Keep It Simple, Stupid

If you’re a professional, it doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, it can be very easy to overcomplicate things. This is especially the case for marketers. I am a big believer in minimalism and keeping things simple.

Content marketing is no different. Keeping things simple with your content often allows for more scale and better results.

I have used the K.I.S.S principles in many situations and almost every area of marketing, and it is yet to fail me.

When it comes to writing content, whether that be for websites, articles or simply copywriting for social media or google ads, the keep it simple, stupid (K.I.S.S) principles fall into four parts:

• Tell the reader what you’re going to tell them.
• Tell the reader what you told them you were going to tell them.
• Tell the reader what you told them.
• Tell the reader what to do next.

Let’s get into it…

Tell the reader what you’re going to tell them (intro)

This is how you should begin your post. After hooking them with the title, you need to grab them with the copy. This is the most important stage as, if the reader doesn’t like this bit, they won’t engage themselves with the words further down the page of which you put your time and effort into.

It’s in this introduction where the reader needs to understand what they are going to be reading. What problem are you solving? What value are you providing? If you can answer these two questions off-the-bat, you’re on to a winner.

Remember, businesses are in the business of solving problems – Your content should reflect this.

Tell the reader what you told them you were going to tell them (body)

This stage is where you need to deliver on the promise that you made in the introduction. If you fail at fulfilling your promise, you have ultimately wasted the reader’s time, and their resentment will be attached to the brand.

If your content is valuable, as promised, your reader should continue to consume the content.

Tell the reader what you told them (conclusion)

This is the part of the content where you conclude on your point. In this, you need to remind the reader why they began reading, and what they will have now that they have finished.

Tell the reader what to do next (Call To Action)

If the reader has taken the time and effort to read what you’re saying, surely you own them the next step?

In this stage, it is your responsibility to provide a call to action. You can’t just expect someone to read your content and then begin to click around your site, loving life, purchasing left, right and centre and filling out all of your acquisition forms. Readers need a direction, and you need to provide it!

It’s easy to overcomplicate things, so make sure you stop overcomplicating your content writing.