Everyone wants to generate more traffic for their website, but unless it’s targeted to the right audience your visitors will just bounce.
Traffic generating strategies are only useful when the people you target want to consume your content. Creative content marketing is the name of the game, but when everyone’s doing it, you can’t just publish common knowledge.
So how do you create irresistible content? Content value is determined by more than the accuracy of your content. Your authority and authenticity are a large part of the equation. When you’re an authority in your niche with experience to back it up, you’ll always provide more value than someone who’s simply good at research.
Stop Researching Your Niche and Go Get Authentic Experience
Despite what articles on Google might say, you can’t become an expert overnight, or even in a week. Part of being an expert is having extensive experience. If you lack experience, you can become a great philosopher, but never an expert.
If you’ve been building a business because it looked like a profitable niche, but you have no intention of steeping yourself in experience, you should seriously reconsider.
Without experience, you’ll make huge mistakes. For example, buying an existing coffee shop seems like an automatic cash cow but it’s far from easy. Too many coffee shops fail because the owners never bothered to gain experience in the coffee industry. The first thing they do is shorten the hours of operation, cut staff hours, switch to cheaper beans, add more items to the menu, thin out the number of baristas on duty, and raise prices.
Anyone with experience in the coffee industry knows this is a recipe for failure, but people without experience can only make decisions according to theory.
Similarly, the content on your website has the potential to be a massive success, but without experience, you’ll lack the ability to discern what content will bring that success.
Authority Comes from Authentic Experience
A great example of authority generated from experience can be seen in product reviews. People want to know everything about a product from other consumers, not the company. Testimonials and product reviews are two of the most trusted experiences.
As reported by SearchEngineLand.com, a study by Bright Local discovered 88% of people have read online reviews to determine the quality of a business.
A quick review on Amazon saying, “this product is great” isn’t likely to convey authority. However, a well thought out analysis like this Nutrisystem review carries authority because it’s objective, thorough, and doesn’t sway the reader in any particular direction. It’s generated from personal experience and designed to be informative, not manipulative.
Regardless of your niche, your content will always stand out with authority when it’s clearly written by someone with personal experience.
Warning: Lack of Experience Can Get You in Trouble
A lack of experience in your niche could come back to bite you. In which case, you’ll be dealing with more than just bounced traffic.
One man in Utah sought divorce advice on Reddit. An armchair lawyer told him, “You don’t have to hire the best or most expensive attorney. You need to consult with the top family attorneys in town. The lawyer cannot represent your ex to be if you’ve discussed your marriage with them. It’s a conflict of interest. Read up on it, there are a few tricks you can pull to help even the playing field.”
The man, going by the handle, “antons_key,” took this advice and called about 30 local divorce attorneys so his wife would have a hard time finding a lawyer. She figured out what he did, and he was slammed with a motion to cover her attorney’s fees. Although the advice he received was based on the law, and his actions weren’t illegal, the judge considered his actions an abuse of process. The armchair lawyer who provided the advice didn’t have the experience to foresee the consequences.
Inexperienced in Your Niche? It’s Not Too Late to Pursue It!
The more you know your niche inside and out, the higher quality content you’ll produce. Keep in mind, people usually search for content online to answer a question. When you have experience in your niche, you’ll be able to answer those burning questions without having to wait for someone to ask.
Find a way to get involved in your niche. You might be able to find an internship or a volunteer opportunity. Don’t worry about getting paid for the time you invest. The experience you gain will pay you back tenfold in the long run.
