The 3 E’s of Effective Content and How to Use Them
Between the use of AI writers and digital marketers pushing SEO above all else, I feel my 3 E’s of content are more important than ever before. This content philosophy was first developed about a decade ago, based on foundational marketing principles as well as elements of persuasive, essay, and creative writing.
I can hear the digital marketers now: “What about SEO?”
SEO should be organic.
When you stick to your topic, address your target reader, and include location references where needed, SEO takes care of itself. The use of keywords is largely unneeded and leads to bad writing when the provided key terms are not adapted to be grammatically correct. Perhaps this attitude is due to the fact I began writing content at the height of keyword stuffing and abhor the practice.
Another important part of SEO is domain authority rating. An original angle, research, and the citing of sources are standard in journalism. Applying these to content will organically increase your domain authority while also improving your reputation as an expert in your community.
Following my 3 E’s results in this type of organic SEO content.
The 3 things all content should accomplish are engagement, education, and empowerment. Each of these should build on the others.
1. Engage the Reader Throughout
The one point on which every content marketer can agree is that content must engage the reader. Engagement starts with an attention-grabbing headline and ends with a compelling call to action (CTA), but one mustn’t forget about the body of the piece. One must keep the reader engaged throughout the piece to meet the other 2 E’s of high-quality content.
Another thing everyone can agree upon is that content must be entertaining. I have seen several digital marketers blogging that “entertain” should be one of the primary goals of good content. It is my argument that entertaining the reader is an important element of engagement, not a separate goal.
To keep your reader’s attention to the end, content must be written creatively. There is no doubt that our attention spans are decreasing. In a CNN interview with Dr. Gloria Mark, author of the book “Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness, and Productivity,” Mark discusses how attention spans have decreased over time (LaMotte, 2023).
According to Mark, the average on-screen attention span has decreased from 2.5 minutes in 2004 to 47 seconds in 2023. Many marketers are using this trend to justify very brief content, but they are missing that important piece of the puzzle — engagement.
In an article published in Frontiers in Psychology, researchers found a direct correlation between positive emotional engagement and increased attention spans (Tyng, C. et.al., 2016). The abstract also states that positive emotional engagement affects perception, learning, memory, and problem-solving. In short, emotional engagement holds the interest of readers, regardless of whether they are reading on a screen or from a tangible publication.
There are many ways to entertain and engage your readers. For example, when writing about static electricity for an electrician blog, I wrote about how it was used in ancient civilizations. Including these elements makes for a much more pleasurable read, one that is more likely to convey the reader from headline to call to action.
2. Educate the Reader on Important Issues
Digital marketers agree that educating the reader is perhaps the most important goal of content, but there is much dissension on how this should be done. Those advocating short content are only seeking to educate the reader on how the company, website, SaaS, product, or service can meet their needs. This is not enough to engage the reader and empower them to take action.
For example, not every running toilet needs the attention of a licensed plumber. Educating readers on how the toilet works and simple things that can fix it may not sell services, but it does improve your reputation in the community and make it more likely that the visitor will return when services are required.
To become an authority in your field, you must also publish thought-leadership articles and informative, journalistic pieces educating visitors on important issues. A digital marketing firm located in South Carolina once requested an article about water quality in the area. This article did not have a CTA for services but rather encouraged the reader to be aware of boil orders and provided the means to do so. This content is every bit as important as promoting products and services.
Educational content is well-researched and provides a fresh take on often overdone topics. Include authoritative research and cite sources, but don’t allow the content to become too dry in the process.
3. Empower the Reader to Take Action
I have seen other versions of “The 3 E’s of Content,” and all of them miss this very important element. Visitors arrive at your site because they are looking for answers. Your offerings might not be the right solution, but your reader should feel empowered to take action to resolve that need.
Going back to the plumbing example, the reader is empowered through instructions and videos to stop their toilet from running. The next time the reader has a plumbing issue, they will recall this feeling of empowerment and be more likely to request your services when needed. This increases your conversions over time to steadily grow your business.
It is important not to confuse empowerment with education. A reader can be educated about what is wrong with their toilet, but without instructions for troubleshooting and resolving the problem there is no empowerment to take reasonable action. Empowerment is the direct result of education. Failing to properly educate the reader will inevitably lead to poor engagement and low conversions.
A Note on AI Writers:
AI writers and chatbots cannot meet these 3 E’s of content. Engagement requires human creativity and emotion over grammatically correct filler. Education requires meaningful research and information beyond the derivative scraping of existing content. Empowerment from AI content is also rare.
I have one client that uses ChatGPT to ensure no important points are missed in the content. I dislike it, and I cannot recommend its use for any other purpose. Please, do not add to the wealth of inadequate content on the web. When in doubt of your abilities, work with a content writer that has experience in your organization’s field or industry.
About Nicky Foster:
Nicky Foster has been writing website content, blogs, thought-leadership articles, and editorial pieces for more than 15 years. Common industries and niches include home services, legal practices, mental health services, and similar topics. Visit http://thewordsmithkc.com/content-services/ to request a proposal. Client openings are limited.
Resources
LaMotte, S. (2023, January 11). Your attention span is shrinking, studies say. Here’s how to stay focused. CNN Online. https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/11/health/short-attention-span-wellness/index.html
Tyng, C. M., Amin, H. U., M. Saad, M. N., & Malik, A. S. (2016). The Influences of Emotion on Learning and Memory. Frontiers in Psychology, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01454
