If you think about the way you make purchasing decisions for products and services you’ll likely realize that it’s the companies that educate you, show you they understand your pain and offer a practical solution that get your attention. And if they make a compelling enough offer, you are likely to part with your hard earned cash to get your hands on what you need.
Let’s for a moment, focus on that education piece. Often when we go seeking a solution to a particular problem, it’s because we don’t know enough about the subject to resolve the challenge on our own.
Just as this applies to how you make purchasing decisions, the same applies to your target market. Educating them about your expertise and how it relates to them in their day-to-day lives is a CRITICAL factor in their developing trust in you.
Now, I know you’re busy. I know you don’t have a lot, if any, free time. And the thought of positioning yourself as an “educator” may sound incredibly boring.
You may see other business owners you know pumping out a steady stream of articles, videos, podcasts, reports, etc. and think “I could NEVER do that! When do they have time to work?”
The fact is this; content marketing is here to stay. And in some way, shape or form you’re going to have to embrace this strategy so that your business can stay relevant and top of mind for your audience.
So how do you this? How do you consistently create great content, that educates your audience, speaks to their pain and positions you as the solution, when you aren’t particularly interested in doing so and don’t have any “free” time?
You do it by creating a simple process, customized to your needs that you can follow on a daily/weekly/monthly basis.
This great article by the renowned Brian Clark, creator of Entreproducer and CopyBlogger on a simple formula he developed that you can tweak and make your own:
http://entreproducer.com/5a-content-marketing/
After you’ve read the article, I’d love to know…what is the first step you’ll take? (Because you don’t have to tackle the whole thing at once!)
Jamal says
I just read the link you have provided and I really got some great insights from it. Thanks for the share!
Sydni Craig-Hart says
You’re welcome Jamal! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment. What struck you about the article?
Joe Flyde says
Good article. My problem exactly. I am constantly trying to add content to my site. Sometimes are harder that others.
But inspiration can come at the darndest times!
Sydni Craig-Hart says
It’s true Joe! One thing that helps me is to keep an ideas notebook. It used to be physical book, now it’s a digital notebook I have stored in Evernote. Anytime I have a burst of creative energy, I jot my idea down in my ideas book, which makes it much easier to come up with topics to write about. Give it a try…I think you’ll enjoy it!