When it comes to content creation, we can learn a lot from comic books. The structure of the storytelling, the way different types of content work together (both text and images), and the conflict/resolution style of storytelling are all examples of things that comic books and marketing content have in common.
Knowing what makes for a compelling story can increase the size of your audience and decrease the difficulty of creating content.
Understand Your Audience
There is a reason the hero is always a misfit in comic books. Comic book writers understand who their audience is (historically, those that appreciate a good anti-hero) and write for them.
Remember, you’re not the audience. Buyer personas are a good tool to use when imagining who you are writing for. Spiderman doesn’t just fight villains, he fights bullies at school as well.
Understanding your buyer persona’s problems will lead to custom content that readers can relate to, and will lead to solutions that are right for them.
Understanding your audience will help you attract and retain legions of loyal followers; it will also help you with the next step!
Keep It Simple
Content should be as long as it needs to be to deliver your message. Make sure you thoroughly cover your topic while sticking to the point.
Posts should be at least 300 words, but for best SEO practices, 1,000 – 2,000 words are better. This allows for plenty of opportunities to use keywords naturally, and is long enough to cover most topics.
If you need to discuss something more in depth, consider breaking your post into several smaller posts (and don’t forget to link them together!). This allows you to keep reader interest while improving your SEO and provides additional content for future postings.
Keep the tone consistent, and keep on topic. In a comic book, the hero’s morals don’t change during the story arc, and neither should your voice.
For the most part, it’s one villain per story: your content should be the same, with one topic per post. Stick to your message, use the same voice throughout, and your content will be much more compelling to the reader!
Words and Images
Comic books make excellent use of words and images working together to tell a story. Good content creation should do the same. Blog posts need pictures and videos need titles, just like how good comic books weave text and images together to create the story.
Comic books also use motion lines to give the reader a sense of movement. Whether you’re working on a blog post or a case study, using video can give your message a sense of momentum.
All of these devices can be used together to create a richer experience. Any good piece of content will do the same, using many different types of content to engage the customer.
Describe the Problem, Then Solve It
When the villain causes chaos in a comic book, the hero saves the day. Be the hero to your customers.
All good custom content should first describe a problem. This allows an opportunity for the writer to then offer advice to the reader. Solving the problem is the goal of every good piece of content, just like defeating the villain is the goal of every hero.
Once you have introduced the problem and offered ways to solve it, your particular solution can be introduced. This is where your Call to Action (CTA) comes into play.
Just like in a comic book, where the hero finds a way to defeat the villain, your CTA should solve the problem you’ve just discussed.
Remember, the hero always acts morally. Make sure the reader knows exactly what action the CTA will produce.
If clicking will download a file, make sure the CTA clearly says so. If the reader will be contacted, let them know the time frame and then stick to it.
Remember, every action you take should be in the best interests of the reader.
Conclusion
Like any good comic book, content creation should draw in the reader with good storytelling, use multiple types of content to keep them visually engaged, and keep the plot simple.
And of course in the end, the hero always wins.
Superheroes need gadgets, too! What would Batman be without his utility belt? For a more complete guide, check out some of our other content and start making the most of your inbound marketing campaigns.