We work so hard to get attention.

We craft our headlines to make them irresistible.

We strive to display enticing images that make a great first impression.

If we’re Copyblogger readers, we think about finding that perfect balance of meaning and fascination that will pull our audience right into our content.

But what do we do with attention once we get it?

One of my favorite aspects of content marketing is the way we can use content to pave a comfortable path for our audience to move toward a purchase.

Attention matters — because if you can’t capture it (and keep it), nothing else happens.

But once you have the audience’s attention, it’s time to invite them to walk with you a little way — on what is sometimes called a content path.
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When it comes down to it, “content” is simply information.

And in an age of information (and opinion) overload, your content can contain incredibly valuable information and still be easily ignored.

This is the opposite of the “clickbait” problem. In that case, you have a compelling headline that leads to worthless information.

The ideal scenario is to have a great headline (effectively a promise to the prospective reader) that delivers on, and hopefully exceeds, the expectations created by the headline.

Ultimately, what you say (the information) is the most important thing, because the wrong information is simply not meaningful to the people you’re trying to attract.

But how you say it is still indispensable in an environment overflowing with information — both of high and (too often) low quality.
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Immediately after getting an idea for a content project, many content creators become preoccupied by the existing competition:

“It will be extremely difficult to stand out.”

If that sounds familiar, I’m hoping you’ll change your mind by the time you finish reading this post.

To start, think of the last time you heard a song you loved, but you didn’t know the singer or band performing it.
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