Growing Your Audience Using Content Strategy
what is content strategy anyway?
With the new year approaching, I thought I would talk to you new online business owners and freelancers about getting your business in order. Starting with your content strategy. Many new business owners and freelancers don’t like to sit down and write a strategy. They think it’s hard, time-consuming, and costly. Some don’t understand the importance of the strategy so, they forego it altogether.
Regardless of where you are on your online business journey, you need a content strategy. And you need to make sure your strategy is up to par.
If you don’t have one, get one.
What is content strategy?
Content strategy is the use of using content to grow your audience, your business. The content you use can be written, audio, or visual. Think blog posts, PDF downloads, podcasts, and YouTube videos.
Businesses use these tools to create content and distribute it online to the masses, their potential customer, or clients. The end goal is to get these people to become aware of you, follow you, get on your list, and purchase from you. Basically, to have them become a raving fan of yours who is always ready to buy what you’re selling.
It’s not only knowing what tools to use to create the content. It includes setting goals and including numbers: strategizing on how to use the content to reach your goals. Say, your goal is to post on Twitter for 30 days using all the methods above and to get 100 new followers on Twitter within the 30 days. With 10 of those followers signing up for your email list.
Now your strategy worked. You reached your goal of 100 new followers. Out of the 100 followers,10 got on your email list, and one out of the10 buys something from your website.
That’s your content strategy in action.
How do you know what content to create for your strategy?
It all comes down to your audience. When creating your content, you have to know the people you want to attract and do business with. Keep this top of mind. You also want to know:
- What’s the benefit to your audience for doing business with you?
- What problem of theirs can you solve?
3. What makes you better than your competitor? Try to show this, instead of telling.
Once you find the answer to those three questions, you will be on your way to creating the content your audience needs and wants.
What tools should you use?
Video is in. I say go hard and focus on creating videos of all sorts. And focus on blogging. Some “experts” will tell you to focus on one platform at a time. I disagree. Put your videos up on all the video channels and hire someone to blog for you so that you rank on Google and Bing. YouTube’s videos will also help you rank on Google. As of this writing, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and Facebook are good outlets for videos. Pinterest is an excellent outlet for content in general.
Podcasts are great too, but I don’t care for them. My mind wanders too much. With that, I know countless people who live by them and love them. Know your audience to know what’s best.
Once you figure out what channels you’re going to use. Figure out a budget and figure out if you will hire a VA or do the work yourself.
Get out there and start creating the content strategy you need to achieve your goals.
