5 Ways to Create Sponsored Content That Stands Out Above Your Competitors

There's a big problem with content marketing: lots of competition. Google any topic in your industry, and you'll find a flood of results — with some darn good information.

It can feel intimidating and downright overwhelming when you're trying to figure out what to write. How can you stand out, get noticed and get clicks?

We here at Zoe Marketing & Communications understand this frustration. In our 15+ years in digital marketing, we've helped clients create content that resonates and draws pageviews.

In this blog, we'll take a closer look at five key things to keep in mind to elevate your content:

1. Dig into your own unique story angles

2. Focus on great advice that answers questions your customers ask

3. Let your personality show

4. Use images of people that actually work at/with your company

5. Don't be afraid to research (and link to) your competitors

You'll walk away with clear ways to stand out from the crowd — and create content that isn't a rehash of what's already out there.

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1. Dig into your own unique story angles

People love good stories about people. They don't necessarily want to read about the features of a gizmo or gadget, but they do want to read about people's experiences. (And even people's experiences with those gizmos and gadgets.)

Consider these three core questions:

• What happens at your business?

• What do your clients say about you?

• What fantastic success stories do you have?

Don't be afraid to ask your clients why they chose you. Ask them to share their experiences with your company, staff, services or products. Take to heart what you learn, and, if you find a great story, share it.

For example, I've written about autonomous vehicles. I found a company that used them to transport people from the parking garage to the office. The people I talked to shared their fears, concerns and, ultimately, excitement over being "driven" by a van with no steering wheel.

Great stories are about experiences. And folks connect through stories, not lists of details.

2. Focus on great advice that answers questions your customers ask

Listening to the needs of your actual customers not only fuels relevant story ideas. It's also more likely to make Google happy since other people are asking those questions, too.

Make it your content-writing mission to help educate people. Scrap that "ulterior motive" (or instinct) to sell yourself. Instead, aim to entertain, inform and be memorable and engaging.

Let's say you're a health care provider. What are your patients worried about? Is it flu season? Are they murky about telehealth? Maybe they're sick and unsure if it's "enough" to come in. When should they go to urgent care vs. their doc? What about insurance and billing concerns?

Digging in and embracing your clients' needs will lift your content. Generally speaking, focus at least 80% of your articles on solutions — and only about 20% on yourself.

3. Let your personality show

Marketing talks a lot about "branding." A big part of that is being yourself! Consider this: Almost 60% of people feel like "companies have lost touch with the human element of the customer experience" — a stat from a recent Content Marketing World conference.

People crave connection and value companies they can trust. And every business has a tone and voice that can build this bridge. It especially shines through your on-staff experts.

Ask your experts what they care about

You hired your staff for a reason. Go to them first to provide ideas for content — and let them be the experts. They're on the frontlines, so get to know who they are.

People will always provide information they're passionate about.

For instance, I write about a service that provides autism therapies for children. One staffer was eager to share ideas about creating a sensory-friendly home environment, down to considering what footfalls sound like on creaky hardwood floors.

It was a detailed, informative, helpful piece, all born from his strong desire to help families.

Do a little personality 'soul searching'

Need help determining what your personality or voice is? This is super common. After all, you're busy running and being your business, not thinking about how it looks and sounds to others.

Think about a few simple questions as you start writing (whether it's full-on articles or simply the content that's on your website's homepage):

• Think about your clients. How do you talk to them, one-on-one? What works well?

• What tone and approach do you want to convey? Warm, down-to-earth, factual, personable, digestible? Work to let this shine in your words.

• Consider creating a content style guide. Spell out your "traits" (fun?), brand preferences (no buzzwords?) and even grammar quirks. This helps build great cohesion.

4. Use images of people that work at/with your company

This builds on the personality of your business. So, we're talking photos of the everyday "experts" or happy clients you feature in your articles.

You'll add authenticity to your content vs. using some stock photo that perhaps your competitors are also already using (ouch). 

Our advice? Hire a professional photographer for a day or a week to capture your staff and customers if they'll agree. Be real! Look the way that you look every day. Don't pretend.

The payoff: It gives a face to the people who work there for your prospective clients. It humanizes you. (While you're at it, snap professional headshots for your employees. Use them on your "about" page — and give them to your employees for their LinkedIn profiles. Everyone loves free headshots.)

5. Don't be afraid to research (and link to) your competitors

Embrace your peers' work. Google them, and see what kind of content they've put out. While it might feel a little weird at first, it's an excellent opportunity to learn, improve and even boost your legitimacy with Google.

Find an opening

What have they done, and how have they done it? Seeing what exists is a healthy way to:

• Put your own fresh spin on things

• Find out what they missed (and go for it)

• Take an opposite approach (they only covered pros? Cover pros and cons)

Bonus: You'll get a flavor of the tone and "voice" others are using. That's another useful factor in helping inform your voice.

Use backlinks

Did you find an amazing article that's good enough to reference in yours? Do it. Here's why:

• It connects you to high-quality content, and Google will "get" that you're related

• It builds trust, since you're not just referencing yourself

• It might help you eventually rank for searches that include their name

Keep it tame, though. For a 1,000-word story, only aim for one of these links — two max.

Next steps to create content that wows

Making your sponsored content stand out, get noticed and get clicks takes reflection and research. But with a bit of attention to detail, you'll move that needle.

Some key takeaways? Find your unique angle, focus on answering customers' questions, show some personality, use images of actual staff and customers, and embrace the competition.

If all this sounds great, but you're struggling with starting, talk to your advisor at Zoe Marketing & Communications. We've helped hundreds of clients like you stand out and reach the right audience in content marketing for the past 15+ years.

If you're still researching or toying with creating your own content, find out:

• How to come up with great topics for sponsored content articles

• How to write good sponsored content articles