Say you’re a fisherman. Selling the fish on what an excellent chef you are and how delicious they’d be if they’d just get in the boat wouldn’t catch you many fish. However, lure them in with bait and, with a little patience, you’ll have them hooked. Content marketing through social media works in much the same way. But without the use of actual hooks, which are terrible for repeat business.
The content you post on your profiles, pages, and blogs should act as a lure and, once you’ve got their attention, your elevated reputation and professional online presence will be the hook. In other words, attract the type of clients you’re targeting with informative, relevant, and interesting information and then, after gaining their trust and esteem, you’ll have an easier time converting those online contacts into real-life business.
Here are some tips on creating content that grabs attention and builds your business …
Have A Plan: You’re already busy. Now start writing daily blog posts, tweets, and Facebook updates without any direction or idea of what to write or who to send it to. That’s a recipe for frustration. Having a plan means figuring out who you’re trying to attract and building some ideas from there. Whatever business you’re in, you likely see the same problems and hear the same questions over and over again. Think of those things and use them as the basis for blog posts. Explain something about your job. Offer them industry info that informs and educates. Give them a reason to return and remember your name.
Be Subtle: Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of content marketing is how indirect and hard to track it can be. It’s tempting to want to set up a blog and post every hour about how great you are and how much people need your services. But online attention is fickle. And the likelihood that anyone sat down in front of their computer hoping to read about how much better at your job you are than anyone else is slim. Having interesting and entertaining content, even if it’s not directly related to your profession or business, will attract attention and build brand recognition. But it’ll take patience and the realization that you’re not going to close business every time you post an update.
Be Creative, Not Self-Serving: Now for some ideas … Create a checklist or planning worksheet. Create “thank you” posts for subscribers and followers and send it on holidays or as a small gift to your readers. Address common objections you face when selling your product or services. Create a “Best Of” or “Top 10” List. Write up some do’s and don’ts, common mistakes, or things to avoid. Comment on other people’s blogs or use their blogs as inspiration for your own posts. In general, put yourself in your clients’ shoes and think of things they should know or would be interested in reading and then distribute and syndicate your content through your social-media sites. More ideas here.
The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com