I’m sharing my proven content strategy framework to help you create more content fast to bring in more business online.
So, what is content marketing exactly? Well, there’s certainly more to it than just creating Facebook and Instagram posts.
Content marketing is a type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online materials (such as videos, blogs, and social media posts) that do not explicitly promote your brand but instead are intended to build interest.
Let me say that again, “...Do not explicitly promote your brand but instead are intended to build interest.”
THIS! This right here is the secret ingredient to successful content marketing. Let me explain.
The content you create is not meant to directly promote your business, it is not a commercial for your services. Instead, it is helpful, valuable content that your target audience can find useful, insightful, enlightening, or even simply entertaining. It is meant to build trust around your brand.
Build trust
In order to build trust we need to help others without expectation. So, don’t talk about the details of your services; Instead, show them:
Share a how-to.
Share a case study.
Give step-by-step instructions they can implement on their own.
Give quick tips on how to fix a particular problem.
Remember, we live in the age of Google. So, gatekeeping your knowledge and information isn’t going to work. You have to give something away, something of value. Be their go-to resource for that information. Because, if they’re not getting the answers from you, they will get them from Google, or another online resource, or even a competitor. The more you share with your target audience, the more they are going to trust YOU, and, in turn, the more they will want to work with
YOU.
Create captivating content.
Creating content consistently and showing up regularly is great, but it has to be done strategically if you want to attract your ideal client. Be sure that you;
Know your target audience. Who is the content for?
Know their problems. Create content that can help them.
Stick to your content pillars. Pick 3-5 topics and create content around them.
Repeat yourself. Repeat these topics again and again. Don’t be afraid to repeat yourself.
Stay consistent. Create content consistently to stay top of mind (a few times a week is all it takes. Remember if you're out of sight, you're out of mind.)
That's helpful and important! Yet, that's not even the best part. Keep reading.
How does content actually persuade people to buy?
It all comes down to basic human behavior and psychology.
When we put out content consistently, and show up in front of our audience they become familiar with us. It is human nature to preference or like something that we are familiar with - including people. This is called frequency bias. We will choose to do business with those we are familiar with, those who we see frequently. We are also more likely to work with, or give back to those, who have given something to us.
So showing up frequently and giving free helpful information to your audience without expectation, makes you likable and trustworthy. You then become their first choice when they’re ready to buy.
How do you create all this content?!
How will you have time to create all this content? Well, it’s easier than you might think and I’m gong to let you in on my proven strategy that makes creating content as simple as ever.
Now, if you are a growing small business and just don’t have the time to tackle it all, and your team is not equipped to take on the task, consider outsourcing the task to a marketing professional. It is well worth it!
And if you are just starting out and doing it all on your own or if you’ve been hired to handle a company’s content marketing, here are my top tips that you can try.
Work smarter not harder.
So, how can we create content without getting overwhelmed? Well, work smarter not harder has always been my motto. This framework can help you stick to a plan and stick to a schedule and also helps you stick to your messaging. You can create multiple pieces of content from just one idea. And I’m going to show you how.
Let’s say, for an example, that you send out a weekly email newsletter, you have a blog and you also post to multiple social media platforms. Now, there is no need to reinvent the wheel and create new content for each of these. In fact, that would not be an effective strategy to drive traffic online anyway. However, if we make the content all work together we can get people following on social media, checking out our blogs and signing up for our email list all from one idea.
Here’s an example of how to do it:
Start with your blog: Start with one weekly topic and start with writing your blog on that topic.
Next, create your email newsletter: Include an excerpt of the blog in your email newsletter and use a call to action, like "get the details" to drive people to your website to read the full blog.
Now post to social media: Create a series of post (about 3 posts for the week) with snippets of information from that blog. Post these across your various social media platforms. Entice followers to sign up for the newsletter to receive the full blog directly to their email inboxes or send them directly to the blog itself.
And that’s it.
From one idea you just created an entire week of content to use across multiple mediums and multiple platforms.
In fact, I’m currently practicing what I preach...
This blog is also a podcast, and you can listen here. I have also posted about it on my social media, you can following me on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. And it is also included in my weekly email blast. You can sign up here.
And to top it off, I also shared this blog on Pinterest and Google My Business. Again, one idea, endless content in multiple places to get in front of more people.
As you can see, this is just one example of how you can create more effective content with minimal effort. It all works together.
Will you give this a try?
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