Today I’m going to talk about content, and specifically why content’s important for businesses and how you can go about creating the right content for your business.
So in the previous episode, I talked about websites and why it’s important to audit your website or to get someone to have a look at your website and give you some feedback about what you can do to make improvements. And that’s one of the things that I do with my clients when I first start working with them. I do an audit of their websites. But I also do an audit of their content.
Tune in, and you will learn…
Tune in, and you will learn…The importance of content
- Content’s really important because it allows your prospective customers, or your existing customers, to get to know, like and trust you. And obviously people buy from businesses and people that they trust. So creating the right content is a way for you to show prospective customers, or existing customers, that you’re fantastic at what you do. Or that you’re already well-versed in the industry that you’re in, or that your products are what they’re looking for.
Different types of content
- There’s video, there’s audio (like podcasts), there’s written content (like blog posts, but also case studies, testimonials, and social media content). There’s visual content too. So content really encompasses a lot of different ways of connecting with customers. And one of the reasons that I’m doing this podcast is because I want to share what I know. I want people to get to know, like, and trust me. And I feel that podcasting is a really good way for me to share the content that I know, and to connect with potential prospective customers.
- So as I said, it is your choice whether you want to create audio content, video content, written content. The benefit of creating written content is obviously that it can also help with SEO on your website. And it’s really good if you also add video, and audio, and testimonials, and case studies to your website. That obviously adds value to the user. And in many cases also helps with SEO, which is search engine optimisation.
Create content that’s relevant to your audience
- With content, one of the things that I always say, and this is something I learned about ten years ago when I first started blogging, is that content must be regular, relevant, and unique. So make sure that you’re writing content that is relevant to the audience, to your customers, the people that you’re selling to.
- Make sure that it’s regular. Update your blog once a week, or once a month, but decide how often you’re going to post and then try and stick to a schedule so that people know that they can expect to hear from you.
- Make sure your content is unique. Google doesn’t like duplicate content, they don’t want you to just rehash content that’s out there already on the web. So don’t just cut and paste content from elsewhere or posting a press release that’s already been written somewhere else. Make sure that you are actually writing content that is totally unique to you. Even if you’re curating content from elsewhere on the web, and you are taking that information from somewhere else, make sure you credit the original source. But also, add your own take to that. So you can include your own content around what you have shared/ curated and put your own spin on it or your critique.
Some tips around creating the right content for your business
- Make sure it’s regular, relevant, and unique.
- Talk to your customers in their language.
- Don’t use industry jargon. Make sure you’re using simple, clear language that your customers understand.
- Answer their questions. Think about what their pain points are, and their challenges, and how you can help them, and create content around that.
- And remember that content allows people to get to know, like, and trust you.
- Show your personality as well.
There’s a great podcast episode that Sara Bussandri, who is a content writer, did with me recently. It’s all about how to plan content and blog regularly. So that’s a really fantastic resource and I’ve also got a blog post on my site which is eight tips to get more out of your content marketing.
Repurposing content
- Repurpose existing content. So for example, this podcast, I can transcribe it, and that can become a blog post (here it is!). I can take tips, and advice and share it as a post on social media. If I wanted to, and I probably will in 2020, I could also video my podcast at the same time, and use that as video on my site or on YouTube. So once you’ve created one piece of content, there are loads of different ways that you can repurpose it and make sure that you get the most bang for your buck.
Related podcast episodes
#3 – How to plan content and blog regularly with Sara Bussandri.
#12 – Why is it important to do a website audit?
#21 – Do they know, like and trust you?
More about me
If you’d like to work with me to help you grow your business, check out my Work With Me page. You can book a FREE 30-minute discovery call. Let’s discuss the challenges you’re facing and talk about how I can help you grow your business!
And if you have any questions for me get in touch via my website or connect with me on LinkedIn, and I’ll aim to cover questions on the podcast.
