Content is king. And, well… queen too.
Always has been and always will be. It’s how you spread your word and brand, and it’s one of the crucial ways to attract new business and keep ongoing business engaged.
So if you are producing great content and sharing it via your networks, clients and to the world in general you have a better chance of establishing yourself and your business as leaders in your industry.
Without content no-one knows who you are and what you do. You are essentially silent.
A great content strategy can generate quality leads and build your brand profile.
But developing a strategic approach to content doesn’t need to be complicated. You just need to get a handle on the basic principles…
- Understand what content is. Content can be a blog/article piece, a video, a picture or even a quote. Content comes in many forms, not just the written form. Analyse what visual content you can create and share to your audience. Images of products, sure, if you’re marketing tangible things. But also images and video of successful events and activities if you are supplying professional services.
- What is your USP … your Unique Selling Proposition? What are you the best at doing? Before considering generating content, you need to know what separates you from the rest. Why are you so good at what you do? What is your brand, niche or area of specialty (and premium customer service is not an option – everyone says that!) Identify your USP and then market it to the max.
- What content do you have already? You may not realize that you already have produced content … or your employees may have. Do you have videos or have you been featured in the local paper or a national blog? Have you written a speech for an event? Have you produced industry overviews or updates for internal use? This is all content you can use in your strategy.
- Channels to share your content. Where can you share this content? Options included your current client database, contact database, all your social media channels including LinkedIn and partner sites too. That is, people who are willing to share your content as it adds value to their clients also. Analyse the opportunities to collaborate on content with other brands that dovetail with yours. For instance, if you are a florist, partner with wedding planners.
- 12 month plan. Put together a very simple 12 month plan with a theme for each month for content sharing. The more prepared you are to generate and share content the more likely it will happen. For example, a day of filming videos can produce enough content for six months. Add to that six articles and you have 12 months of content ready. And don’t see your plan as set in concrete… a plan should be a living tool, so review it every month.
- Get professional help. Just like anything that goes out with your brand attached to it you need to have the right people involved. If you are filming then make sure you are using a professional videographer, if you are writing articles make sure they are being reviewed by an editor. You have one chance to impress or turn someone off your brand. Don’t blow it.
If you need help with building the best content strategy for your particular brand, give me a buzz.
Speaker. Connector. Advocate. Influencer.
Amanda Rose is a Strategic Connector. A Keynote Speaker and CEO of The Business Woman Media.
As one of the most influential people on LinkedIn, Amanda Rose (#BossLady) is quoted as an “internet winning blogger” by TIME.com and contributes regularly to HuffingtonPost, The Financial Review, Sydney Morning Herald, SkyBusiness, and SmartCompany.com.au on how to master a successful brand, career and business.