Creating a content strategy that works for you
It’s tough, I get it. How are you supposed to find the time to work on your business when you’re spending your days working in it? That’s the question business owners ponder all the time. And we’re all working on it.
The answer is finding what works best for you and your audience. I’m a firm believer that you do not (I repeat: you do not) have to be on all of the channels to be reaching your audience. That’s synonymous with throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping it somehow sticks.
What you want to do is show up where your audience is already hanging out. And how do you do that? You know your ideal client so well, you know where they are online and you create content to meet them there.
It saves you guesswork, it saves you time, and it helps you be strategic in your marketing approach and the content you create.
And to help make this process even easier, I’m going to list out (yes, now) all of the different content types you can possibly create so you know what they are. Then, we’re going to think about who you’re marketing to and where they’re hanging out online and the best way to reach them.
It’ll kind of be like a game of mix and match. Based on where your audience is online and what they’re looking for (it’s important to know that too!), you can start to pick and choose the kind of content you want to create for them and start to come up with a plan. So that you don’t feel overwhelmed just thinking about how to connect with them.
The Types of Content You Can Create
Videos: they’re a great way for people to get to know you in a fun and personal way. Videos are also great for giving quick sound-bites and sharing teachable moments.
Infographics: they’re perfect if you want to share a decent amount of information with your audience without overwhelming them. It’s a visually appealing way to share information.
Blogs: most business owner’s go-to form of communication (says the girl writing a blog to you right now). Blogs are great for sharing valuable information and building that like factor with people.
Checklists: if you’re trying to show people that you’re the person who can solve the problem they’re having, checklists are a great way to share your expertise with them.
Ebooks: it’s kind of like your own self-published book on the topic of your choice. Ebooks are a great way to answer your audience’s questions in one piece of content.
White papers: if you’re looking to establish thought leadership on a particular topic, white papers are the way to go. They allow you to go into detail and stand apart in your industry.
Case studies: if you’re looking to build trust with your audience and show them that you’re the person who can help them, opt for case studies. They can do all of the selling for you.
I know. It may seem like a lot, but now you know what tools you need.
And if you know who you’re marketing to and where they’re hanging out online, you’ll know the best way to reach them with the types of content we just talked about. Most likely, your audience is hanging out:
On social media
In an online community/forum
On a competitor’s website
On iTunes or Spotify
Noticing anything here? Where they’re hanging out is not where you are.
Help your audience get to know you
That’s the first step - help your audience get to know you by showing up where they are with content that they’ll find helpful.
Again, you don’t have to be everywhere, just show up where they are. And the more you can hone in on your ideal client here, the better.
For example, if you know they love Instagram, make sure your business has an Instagram page and that you’re sharing helpful information with them there. You can create videos or infographics here.
Here’s another example. If you know your ideal client is visiting a certain competitor’s website or listening to their podcast, think of creative ways that you can show up there. Put competition out of your mind, and think about how you can set up a collaboration. If you share the same audience with someone else, can you offer a guest blog post or share your expertise on their podcast in a way that complements their work and helps (both of your) audiences? Who knows. You may even get a referral partner out of doing business this way.
The point is, you have the content tools in your back pocket now. And once you hone in on your ideal client and where they’re hanging out online, go there and show up for them in a helpful way. Help them get to know you better. Once you do? They’ll start coming to you.
Lead your audience back to your website
This is where checklists, ebooks, white papers, and case studies come in. These are pieces of content that you can house on your own website. But first, you need to lead people there.
Because once people know about you, they’ll want to visit your website instead of someone else’s to find out more. They’ll want to ultimately decide if they like you enough to one day invest in your products and services. And to help them along with this process, it’s your job to build trust with them and show them that you’re the person to help them.
This is where you decide what kind of content you want to create for them that will help to answer all of their questions.
And you can do this on your website or even in your email marketing.
For example, you can create content on your website that’s only accessible if someone downloads it or signs up for it. You can do this with checklists, ebooks, white papers, and even case studies.
The most important thing to remember is that you should always be communicating with your audience, especially if they trust you enough to share their contact information with you. That means that there’s potential for them to one day invest in your products and services.
Don’t take that lightly! Continue to share with them and provide value.
And that’s what a content strategy is all about. Giving your audience the information they’re looking for when they need it most.
It means you knowing who they are and where they’re hanging out online. So that you can show up where they already are, provide them with great value, and start to build a relationship with them.
You don’t need to be everywhere online to do that. Your content strategy shouldn’t be what everyone else is doing. It should work for you and the people you’re most trying to reach.