Ok, so you know that great content can help you drive traffic, increase engagement, and grow sales in your business.
What you don’t know is where or how to start.
Content is often a scary word that entrepreneurs and business owners avoid at all costs. You don’t like doing it because you don’t know what to say or how to start. It can be very overwhelming.
This is what you share on a regular basis with your audience and there are four sub types of this content – blog, video, audio, and photo.
These are all pieces of content that people can view and interact with, which will make people aware of you, increase your engagement and help you gain repeat visibility (click here to learn more about the Content Funnel).
Premium Content
This is the type of content that you give away in exchange for an email address to help you build your list.
Premium Content can be an eBook, a whitepaper, a video series or a checklist/guide to help people get things done. It offers valuable information for “free” but requires that your prospective customer provide a way to connect with them on a regular basis in exchange.
Having both types of content in your business is integral to marketing your business the right way because without Regular Content, you will not build awareness and gain exposure and without Premium Content you aren’t building your list.
In part two of the Shop Talk Content Series, I talk more about this and teach you how to find out what’s working for your competition and create your own strategy:
That feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when someone asks for your web address.
Perhaps it begins with a flurry of panic because you realize you haven’t posted any new content on your blog in 2 years.
Or, it could be that fluttery sick feeling you get when you realize your pictures on the site are 3 years old and look nothing like you.
Maybe it’s the icky feeling you get when you think about how your content throughout the site, especially your products and services, are way outdated…
You get these feelings because you know that this is your “first” impression on the web. This is what everyone sees when they Google you and it’s not an accurate representation of you or your business.
You know this, but you still don’t fix it because it’s overwhelming. You have no idea where to start or how to get it all done.
Today, I want to share the first in a series of videos that are all about building confidence around making your website great again. Using some of the tools and structure I share in The Content Pilot, I will give you a sneak peek into the wide world of content.
We will cover:
1) How to fix up all the content on your site and make it better
2) How to increase traffic to your site
3) How to use that traffic to build your list
4) How to turn connections into leads and leads into sales
Click play and find out how to build this foundation in your business, then tell me in the comments, what is the number one thing on your website that you need to get updated?
I am so excited to share with you the new format for Shop Talk! This new series format allows me to go in-depth on several different topics and share more details with you. I hope you enjoy them! Here’s a short intro to tell you more:
The driving force behind every successful marketing plan (especially those for social media) is strong, strategic content.
Whether you are using social media to increase traffic to your site, build your brand, enhance your reputation, connect with your market or inform your audience, sharing the right kind of content for your audience is essential because, if you don’t, they don’t have a reason to continue reading or listening to what you have to say.
And, here’s the best part: Finding content that works for your brand and helps you meet your marketing goals doesn’t have to be overwhelming!
No, really! It can be easy to create awesome content that everyone wants to read because you already have everything you need.
Here are 4 Ways to Create Great Content:
1) Start with What You Have – Depending on what kind of strategies you are using, you may already have some content that can and should be shared through social media. Existing content like blog posts, website pages, company resources, product reviews, annual reports, company videos and photos are all excellent sources of content. Creating content in your business for other purposes? Don’t stop there! Evaluate whether or not the content is also conducive to your social media campaign and plan accordingly. In other words, try not to “date” the material and ensure that it includes images, catchy titles, etc. so you can use it over and over again on social media and it will really capture your audience’s attention.Also, as you gather the content you have, decide how it best fits into your overall strategy. Focus on sharing content that aligns with your goals for your business as well as the values of your company and your followers.
2) Find Your Audience’s Interests – Make a list of the types of content your market would be interested in. Chances are, you already have a good idea of who your market is and what kinds of things would influence a potential customer. If you aren’t sure, step back and do some market research. Creating this list will lead you to different content sources. For example, if your market is interested in how-to or informational content, you can start researching those areas.Another way to find content for your market is to find out where your audience already is and what draws them there. This can give you insight into how to create and share content that will resonate with your market. Are they on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or other social platform? Are they mobile fanatics or do they consume content via the computer? Are they taking part in groups or engaging on other pages?
