241: 5 things we are seeing in content marketing at the moment

Content marketing seems to be turning us all into content creators rather than business owners… 

While this can be fun and creative, it can also be tiring. There are a few things we are seeing in the content space online that we had to share. Some will make your life easier, some might get your creativity flowing. 

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KEY EPISODE TAKEAWAYS 👇

  • The 5 things we are seeing in content marketing 

  • What you can do to help your business 

  • Ways to make it easier for you 

SHOW RESOURCES 👇 

If you like this episode, don't forget to share it to your Instagram stories and tag me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @contentqueenmariah⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Other than that, enjoy - chat next week 💕

PODCAST TRANSCRIPTION

This is episode 241 and I'm talking about the five things that we are seeing in the content marketing industry that is going to help small business owners and entrepreneurs. Welcome to the Content Queen podcast. I'm your host, Mariah, entrepreneur, storyteller, digital nomad, creator of Content Bootcamp and founder of Content Queen.

I'm here to teach you how to share your unique story, create content and market your business with strategy through the channels that work for you. Each week I'll deliver a story to help you connect to a powerful strategy around marketing, business, and content creation. I'll also be joined by amazing souls and entrepreneurs who are here to share their own journey along with actual steps to help you take your business to a whole new level through amazing storytelling, powerful online marketing, and content strategy.

Let's do it. Hello all. All right, we're getting stuck straight into it because there are five things that we're seeing at the moment in content. In the content space, and things that I've learned and I just want to share them with you because I think it'll help you  just level up in your content and just give you some things to think about as well.

So there's five things I'm going to go through and I hope that by the end you'll have something that you can take away and use and use. be able to implement into your own business. So let's get stuck into it. As I mentioned, I'm going to try these sort of short episodes just to give you some bite sized tips and things to take away and action steps that you can do now.

And then we have guest episodes. I'm planning my guests for the month of September. So we're doing a double solo episode. All right. The first one that I want to talk about is  Now, this is not new. This is just something I think that we've got lost on on the way. So your content goes further than just the reel on Instagram that you create.

And I think this realization is a bit of a relief when I talk about this for a lot of people, because it really does depend on what stage of business you are at and your goals, but  content can be so much more than just the social media content.  Of course, social media is a powerful way to reach a new audience that you, you know, you know, a more quicker way than we've seen before.

And sometimes we let these numbers really go, Oh my God, I don't have like thousands and hundreds of thousands of followers. But like, it's pretty incredible that you could reach that amount of people on one given day from posting something on social media. Right. So that is the power of it. But also, you know, we all want to start podcasts all this stuff, which is awesome.

Often, you know, we do get lost along the way of, you know, these kind of big bits of content that we can create. There's also like similar, smaller parts, right. And I'm seeing this in big brands. Now  it's something that I had talked about  when I was in my own lockdown in 2021 when I had to isolate. And I had this woman come on live with me on Instagram and talk about this concept, but I'm repurposing it because I'm seeing big brands doing it.

And it's amazing that I heard her talk about it recently. Oh, sorry, years ago. And now recently it's coming up. Commenting on other people's content. If you are on TikTok, you will see that there's these big brands commenting on influencers content, you know, whether it's macro micro, like big scale influencers or small ones, and they're really joining in on the conversation.

And basically, they've just hired like younger marketers to go and do this and, you know,  create just little witty comments that, you know, really just draw attention to that brand. So how can you create content in other people's spaces? You know, if you don't have the time to show up on social media as much as you'd want to, but you're still scrolling, why aren't you adding value in other people's content?

And this is across other, you know, not just this, what I'm trying to say is, Content can be anywhere in different spaces. It doesn't have to be creating this big thing yourself. It could be contributing to a conversation, right? And this is this like two way communication that we.  you know, want to create with these platforms.

So could it be, you know, posting or contributing to Facebook groups? This is what I first started doing when I ever started my business. And I felt it really helped build my audience. And then of course, commenting on other people's content, but content is basically a type of marketing that involves the creation of and sharing of online material.

So whilst, you know, video blog, social media, the big things we think about it doesn't have to be that massive. It could be, you know, so many different forms. For example, you know,  again, depending on where you're at and depending on your business, there's companies out there that have profiles on platforms like TripAdvisor, things like that, you know, creating content on those platforms or sharing or, you know updating things like that is a really powerful part of your marketing.

And I think it's missed like things like, you know, replying to Google reviews, things like that, you know, of course that comes into like community management and community engagement, but.  What I'm trying to say is, there's a massive range of content ideas or content platforms that you can contribute to.

