not saying that good content is bad. Yes, it can generate interest and compel people to engage with it and even share it. But as a marketer, that isn’t your end goal. Your end goal is to drive more traffic to your website and generate new leads for your business with your content.
Before we move on, let’s get this straight: great content isn’t, and never has been, about the words used, sentence structure, or writing style. It’s about delivering an audience-specific message that readers can’t find anywhere else. But to do that, your writing needs to be clear, concise, grammatically correct, and consistent with your brand voice and personality. It also needs to fit the format and platform that appeals to your audience the most.
So, what’s the difference between good content and great content?
Good content will get your message through, but great content will bring in the big bucks.
Good content will get you somewhere, but great content will take you further.
Ultimately, the difference between good and great content is in the details. It all comes down to how deep the connection is with your audience, how impactful your content is, and how much value you’re adding.
Marketers and business owners often focus on entertainment-oriented content because it’s easier to create and grabs many eyeballs. But no matter how good your entertaining content is, people will scroll down if it doesn’t benefit them or add value to their lives.
Remember, people are on the internet looking for solutions that solve their problems or add value to their lives or businesses. They don’t want to be sold to. They want someone to tell them what they need or want to know. They want to read and consume great content. And if you give them content with value, without being too pushy, you’ll be helping your audience accomplish the goals they’ve set for themselves. You’ll also be able to meet your objectives by driving traffic, generating leads, converting leads to customers, and turning customers into advocates.
The greatest content is told through a story
At the heart of it, great content is about one thing: telling a story. It could be your brand story, product story, customer story, partners’ stories – whatever! You can create content that resonates with your audience by starting with a narrative and building out from there.
Having a powerful story can help your marketing campaigns go viral. But if you don’t have a story to tell, any content you create will fall flat. When you write with a story in mind, you are naturally compelled to think about how the reader will react. You want to take them on a journey that grabs their attention and keeps them engaged until the end.
But great content is more than a good story and some pretty expressions. It’s not about the words you use but about how they are framed. It’s about telling your story in a way that your audience can connect to through experience. Consider the medium and format of content that your audience enjoys best and engages with, and then take your content and your stories right where your audience is.
How to assess great content
To assess how great your content is, ask yourself the following questions. Is your content findable? Is it easy to understand? Does it solve a problem or fulfil a need? Is it unique and interesting? Does it provide great value for your audience? Is it useful and practical? Does it make people think, reflect, and take action?
If you can answer yes to these questions, then congratulations, your content is working and can help achieve your business and marketing objectives.
Summary
Good content is helpful and attention-grabbing. Great content builds trust and moves your audience toward a specific action. And the greatest content of all connects with and builds relationships with your audience through a story. Whether you’re creating blog posts, eBooks, newsletters, or email blasts, your optimal goal should be to create great content that positively impacts people’s opinions about your company. And when your prospective customers start to put you in a favourable light, achieving your business and marketing objectives becomes a lot easier.
Are you looking to create great content for your website, blog, or marketing collaterals? I would be more than happy to help! Drop me an email and let’s discuss how we can work together.