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There is no doubt that content has become an increasingly integral part of any marketing strategy for large and small companies. But with so much information flying around, how can you tailor your content to be the most useful for your business?
Lately, I have had some calls with potential clients asking for content creation as the thing “they thought” will bring the magic touch to their business success. This is true, the more qualitative content you provide to your audience, the more you can attract potential business, but there is no content magic effect. It’s a long and consistent work. What I tried to do is to push them to think more about the big picture rather than just take the job and start creating some pieces of isolated content. And let’s be honest, with this pandemic crisis for a year now, we are all facing a lack of resources and budgets. Now’s the right time also to reframe the content project and start asking some broader questions. This helps to be in the right mindset before taking any further actions in your content creation plan. You can narrow it then into some more specific questions about the marketing objectives, such as creating leads, making direct sales, building an audience.
We’ve entered the age of audience building
The Content mission is all about your audience. The most important thing when it comes to building an audience is consistency. Once people know when to expect your fresh content, then they’ll start incorporating it into their routine and expect your new content at specific moments. That’s the secret sauce. Don’t start writing to everyone, but rather, write to the people who are most likely to be interested in what you’re doing. Make your content appealing to a specific type of person. The more you have a niche audience, the better the target can be. In other words, to stand out, you need to make sure that your marketing speaks directly to someone’s heart and soul. Think of your content as a bridge between you and your audience — your message should be strong enough to withstand the passage of time but also clearly defined and focused. During harsh times like the economic crisis we’re living in, it’s better to focus on a smaller segment. As Seth Godin says: “if you aim for mass (another word for average), you’ll probably create something average. Which gets you not very far.”
Differentiate Between "Good" & "Great"
To successfully convey your content project, you need to have a general idea of how you’ll reach your audience. What platform makes the most sense to distribute it. When it comes to content creation, every business has limited energy when it comes to content creation. That’s why you need to focus on being great at one or two things. The multichannel content strategy, like a blog, a podcast, researches, some social content, virtual events … it’s the best way to get lost in the common noise, is a recipe for failure. For example, you should focus on a high-quality blog and promote it through a beautifully crafted newsletter.
You might ask why I chose to list the blog first? Well, blogging is a great way to educate people about the products and services you provide. With blogging, you can connect with your customers on a deeper level. You can educate them on what you do, why you do it, and what steps they'll need to take to get the benefit from your product or service. Plus, your company blog/website belongs to you; you own it, you are not depending on or ruled by the changing moods of the social platforms. You can use them, of course, to push the valuable content you crafted. All successful companies or entrepreneurs started with one platform to build their audience and business, and the majority did start with a blog. You can easily diversify the platforms once you have consolidated your core platform.
Bring your best ambassadors in
The most important thing to remember is that, as a business owner, your role is to provide value to your customer at all times. If you do this consistently, then your customers will be more than happy to support you in everything you do. Establishing a customer-focused approach is key, especially if you want to boost your sales. But there is another key element to consider when you think about crafting your content strategy: the internal audience, your employees. They are the ones who drive more customer acquisition and retention than any external initiative. They fuel your content strategy. When business is harder to get, you need your employees to be positive and motivated. We’ve seen companies cut those vital efforts and budgets linked to training and/or internal communications. Remarkably compelling content it’s not only about attracting customers or prospect, but it should also have the power to rouse your internal clients' enthusiasm. It should be something to talk about, something to share and debate on. It can also allow you to recruit your best advocates and invite them to contribute to your future content. With this opportunity, your company can boost morale, attract talented people, and rank up the corporate ladder. It’s an amazing tool that can be used to promote ideas that can ultimately raise sales, conversions, and relationships.
“It is time to create a more human and more humane industry.” — Bill Gates, 2020