How to Write Compelling Content to Engage the Audiovisual Community

Image credit: Kaitlyn Baker
Sharing meaningful content that showcases AV technology solutions and thought leadership can bolster your brand and foster a trusted connection with community members. However, reaching your desired audience in a bustling digital community presents unique challenges. The content not only falls within guidelines for optimization but, as a community post, must also be deemed valuable and relevant by its members. In addition, it must reach its intended audience through thoughtful placement within the community’s highly targeted spaces. We’ve pulled together best practices and tips to help you write content that will quickly be discovered and pique interest, navigate Xchange’s many channels and rooms, and cultivate deep connections with community members.
How can Xchange help you reach your goals?
Xchange provides rich opportunities to demonstrate AV industry expertise and increase brand awareness by sharing informative and inspirational content and engaging with community members. You’ll want to post with consistency and be sure to respond quickly to questions and comments made about your audiovisual technology articles, case studies, videos, and whitepapers.
Members will note those who have contributed multiple articles and view them as experts and leaders within the community. When they find your content valuable, they’ll click through to your profile to learn more or connect with you, so be sure to have your profile complete and up to date.
What’s your story?
In our fast-paced, high-tech world of AV, it’s easy to get caught up talking about dazzling imagery, eye-popping pixel counts, innovative interoperability, and how our latest gizmo is resilient to the future. Some will proudly list every feature of their newest product and offer its technical specifications, but are these things important to your audience? Your content should convey your product or service, what it does, what it solves, and why it’s needed.
To help our community members relate to the problem being solved, wrap your audiovisual technology solution in a story and get it in front of your focused audience. Share examples of how it solves problems, improves efficiency, or saves resources. Case studies are ideal as they highlight a project's objectives, walk through the AV/IT solutions implemented, and describe the business outcome.
What are best practices for SEO?
Writing with favorable optimization techniques will improve your post's discoverability and performance. Here are suggestions for optimal SEO:
- Let the community quickly identify your topic by giving it a clear, search-friendly title.
- Craft a short introduction, up to 300 characters, offering insights into your post.
- Optimize your summary and first paragraph for relevant SEO keywords.
- Optimize for user search intent by including images, facts, videos, etc. relevant to their search query.
- Use keywords, synonyms, and partial keyword matches throughout your article.
- Utilize the Headings featured in the content editor – a drop-down accessible by selecting the arrow beside “Paragraph” – to add visual interest and guide your reader while enhancing performance.
- Use outbound links set to open in a "New Window," allowing the reader to navigate back to your post while contributing to SEO easily.
- Author a meaningful article with a minimum of 500 words that keeps your reader engaged.
- Write concisely and use a tool like Grammarly to ensure your content is grammatically correct.
- Use Xchange's SEO tools to amplify your post: SEO Optimize Your Content for Increased Brand Awareness | AVIXA Xchange
Pro Tip: Alert readers to posts containing a video or podcast by bracketing that information in the title. Example: “[VIDEO] How to…..”
Who are you talking to?
People join AVIXA Xchange to learn, be inspired, belong, share their expertise, find AV technology solutions to their problems, and connect with those providing the solutions. They range from those manufacturing the products to those specifying, installing, and servicing them and those responsible for purchasing or using them.
Who is it you want to catch the attention of and speak to? Focus your content on that member but remember that you may also be influencing other segments, including AV/IT end users! Make your content stand out by writing specifically to your targeted market segment, including references such as healthcare, education, or finance in the title to pique interest.
Where can you reach them?
Xchange’s architecture makes it easy to reach your desired reader. Its channels feature big topic areas of interest, and its rooms drill into refined micro-communities based on user segment, region, social interest, or trade show. A single post can be designated to multiple spaces to maximize your opportunities.
For example, if you wish to reach those interested in digital signage in Australia, you can select the Digital Signage Channel and the APAC Forum Room.
Take some time to explore the various channels and rooms to discover where your audience can be found. It’s important to note that not only will registered and non-registered users visiting the community see your content, but everyone subscribed to (Watching) the channels and rooms will receive it via their Xchange Digest directly to their inbox!
How can you enhance engagement?
Be an active, engaged member of the community. Monitor discussions across the community to discover users’ interests. Like and comment on others’ posts and thank those who took the time to engage with your content. Bonus points for asking a follow-up question to engage them further!
Have I got your attention?
Selecting the right image to catch the attention of community members is essential. Whether an actual photo, conceptual image, or descriptive graphic, the image should quickly convey your topic and set the stage for your reader. The image will allow quick recognition if they wish to return to the article.
Optimization techniques apply to images as they are indexed by search engines and affect page load speed. Reduce pictures as needed to no larger than 120kb. 1280 x 960 is ideal. Include keyword-rich text in the image’s filename and image ALT text.
Pro Tip: Keep your reader engaged by including “Related Content”. This feature is located in the right-hand column of the editor and allows you to add the URL of the next piece of content you wish to direct your reader to. It can be to another Xchange post, a page on your website, or a social media post, etc. Xchange will generate a thumbnail preview once the URL has been pasted in the field. The Related Content will appear at the top of your post once published. This is a very valuable feature that garners a substantial number of clicks.
How are you doing?
If you’ve designated your post to a channel(s) and/or room, you’re reaching a targeted audience of registered and non-registered users. Generally, non-technical content will get a higher number of views, while technical content will likely garner more engagement. Don't get discouraged if your content isn't getting likes or comments; just check “My Analytics” (in the dropdown below your avatar), and you’ll see that your post is indeed being consumed. And remember, as previously noted, it’s also reaching inboxes! Check your analytics periodically to learn about your posts’ performance for informed strategies. You can evaluate the optimal time to post in your targeted region and what types of content get more views and engagement.
Additional views may be gained by sharing your content on your social media platforms. This is a great way to take full advantage of your assets, and it’s easy to do. Here are some tips: Share it on social media. If users find your content insightful and inspiring, they may share it on their blog or with their social media followers.
What do you want them to do?
As with any post, closing with a clear and concise call to action is imperative. Let readers know what you want them to do simply by asking them and giving them a clear path.
- Do you want them to sign up for your newsletter? …Provide them with a link.
- Do you want them to share their experience or opinion? …Ask them to comment below.
- Do you want them to contact you to schedule a demo? …Invite them to click your profile's “Start a conversation” button.
Be clear, be concise, be bold!
Engage!
As you can see, Xchange offers myriad opportunities to establish your brand and thought leadership, reach new audiences and deepen connections across the audiovisual community. We’ve assembled a list of helpful resources below and welcome your comments, questions, and links to additional articles that others may find valuable.
We look forward to your contributions!
Additional Resources
Case Studies/Storytelling:
AV Best Practices: Case Studies, and the New Marketing Landscape | AVIXA Xchange
Why It Matters: Tell the Story Behind Product Specifications | AVIXA Xchange
Using Video Storytelling to Attract your Audience | AVIXA Xchange, Ken Branson, Tech Factory
Tell me a story... | AVIXA Xchange
Copywriting/SEO:
Why is No One Clicking On My Social Posts? | AVIXA Xchange
Tips on How to Improve SEO For Better Search Engine Ranking in 2023 | AVIXA Xchange
Copywriting Tips | AVIXA Xchange
How can you write an SEO-friendly content title? (linkedin.com)
6 Ways to Create Community-Driven Content (uplandsoftware.com)
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Thanks for this detailed article @Lisa Matthews, CTS - AVIXA. Am sure it's very helpful for AV firms and marketers who are considering adding Xchange to their marketing toolkit.