Eight ways to use content to boost customer experience

Content marketing is one of the most effective mediums for companies to embrace when they are looking to acquire and retain customers. These savvy firms recognize the importance of developing winning content to create awareness, increase engagement and drive traffic to their business.

In Asia's highly competitive and cluttered business environment, however, it is not always easy to stand out and get noticed. Below we list eight questions that can guide you in creating content that leads to a better customer experience.

1. Will my customers learn something new?

Create content intended to educate your customers. Providing valuable and engaging educational content can lead to a more enhanced understanding of your products or services. It could be an instructional guide, a video demo, or a live webinar.

The moment customers start to advocate your business to others is when you know your content is driving a powerful customer experience. On Tasty, educational content about different food cultures has generated more than 100 million followers on social media.

2. What are my customers looking for?

It is always important to consider your search objectives and develop content based on what your customers are likely to search for on Google. You can create content with your customer’s search intent in mind, whether that is informational (for customers who want to learn more about a certain topic), navigational (for those who are searching for a particular page or website), or transactional (for those who are ready to buy or take action).

Key Nutrients is health supplement brand which targets online shoppers who advocate the keto diet. With the growing interest on this way of eating, the brand created content to enhance people’s keto knowledge, as well as offering free shipping vouchers to those ready to make a purchase.

3. Is my content relevant and relatable?

You are likely to deliver better customer experiences if your content reflects the sign of the times and current needs of customers. Stay updated on the latest trends, keep abreast of current issues and take advantage of seasonal events such as Mother’s Day, Pride Month, or Black Friday. Publish newsletters, social media posts and video greetings to keep your customers informed of the values and ideals you represent as a brand.

Check out Singapore Lifebuoy’s very timely – and brilliant – Covid-19 boomer-friendly campaign.

4. Is my content personal and distinct enough?

Generic content is likely to produce a lukewarm engagement from your audience, while a distinct, more personal content is a better bet for delivering valuable customer experiences. One way to achieve this is to categorize your customers into different segments such as gender, location and purchase history to develop personalized content for each segment.

Think of Spotify’s Wrapped which millions of users have been sharing on their social media accounts every year since 2016.

5. Is my headline powerful enough to grab my customer’s attention?

A headline is the first thing your customers will read. It is, therefore, essential to craft compelling and informative headlines. You should always strive to come up with powerful, attention-grabbing words to draw your audience in and inspire them to continue reading. One must avoid click-baiting which is likely to turn customers off.

In Penang, Malaysia, IKEA successfully launched its first store with “We are not Kay Kia, we are IKEA” campaign.

6. Is my content visually impactful and memorable?

One of the best practices to deliver an improved customer experience is by using strong images or videos to complement your words. Creating impactful visual content can help customers easily understand your message. And, more importantly, it aids in brand recall.

Would you have imagined a luxury brand using memes to promote its product? Check out #TFWGucci.

7. What added value can I offer to my customer?

An engaged customer would want to explore and learn more after reading your content, so make sure not to leave them with any unanswered questions. Provide them with links to related content that can add more value to what you are offering. Linking additional information will make it easier for your readers to learn more about the subject and keep them coming back to your site.

See how Bank Central Asia has been doing this with its #DatamuRahasiamu fraud awareness campaign.

8. Is my content easy to understand?

The last thing you want is to confuse your customers with convoluted communication. Make sure your content is easy to understand and has a single-minded message. Using bullet points or making a list can help, as can the addition of subheadings when writing long-form content. Most importantly make sure to focus on one major topic.

For some customers, reading blog posts can be a bore unless they find something valuable in them. You can find a lot of good examples from Klook.

Your goal should be to provide a pleasurable reading or viewing experience because no one would want to get lost in a sea of information that is of little value to them. Anticipate your customers' needs at each stage of the journey and ensure your content is delivering the right message to the right people at the right place and time.