By OLIVIA LAWRENCE

For the Regina & District Chamber of Commerce

Social media has become a crucial news and marketing tool for business in this digital age. Individuals are hired solely for the purpose of managing and producing content for businesses social media channels. For that reason, it’s vital that a business knows the steps in creating great content for its website.

Before we can go through the steps it’s important to know the three main types of website content.

• Written: articles, descriptions, blogs, reports, ebooks, testimonials and case studies.
• Graphics: photographs, fact sheets, infographics, branded images, and data visualizations.
• Video and Audio: videos, podcasts, and possibly music.

Demandjump, a marketing strategy platform, suggests that written content is key because it informs all the other content on the website. Graphic content helps your audience visualize what it is you are trying to say and adds colour and excitement to your website. Videos and audio add another element of variety and explanation.

Now that we know the types of website content, Semrush, another marketing company, recommends these three steps to creating good website content:

• Pre-Planning: Establishing the purpose or focus of the content you are creating is a great starting point. The content can be sharing news, marketing a product or service or building a sense of community. Once a focus is decided then you can identify the target audience.

Lastly, see what popular competitors are putting out there and who their audience is. This can be helpful to assure you’re on the right track.

• Content creation: Website content must hook your reader with its first line. From there, the content should be scannable. Make sure sentences and paragraphs are short; headers, bullet points or lists are also helpful. Do not just add random pictures or audio, choose ones that help understanding and flow.

Double-check grammar, spelling and punctuation. This assures content looks professional and accurate. Finally, encourage readers to engage with the content by commenting, signing up, learning more, or subscribing.

• Keep content up-to-date: Websites that have new and up-to-date information are more likely to be viewed regularly. Creating new content, updating statistics, trends, business news and product launches are what is going to keep people coming back daily, weekly and monthly.