How content can help you convert and sell in your business
Content creation is now used throughout businesses as a strategy to help build an audience, build a community and sell to that community.
Of course, there is a lot of nurturing in this process, but content can really help your business build aligned fans (not just followers) to your business.
So how do you do that? How do you sell with your content and how do you continue to build momentum? Well, let’s go through the ins and outs of content marketing and how it can help convert and sell in your business!
If you find value in this blog, make sure you share it with me on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram! Even better, share it with your audience! You can also listen to the episode below!
Let’s dive in!
Listen below!
What is content marketing?
Before we really go into detail on content marketing, it is important to know what it is! So, here is a definition to perfectly explain what content marketing is:
Content Marketing is a type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online content (including videos, blogs, and social media posts - just to name a few) that aims to create connection, awareness and of course, sales for a business.
You can learn more about content marketing and the huge benefits it has for your business by clicking here.
What does good content look like?
It is the level of education and relatability. You want your audience to be inspired by you and to be educated, but you want them to relate to you and feel connected!
Content isn’t just a marketing strategy, it is a business strategy. Why do we think that? Well, let’s look at the people who have developed a business off the back of a content channel…
Erin May Henry: 100k + followers on YouTube, built her brand and formed a business
Ruby Lee: LinkedIn, built a business off the back of promoting this platform and creating courses off a content platform but now uses her podcast, social etc. to sell and make $100k months
It is all about personal branding, even if you are a business with a brand. I do it with Content Queen and I will continue to do it as Content Queen even when I have a big team around me.
How to not be salesy
It isn’t just a “hey buy this”. It is by showing people what it is like to work with you. When you aren’t in launch mode, what can you do to continue to drive momentum? You can build out free offers and treat these like a launch.
Take people through your life (or the life of the business) so they connect with you and your brand. This is selling!! This is what we like to call brand awareness heading into conversion (more on that soon).
How can you sell using your content?
Show your audience how it is done (listen to the pod for examples) it doesn’t MATTER if you are a product or service based business
Personal brand: be relatable but have people be inspired by you (I have some people on the call who built a personal brand before they even started selling. Lauren Claire actually recommends this. Build a brand before you sell and this can be relatable to ANY business.
Make the offer and make it more than once (remember not everyone will see you content). It can take 18 touch points before people will pay attention to your content!! That is a LOT of talking about what you have to offer. Mix it up, live streams, IG stories, feed, video all of the things! TIP: use your sales page for content, we DO NOT do this enough and it saves us time.
Plan and be strategic (use themes in your week but plan your themes according to your offerings). What are themes? These are using one idea and displaying it throughout one week. So you discuss this theme at length for one week rather than talking about something different every day!
Have launch plans and use your content to DRIVE this. Show up on socials more during launches, plan more and remember, once you have launched once, you can use this content moving forward!! I’m going to be launching 1:1 coaching soon, and I have the content ready from my last launch!
Build your email list off the back of your content!! Like I said, treat your free offers like paid and launch the hell out of this!! Remember, these are VERY warm leads because they know you exist! These are even in your direct messages.
Show up across multiple channels and continue to talk to your audience (use different platforms for different purposes - they can all have different objectives!
Have platforms for 0 promotion (a brand awareness platform). So this is for 0 purpose, it is all about having fun! This is all about building the personal brand - adding value can be just sparking joy!
Ensure your platforms are optimised so people know what you do! Is your message actually clear? Get someone who doesn’t know what you do to review your website and profiles! Try and write for an audience that might not 100% know what you do or who you are!
Promote on socials before you have anything! Loads of entrepreneurs do this, they promote the course or whatever it is and then they create the content around it
GO live - the POWER of live energy!! Honestly, nothing beats live energy!! Give people insights on what it is like to work with you! If you do this weekly, it will gain you SO much connection with your audience!
Collaborate: even with people in your industry, we are a family!! Don’t be worried about “competition”. Go live with others, join podcasts, do masterclasses together! The more people you collaborate with, the higher the chance you have of being exposed to more people!
PR yourself - Get on podcasts, write media releases and send it to publications. Think outside the box and pitch yourself in a really unique way - I am going to do more of this soon!
Sell by leading by example (if I am a “Content Queen” I need to show this). Practice what you preach. If you are a mindset coach, show people how you work on your own mindset!
LEAD PEOPLE TO YOUR WEBSITE ALWAYS!!!! Social media is the door to your website. Your main objective is to get people to your website, this is where people can see what you have to offer!! Social media is the welcome to who you are! Add content to your website, have your podcast on there, have a blog - direct people to your website!
Create content on your website, it isn’t just a social media game. Blogs, podcast linked on your site
User generated content (UGC)!! Share this and promote people to SHARE YOUR stuff!! UGC BUILDS trust!
How do you bring in your audience with your content?
Think about your content like this:
Brand awareness: build it, you don’t have to ask for the sale ALL the time but remember if you don’t how will people know what you do. This is where you give the value, show people who you are and what you do!
Consideration: build this by showing people (they are watching even if they don’t buy right now). They start to consider you when you build brand awareness and you show people that you are an expert.
Conversion: ask for the sales, connect with your audience and remember engagement doesn’t just mean likes and comments. Social media platforms are made to be social, do NOT underestimate the power of a DM or voice DM when people follow you.
Then you repeat! Continue to nurture and strengthen your audience to be FANS!! This is where you build the “know, like and trust factor” you are building this with your content!!! Make sure you also bring in these elements “think, feel and do”.
To know you: show up and be you
To like you: be relatable
To trust you: share the brand (the good and the bad)
Measure your content
Look at the insights, what are they telling you? Track what is working, track what isn’t!
The numbers will tell you a lot. You can even buy this template, which will help you record the numbers!
Your Google Analytics, your Instagram insights and the like, will tell you a lot!!! Make sure you are tracking the numbers! They aren’t as daunting as you think. Need help with Google Analytics, you can check out this podcast episode and blog!
There is a lot of power in the numbers, make sure you look at these numbers and use them to continue to create engaging content!
Final thoughts
REMEMBER IT IS A SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM, BE SOCIAL!!! We forget this yeah?
We create, create, create but are we connecting with people on the platform??
Here are the KEY points when it comes to using content to convert and sell:
Find the platform that works for you and your audience
Get a good mix of selling techniques and do it in the way that feels good for you!
Continue to build the relationship with your audience
Think outside the box with your content
Form two way communication with your audience
Do the research, test, measure and trial