Creating great content is a challenge for many entrepreneurs who aren’t used to talking about their business or industry in a public forum. So what is content marketing and how do you do it? It’s about creating great content as a highly effective way to find new customers and keep the ones you have. Entertaining email newsletters, insightful blog posts, explainer videos, and other online content will help you build an audience and position yourself as an expert in your field.
What is content marketing and why is it so important?
It is important to reveal more about your business
You can also reveal what goes on inside your business. Talk about your achievements, but also be honest about the problems you face and how you strive to improve them for the benefit of your customers. You can also promote the charities that you and your staff support in your community.
You may also want to zoom in and discuss some of the big challenges facing your industry. Let’s face it – we collectively have very short attention spans when it comes to the internet. So you don’t always have to churn out a video or an 800-word article to get the job done. Knowing your audience and their habits will help you create the right content.
Reduce reuse recycle
There is a huge amount of content created on the internet every day. Some of it is relevant to your business, so why not take advantage of it?
Sharing good content from others can be just as powerful as creating your own content. So if you find a good post on LinkedIn, share it and add it to your Google+ page.
You should also look through your archives for materials you can use. Is there an article you wrote for the local newspaper or a video you made for a presentation? You can reuse them online.
Make a content calendar
A content calendar can help. Pick regular dates on your calendar when you’ll be adding certain types of content and stick to them. It will help you and your team determine how often you should post content and keep you disciplined in getting the work done.
Another common question is: should I post on a regular schedule, like once a week, or should I post as often as possible?
It is important to be consistent.
Well, there is no one answer to that. But, being consistent certainly trumps communicating too often, (or more likely) too rarely. It is important to make sure you stay active on your channels. Don’t suddenly abandon your audience just because you are busy or, worse, bored.
I've struggled with my own blog where my pace has slowed down in terms of volume. But I try to post at least a few times a month and stay super active in the social media space to keep the lines of communication open with my audience.
