Everyone is a content creator. But it’s a PR professionals primary job to create compelling content that stands out in the clutter and resonates with our target audiences. Consumers are exposed to thousands of messages each day, so what’s the secret to making content stick?

Creating compelling content is a theme running through the PRSA International Conference this year. CNN’s Soledad O’Brien, Fleishman Hillard’s Steven Kostant and Wylie Communications’s Ann Wylie all talked about the “art” behind creating compelling content. So, whether it’s a speech, blog post, Facebook status update or pitch, here are the five things I learned by sitting down with these three content masters.

Content Sticking Power Checklist
1.)    Does your content tell a story? People remember stories more than they remember statistics. Stories evoke emotion and emotion enriches the connection you have to your target audience. The more authentic the story, the more likely your readers will remember your content.

Video segment – CNN’s Soledad O’Brien’s discusses the importance of storytelling in her keynote presentation.

2.)    Does your content add value? Ensure your story is relevant and offers a unique perspective or enhances the knowledge of your target audience. If you can’t identify what’s in it for them, then you don’t have a story to tell.

Quick tip – Copy and paste your content into Wordle, an online word cloud generator that measures the frequency of certain words, and see if the value or consumer benefits are prominent. If not, you need to tweak your copy so the real value comes through.

3.)    Does your content engage your audience? Engaging content should make your audience want to learn more. Pull them in from the first sentence. Appeal to their senses by offering photos or video to visually tell your story and always give them something to react to. Invite them into the conversation by asking questions to get their perspective.

4.)    Can people easily find your content? If you build it, they won’t necessarily come. Make sure your content is search friendly and can easily be found. Create a strong headline and use relevant key words and links to your advantage. However, remember you’re writing for humans not for Google. If you focus on solving the problem of your readers, you are more likely to write searchable content.

Video segment – Ann Wylie discusses the balance between create compelling content and searchable content.

5.)    Is your content flexible? It’s important to ensure your content can easily transfer across multiple channels and devises. Also, don’t forget about offline sharing. According to Keller Fay Group, 90% percent of word of mouth happens offline.

I think we’d all agree there isn’t a universal science to “making content stick” but if you follow this easy checklist, it should increase your chances.

How do you make sure your content has sticking power? What would you add to this list?

:: By Ashley Walters, APR, Word of Mouth Marketing Manager
Ashley is covering the 2011 Public Relations Society’s (PRSA) International Conference. She oversees Influencer Marketing for clients across multiple categories and is a Board member for Cincinnati’s PRSA Chapter. She’s also available on Twitter and LinkedIn.