Binge-Worthy Content for Viral Success

Do you love watching Netflix? How about Hulu? Or Amazon Prime? Do you know what all of these streaming services have in common? They offer binge-worthy content!

Sometimes, there’s nothing better than sitting down with family or friends and binging a few episodes of your favorite tv show. Maybe it’s a classic, like The Office. Jayson, Eben and I have been binging it for a bit now. Or you might want to try something new, like the hit docuseries Cheer on Netflix. Either way, binging on TV can be a great way to unwind and relax after a hard day of work as a small business owner. 

Here is my question for you: If bingeable content works so well for Netflix, then why aren’t you doing the same thing with your business’ content? Releasing a blog every week is fantastic, but if you want to get your customers actually reading them, you’ll want them to incorporate some fundamental principles that make certain TV shows so infinitely watchable!

Tell a Story

I’m a big believer that all marketing needs to tell a story. Everything, from a blog to a social media post to an email newsletter, should have a beginning, middle, and end. 

But it needs to go further than that. Like most forms of story, your content should always have themes attached to them. A solid theme will give your content a through-line for your customers and clients to latch onto. 

Here are a few suggestions to try!

Redemption: They made a mistake in the past, but you offer the reader a way to make it right.

Togetherness: By joining your community, your reader will be introduced to like-minded people who can help them pursue their goals. 

Discovery: A new piece of knowledge can change everything. Offer your reader something brand-new that will lead them down a positive path. 

[TWEET “Ever binge an entire season of TV in one sitting? Wouldn’t it be great if your customers would do the same with your online content?”]

Catch Their Attention from the Start

There are some online blogs that just… start. Information, right off the bat. There is no introduction to the ideas or even a welcoming word. It’s nothing but data, and that can be tricky to read. 

Instead of starting immediately with the meat of your content, try to catch the attention of your reader. Ask them a question or a thought-provoking statement. You want them to feel an emotional connection. There are lots of examples of this in many of my previous blogs (Including this one! Look up)!

Heck, you could even take a page from serialized TV shows and include a “Previously on…” section at the start!

Where is the Conflict?

Every story needs conflict. Now, the word “conflict” can bring to mind violent imagery. I’m in no way suggesting changing your content over to a “Game of Thrones”-type model! A conflict is simply a problem that needs solving. Having a great conflict is a must if you’re creating a compelling webinar. 

For example, maybe your reader is having problems breaking through their competitors’ marketing to reach their target audience. That’s the conflict for that blog, and it’s your job to provide them with a resolution. Maybe the solution could be a revamped marketing plan or a brand-new website. 

If you want to create more engaging, bingeable content, then find the conflict, tell them a story about how you experienced a similar conflict and offer them solutions. 

Finish the Story

This problem is a little like the “Having no start” issue I was talking about above.

Something that has always driven me nuts is how tons of blogs on the internet just end. There is no wrap-up or conclusion. It’s the last information point, and that’s it. This abrupt ending does nothing to lead your readers into your next piece of content. It even damages the readability (SEO, anyone?). There is a simple solution to this problem, however.

Write an ending! It doesn’t need to be overly long. It could be as short as a single sentence summing up everything that your reader just absorbed in your content. And if you can include a solid call-to-action in there, all the better! Every piece of content should have a stealthy call to action, meaning they may not even recognize it as a call to action! 

[TWEET “We all love to binge TV shows! Believe it or not, you can copy some of the strategies Netflix uses for your own content!”]

Of course, this is all easy to say but much harder to do. Some folks have trouble coming up with a basic blog structure, let alone create a bingeable narrative in it. That’s the reason why I’m offering my Blog Breakdown Workbook for free to all my clients! This workbook will walk you through all the steps you need to write an expert-level blog that will get your customers engaged with your content. 

Even if you have experience writing blogs, it still can take a ton of time. In fact, between research, structure, and the actual writing process, a single blog can take up hours of your day (or even your week). If you want to skip all that so you have time to focus on the most important aspects of your small business, then contact me today. I can create exciting, bingeable content for your small business that will increase engagement with your customers and exponentially improve your online marketing!