3) Follow Thought Leaders – Thought leaders, industry experts and people likely to influence your market can be great sources of content. Start by making a list of 10 industry leaders and 10 respected industry publications. Follow what these people are doing and publishing and what topics the publications are focusing on. Share this same content with your followers (remember to always give credit to the original source), and create new content around these topics. This type of sharing can really give you a boost because it helps you to form relationships with clients, prospects, and others in your industry.
4) Tune in to Current Events – Keeping up with current events is a good way to find fresh content to share with your followers. Subscribe to industry newsletters or RSS feeds and use tools like Google Alerts to keep yourself aware of current happenings.It’s a good idea to focus on current events that directly relate to your business, industry and market. However, sharing and commenting on community news or major national developments can help your business join online conversations and can help you establish goodwill among your audience.
Finding fresh content to use for your social media campaign begins with understanding your market. When you know what interests members of your audience you can assess content your brand already has and decide what to use for your campaign. Then, you can find ways to use what industry leaders are saying and incorporate current events into your social media strategy.
Want to learn more about creating great content that your customers want to see? The Content Pilot is a 10-week intensive program that can turn you into a content pro! Click Here for more info —> www.LisaLarter.com/ContentPilot
Ready to get going but need some help? Check out the Shop Talk Video below for ways to get started then join the conversation! Share some of your favorite sources for content in the comments below.
Content is the secret sauce, the missing ingredient when it comes to most people’s social media strategy.
If you are trying to turn connections into leads, and leads into customers, content is the number one way for you to establish credibility and increase awareness, visibility and engagement in your business. If people do not know you, like you and trust you, they won’t do business with you.
Your content is the best way for people to learn about you online because, let’s face it, most people Google you and check out the content on your website before they make their first point of contact.
In The Content Pilot, you learn in a simple step-by-step process how to create, curate and share content to drive traffic and get more sales.
Why should you spend so much time and effort on content? Because content is what people interact with on social media. It is the first impression they get of you when they land on your website and it is the key to building your list so that you can increase sales.
Most people overlook content because it feels overwhelming.
Some of the challenges you might face are:
“I don’t know what to say.” “Why would anyone want to read my blog.” “How can I make it more interesting and of value to people?” “What should I write about, when should I write it and how do I get people to know I exist?”
The best way to approach this is with a plan.
Here are Seven Simple Steps to Turn One Piece of Content Into Five:
Make a list of 10 questions clients ask you about your business.
Have someone interview you and ask you those questions, and be sure to record the interview. Your first piece of content is a recording of the interview.
Send the recording to someone and have it transcribed.
Have the entire transcription edited into a special report or eBook and offer it as a piece of premium content in exchange for an email address so you can build your list. Be sure to brand it nicely so you make a great first impression (I like KillerCovers for this). This is your second piece of content.
Next, take the transcription and break it into ten sections based on the ten questions you started with. Now, you have ten blog posts or a ten-day training program you can set up as a free offer. This is your third piece of content and allows you to get into your potential customer’s inbox ten days or weeks in a row – which is kind of awesome, right?
Then take the content, open up a PowerPoint presentation and create slides for each chunk of content. Use this as the basis for a free webinar offer where you basically read your transcript and walk others through your presentation. This would be your fourth piece of content.
Record the webinar using some type of screencast software (Camtasia, QuickTime Player Pro, etc.) and offer a recording that people can download and watch on their own. This is piece of content number five.
Bonus, take a highlighter and go through the content and pull out quotes and or tweets you can use as sound bites on social media.
Do you ever wonder how some people have created so much success online and wish you could do the same?
If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed by creating content, go to www.lisalarter.com/contentgift and download this free ebook to get started creating your content plan.
And, be sure and join The Profit Primer for access to strategy, community and inspiration all FREE!
And, check out this Shop Talk Video on 3 Simple Ways to Get Started Doing Content in Your Business:
