If you don’t know where your next client is coming from, your content cycle needs some tweaking.
What is your current practice for creating and sharing your content? Are there certain steps you follow? Are you consistent?
Without a clear plan and regular action, results suffer … or are non-existent. But no need to despair, there is a way out.
The Content Cycle
An effective content cycle includes creating a new piece of content and following these next steps:
Post new content to your website blog.
Email your subscriber list.
And share the new blog on social media.
Three fairly simple and straightforward steps. And yet, many business owners only do this part of the way, or occasionally, or even not at all.
Why All 3?
When you fall short of creating valuable new content and sharing it on your blog, in email marketing, and on social media, you are leaving money on the table. A comprehensive content marketing strategy checks all three boxes. That’s what makes it thorough, aligned, and well, … comprehensive!
The Blog
The blog on your website is truly your real estate online. You design the layout and the messaging and the customer journey once people are there. As I’ve done here in this blog, you can direct people to a related topic in another blog like this one on Content Strategy and the Customer Journey. You decide the pathway and create the steps.
Another strategy is to position your opt-in in the sidebar, at the end of the blog, or as a call to action. For example, as we talk about the content cycle, here’s some help for you to avoid these 3 Common Content Mistakes.
This way when new people find you and come to your blog they have even more opportunity to learn about you, explore more of the website, assess your expertise and credibility, and to stay more connected by becoming a subscriber.
Your Email List
Your email list of subscribers … so often neglected or bombarded with promotion. And these are the people most likely to buy from us.
The sweet spot in email marketing is regular, engaging conversational emails to share valuable content that sparks discussion and a desire to learn more. When you create new content on the blog this is a prime piece of content to share with your audience of subscribers.
And rather than just plop it into the email, give people an introduction and some context to build an interest in reading what you have to share on the blog and then drive them to the blog post with a link.
Social Media
Social media posting is not just for cat videos and your latest vacation spots. It’s an ideal way to connect with potential clients, referral sources, collaborators, and other online business owners who can enrich your online business journey.
And yet many business owners view this as a nicety, an after-thought. Social media is an integral part of a comprehensive content cycle. That newly created piece of valuable content on your blog needs to be shared on social media … and not just once. Circulate and repurpose your content over time.
Encourage and prompt conversation on the topic. Listen to what people are saying. Continue the conversation and when appropriate, offer to take it further into a private message or a call. This is how we move from social media to potential sales conversations that lead to enrollment.
And it all starts with your content.
Here’s a quick video about making the content cycle work for you in your business.
Do you have a content cycle and are you following it? Tune in to the conversation about mapping out a strategy for new content so that you can attract and enroll more of you best paying clients.
But what does content strategy have to do with that?
Everything.
How Does It Work For You When You Buy?
Think back to the last time you bought something online … a product, a course, a program.
Who did you buy from?
Was your purchase interaction the first time you learned of the person you bought from?
Did they show up somewhere online and you consumed the first post/email/video of theirs and buy?
Probably not.
So, how did you decide to buy?
The Customer Journey
More than likely, you knew this person that you bought from in some capacity. Perhaps you:
Opted in and became a subscriber to their content.
Had a positive experience using their free gift when you opted in.
Read their emails and connected with their message.
Engaged with them during a live video on social media.
Followed them on social media and felt they “got you” by what they shared and how they interacted.
Experienced value from them even before your purchase.
Whatever the process, you consumed content. Their messaging spoke to you as if they knew what it was like to deal with the challenges in your path as a business owner.
You were bettered by their content.
Content Conversion Is In The Details
Their content worked for you.
The messaging was concise, compelling, and action-oriented.
They engaged with you when you hit reply and emailed them. There were responses to your comments on social media. You felt connected through their communication.
This is what good content strategy does for you as a buyer.
Are you doing this with the people you’re meant to serve?
How’s Your Current Content Marketing Doing?
Do you have a comprehensive and consistent content marketing plan that:
Attracts the right people?
Offers a compelling, aligned free gift they want?
Builds a library of helpful content on your blog?
Includes regular email communication people actually open?
Brings you new connections and engagement on social media?
And the million dollar question …
Are you repurposing your content across all these channels to save you time, money, and effort, while reaching more of your best customers?
So many business owners are not checking all the boxes on their content marketing plan. And I get it. It can feel like a lot. And it’s only part of what you need to do as a business owner.
But listen up, content marketing strategy is your most important part of your business if you want consistent lead generation and more sales.
What’s Next If I Need More Clients?
My business is about getting you more business. I want to help you get you more clients. My number one (and only) way is through your content strategy marketing plan. And there are several ways I can help you do that … from one time strategy sessions, to customized private strategy, to a group program.
All of it is single focused: Plan, create, share, and repurpose a comprehensive, streamlined content strategy that attracts and converts more qualified people into your best (and raving!) clients.
Isn’t it time you streamline your content process so you can get more (and better) clients?
Better content makes for better clients and more revenue. Still, content creation and then what to do with that new content continues to challenge business owners. In my guest expert interview on Melanie Benson’s Amplify Your Success Podcast, I share strategies for content that converts; the same strategies I use to help clients get more of their best paying customers.
Even better? It doesn’t have to be as difficult as we sometimes make it out to be!
Listen In by clicking the image
Content Strategy Is Powerful
Using content conversion strategy before creating results in more powerful messaging. When you map out your language with a focus on what you intend it to do, you’re more likely to attract the people you’re meant to serve. And by using the words your ideal clients use themselves, the recognize you as someone who understands their challenges. It’s critical to take the time to clarify the language and to choose your words and craft your message with care.
Why Content Doesn’t Convert
If your website copy isn’t bringing new leads into your world, something is likely “off.” And lead magnets that don’t regularly attract quality prospects are useless, even damaging to your brand. Just like writing blogs or creating videos no one seems to read or watch, it’s futile. And there are many reasons why this isn’t building your business. Some include:
You don’t have a clear core message.
Your content doesn’t align with your core message.
Blogs and emails are written without intention and strategy.
And your overall content conversion process (creating, sharing, and repurposing) doesn’t map out a customer journey.
What Works
Often, business owners are aware that their content is not converting, or at least not at the rate they need to have a sustainable, thriving revenue stream. Yet investing in a process and the support to assess and improve doesn’t rise to the top of the To Do list. Why is that?
Because when we are so close to our own content, we can’t see the holes in it. We know in our hearts what we mean to convey and when we review our own content in our minds we fill in the gaps. However, that’s not how it shows up to our prospects, our subscribers, even our clients. They notice the gaps and that causes pause and a lack of confidence in your solution.
Instead of continuing to create without a plan, it’s critical to make time for content conversion planning:
Clarify your core message.
Create language to convey it in a way that is meaningful to your ideal clients.
Use this foundation to create all your content (opt-in, website copy, emails, blogs, social media, EVERYTHING).
And pay attention to its impact …
Are the right prospects consuming the content?
Is there engagement and feedback as you share?
Is the content helping ideal prospects to convert to paying ideal customers?
This is our goal for content that converts.
Listen in to the podcast here and let me know what it means for you and your content conversion. Drop me a comment below. Or reach out for a discovery call here.
Email marketing best practices include analyzing data about customer behavior rather than making assumptions.
In this video we’ll examine some of the common assumptions that drive email marketing decisions.
Common Assumptions
When creating content to share with your list of email subscribers, it’s easy to get caught up in assumptions. Here are some of the most common:
“No one wants another email in their inbox.”
“They already know about this. (So why email again?)”
“They’re not interested.”
“If they cared, they’d be clicking.”
These are just a few of the things we tell ourselves when we pretend we know what our clients are thinking. And often, these are not in the least bit true.
What Does the Data Say?
We have access to data that tells a more accurate story about email marketing behavior.
Email platforms typically have data in the reports for each email. At a minimum, statistics on what percentage of subscribers opened the email and what percentage clicked on particular links are common. Even if you were to have excellent open rates at around 30%, this means the other 70% never even opened the email. Which (of course!) also means that same 70% certainly didn’t even see the links or consume the content.
So, an assumption that “They already know about this” doesn’t really hold true at all!
And yet, many small business owners won’t send out a second email about the same offer because they buy into this assumption instead of the reality. Don’t let this be you!
Not only is a second email in order, but there needs to be a series of emails to give subscribers ample opportunity to consume enough valuable content to help them make a decision to act on the offer.
Another Costly Assumption
Let’s take a look at click rates and behavior. Yes, actual data. Click rates tell even more of the story.
What links were clicked?
Where were they in the email?
What information was shared before the link?
The data informs on whether people made it over to a sales page or a shopping cart or your blog. Once again, if we assume they don’t care about our content or “already know,” that is impossible if they never even saw the information to begin with.
Take Action
When a subscriber gives us an email address in exchange for our opt in or lead generator, we are responsible to deliver. And as part of that delivery, we need to show up consistently with content and action steps to help them with the challenge we solve. This is a relationship and we need to be active to nurture it.
Look at the data from your email marketing. Analyze it and make decisions based on what you learn … not on what you assume.
You don’t “do” relationship marketing. It’s more about who you are.
What is relationship marketing?
Relationship marketing has a slew of definitions. They cover everything from strategy that fosters connection; a primary focus on current customers; and goals of satisfaction vs. sales transactions. I was struck by an observation in a Forbes piece that talked about “emotion” as a missing key word in many definitions.
After all, emotion is the means to connect between two people and from one to many. I like to think that when I write to the masses I’m actually speaking to each person as an individual. I believe relationship marketing happens one connection at a time.
How do we learn relationship marketing?
I have to admit, I don’t think it’s easy to learn (or teach!) relationship marketing. Some are born connectors. Some are not wired that way. It doesn’t mean you can’t improve your ability to connect but it may take a bit more doing … or unlearning, at first.
Getting started
I’ve worked with clients who openly admit they don’t feel they’re natural connectors. Not surprising to me, the very fact that they acknowledge that tells me they place a value on connection. When all is said and done, they’re often some of the best connectors. They just need to be supported to show up in their business and online more of the way they are.
Relationship marketing is about relaxing into who we really are and what we’re all about.
For many of us in service-based businesses, our clients do want to know a bit about what makes us tick. They’re interested in what’s important to us. How we got to where we are. Why we care to help them reach their goals. These are the connective pieces. They’re important. They matter.
For relationship marketing, share who you are
In a recent post on Facebook, I shared a story about how I love language. It’s about what I do in my business, but the post focused more on my personal interests. It speaks to how I got to this place of supporting business owners to create better content that helps them get more of their ideal customers.
And you know what? I wrote it in a few minutes. I tried not to overthink it and just tell a story. Do you love language, too?
How do you connect?
Connecting in relationship marketing is about relating. Can you see yourself in the story? Do you understand how the writer may feel? Are there components that connect to your own story?
These building blocks of connection in your content helps attract the people you’re meant to serve. They make is easier for them to decide if you’re a contender to help them. The more they know that relates to how or why you can help them, all the better.
Can you relate?
Do you relate to the post from Facebook? I’ll share it again here:
“I find language so interesting. Always have. I’m not sure when I realized that I had this weird ability to key into how people say something, the intonation in their words, the pitch of their voice, the letter combinations that they used in a different way.
Not that I’m the only person who does this but I hear lisps where others don’t, or up-talking, or a higher pitch when people are nervous. I hear their “live streaming” or “video voice.” I hear their “I’m so uncomfortable talking about this that I could melt into the floor” voice. It’s ok. Really, it is. And I’m not saying I haven’t done this all, too. It’s actually all quite normal.
And yet there is a way that feels and IS more natural. More conversational. And more effective.
Oh, and I also have a thing about remembering what people’s mouths look like. A new person reminds me of someone else based on their mouth or how they speak and sound.
I’m sure this sounds weird and maybe makes me weird, too. I don’t care. It’s helped me key into language in a way that helps me serve my clients better.
Language connects.
How we say things. The specific words we choose. How we even breathe through our nerves when we live stream. It all tells a story.
And if the story ends with an invitation for how we can get to know the person better or buy their “thing,” well, we better have had opportunity to connect with who they REALLY are because we don’t just hand our credit card over to anyone … even for a “high-value-priced-to-move offer.”
We are people first. Before we are buyers, we are just people. People wanting to understand what you’re saying and why you’re saying it and wondering about the way you’re delivering it and why it’s important to you at all. We want to know what you’re all about. At least I do. Especially before I buy.
I help business owners connect with that part of themselves that often gets overlooked in their own marketing. It’s the REAL them. Are you sharing the REAL you?
You may know how this plays out.
When you script your message too much, it seems inauthentic even when you are the most real person around. You see, we trade in who we are when we step into who we think we need to be to market our business.
We don’t have to step into anything new. Trust me on this.
Take a step back into who you already are.
That’s what people want.
That’s enough.
Dare I say, “It’s perfect”?”
Moving beyond the story
This post (above) from my Facebook page wasn’t created to sell something specific. I wrote it hoping to reach people by telling them more about me. I wanted them to know more about me long before I even thought about becoming an entrepreneur. I posted it to share the me who thought she was going to be a teacher, a doctor, a psychologist and ultimately landed on the path to my own business.
It’s funny how it happens, isn’t it? You probably have a story about your journey, too.
Do you share that story in your business? Will you share it now? How about sharing just a piece of it in the comments below? I’d love to hear it. Really.
Speaking of connecting, let’s connect!
As you think about your own relationship marketing, are you are interested in reaching more of your ideal customers? Do you want to create better content that helps them buy from you? If you are wanting to use relationship marketing in your business more, I’d love to help. It’s what I’m all about and I’ve met some awesome people along the way by practicing it as part of a content conversion strategy. And not just because it’s effective (it is!), but because it allows me to be who I am and trust that the right people will connect with me. Are you one?
If you’d like more content like this in your inbox, you may want to subscribe. And when you do, you’ll also get my 3 Costly Content Mistakes Guide (so you can learn what to do instead). I hope to connect with you further so I can hear some of your stories.
Content conversion is your best marketing tool. When you create effective content (in the format your audience prefers) you outline a customer journey. Creating and sharing content that converts is not as hard as many of us make it out to be.
Let’s break it down.
The Basics
You’re in business because you have a service or product cbdtop.club that offers a solution to a challenge. When ideal clients find you and buy your from you, you deliver that solution. How can you best attract ideal clients in the first place?
Do you jump up and down shouting at the top of your lungs, “Buy my thing. It’s great. You’ll love it. Click here.”?
You may scoff, “Of course not!” But think for a moment. Sometimes we do. We don’t like to admit it. Who does? But when we’re selling, we often start by trying to convince people why it’s so great that they should buy it … right NOW! before our limited supply sells out.
If we remembered, even for a brief moment, that we business owners are consumers, too, we might do it differently. And by differently, I mean better.
Do we like sales pages that strong arm? How about that hard sell? And what about when people tell us how great something is before demonstrating anything at all?
I don’t. Not one bit. And you shouldn’t either. Let’s not expect, nor want our ideal prospects to fall for that either. Give them … give us all a little credit. We ought to sell our stuff based on its merit, not its pizzazz. Pizzazz fades but merit is lasting.
What people need to buy our solution is to believe and trust that it will solve their problem. Or at least ease it a bit. And the best way to help our audience believe in us is to show them something. We show them with our content conversion.
Show, Don’t Tell
Think of it as an audition.
They want to see us do a little soft shoe before they give us the lead role.
So do it.
And do it like it’s the audition of your life.
Don’t hold back. No need to be reserved. Give with abandon. Share your expertise. Create content that comes directly from your service and products. You don’t have to dream up something fantastic. Just share the nuts and bolts of what you do. It’s exactly what I’m doing here.
To help my clients create better content that attracts and converts more of their ideal customers, I have a process. And several of the steps happen before you even pick up a pen or open your laptop.
Know Your Core Purpose as a Business Owner
First, you must be clear about what it is you do, meaning you need to nail down:
What you are really, truly genius at,
Who exactly you serve best and what their challenge is,
And how you serve them best with your solution.
This piece is foundational for all that follows. Only after you’ve clarified this can you move on to what’s next.
Identify the Particular Service or Product You’re Selling
Keep your customer destination front and center at all times. It’s not enough to think “the usual,” you need to specify private content marketing services, group coaching, my x,y,z product. Write it down and keep it in your line of vision as you write your blog, plan your livestream, or write your social media post.
Choose the Part of the Service or Product To Spotlight
Decide what part of your service or product is most compelling for your audience. Is there something they must do first before they can even see clear to your other steps? Is there something they need to understand before they can apply your solution to their problem?
In my process, no one really cares much about clarity. Let’s face it … everyone thinks they’re clear most of the time so they don’t think it applies to them at all. However, many of us have clarity in our heads and hearts but not in our words and not when we try to write it concisely. And when we don’t intentionally bring it out of our heads onto paper or a computer screen, a lot can get lost in translation. It’s important to write it down.
And without clarity, all the other content steps are build on hollow ground. Not good.
Back to my example, in my process, clarity is critical for my clients so I need to talk about it in my content. It can also be a definer of sorts. Some people will think it’s not important and that’s ok, they’re not meant to be my clients. And some will “get it” and those are the ones I want to work with.
You need some definers for you and your content can help you do that. Choose the parts you need to talk about. Even if they aren’t popular, create your content around them.
Your Delivery Method
Figure out how you’ll deliver your content. There are more options all the time. Know your audience and what they like best. Is it a blog article? A live stream? Pre-recorded video? Images or Infographics? Audio? Choose the one you know your audience consumes best and engages with best and create your content in that format.
Create
Now that you know your core purpose, which service or product you’re selling, what component of that service or product you want to feature, and how your audience likes its content, it’s time to create. And not one minute earlier.
Put this kind of intention into your content. You’ll attract more of the people you want to work with. It will demonstrate your value and the value of your solution. You’ll bring them along the customer journey and help them decide to buy.
How’s Your Content Conversion?
Are some, or all of these, part of your content steps? As business owners with multiple tasks and demands, we often don’t put time into the things that can help us most. Your content is one that not only works in the moment. It works for you wherever it lives around the clock. On your website. In your social media. Around the world online. Let me know your steps before you create. Drop me a note in the comments. And if you’d like some support to plan your content with more aligned intention, check out my Weekly Content Conversion Calendar Bundle.