And if you're finding you're getting stuck and overwhelmed in ones that don't resonate with you or the big ones.  How can you contribute to the conversation in a different way? And that is a form of content. So I think about that. And if you struggle with ideas, message me, I'd love to, you know, brainstorm this with you, but it's just start with commenting on other people's content.

I think that's a great way to get started and to just join in on the conversation. If you don't have a lot of time to contribute, like create your own.  The second one is sort of just a concept around making changes in your marketing. So I read Atomic Habits. This year. Very good book. Highly recommend. And he, of course, talks about habits, which is a massive thing in content.

I feel like it's a podcast on its own. But he shared a story that really stuck with me, and it was about this British cycling team. And how, on paper, they were these amazing athletes, but for some reason, they weren't getting the results that they,  like, when they competed, or the results that they wanted.

So they did hire a performance director and he sort of came in and looked at everything and wanted to like lift the team. So instead of tearing everything down, he actually improved things by 1%. So he changed the mattresses of the athletes, the bike seats, the materials of their uniform, like things like that, which I thought was very interesting.

And because  he knew the athletes he had were good enough.  But there were those 1 percent changes that needed to happen to aid their performance. And what happened was they won in the Olympics, they won gold, they set records, like, it was wild.  I'll put the, the  article in the show notes so you can listen to it.

But I'm, what I want to think about is with your marketing, what are those 1 percent things that you can do to improve? So, for example, for me, 1 percent change, making shorter podcast episodes. I'm doing weekly edits to my website. I'm changing the format of my videos on social media. I'm changing the format of my emails, small 1 percent changes that I'm doing.

Like for example, if your email isn't getting enough open rates, the only 1 percent change you have to make is changing your subject lines. So this is where data comes in, of course, but making these assumptions and from the data and then  testing these assumptions, you know, like you're a scientist and Really, what you can do here is if you don't have time and if you have a VA and you want to be more of the visionary, you could get someone to support that journey or you can go on Fiverr and find someone to help you make those little changes.

But it really does come down to those 1 percent changes that can improve the content. For example, if your videos aren't getting enough engagement. What's that quick hook that you can add to the start of your videos that capture people's attention? Because it only, you know, that's a 1 percent change. It doesn't have to be massive things.

You don't have to tear everything down and start again. Like I know people are like, Oh, I just want to delete Instagram and start again. Okay, fair. I get it. But  what are those 1 percent changes that you could make that could improve your content, your marketing or anything in your business really? But  I just think rather than feeling like we have to, oh, I'll just sit down and I'll replan everything and I'll restructure everything.

Of course, if you don't have a content strategy, definitely sit down and do that. But  instead of doing that, look at what you have,  look at the data, make assumptions and test them. So that was the second one. The third one is this top of funnel content. Now, we're all guilty of this as business owners, leaving out the top of funnel because we're not sure what it is.

We're not sure what to do with it. And I feel like it's like, well, that's not really relevant to my business. So why would I create that type of content? Now, Maddie,  from Birdcage Marketing come on the podcast last year. I'll put the link in the show notes. And she talks about, so we've got top, middle and bottom funnel marketing.

So basically it's brand awareness, how people find you, consider you and buy from you. But if we think about it from a content perspective, it's the same concept, but it's the type of content we create. So if we think about it, top of funnel is really not about you or your brand. It's about your customer.

So what are these top of funnel ideas that you can create? And they can kind of be left to center and they're really not about your brand. So.  I found with me, clients, all that, that is something that we all lack. So it's something that I'm really trying to improve on and implement more. So these could be things like a controversial opinion, an aspirational piece of content showing the ideal life of your customer.

It can be a thought provoking, something to provoke thought, right? Or question. It could be something that provokes engagement or questions. It could be a story that will lead into a lesson. It could be.  a personal opinion about your industry. It could be a quick win. I think quick wins are really good ones.

Like how can someone take what you're saying and implement it and build trust with you. So then they move further down the funnel. But basically it's not about you and your business. It's about your customer and what they want to see. And of course you have to learn more about what your customer like, not just necessarily their pain points, cause yes, but what do they want?

What do they dream about? What is their ideal life and really create the content that appeals to that. And then of course you can go down like the negative route of like, you know, negative hooks, you know, you'll never get to XYZ if you're not doing XYZ. So for example, this could be,  you know, a, an accountant giving general business advice,  you know, quick wins with their accounting, of course, but you can go that next level further and talk about business because your audience are business owners.

So it'd be like, Just going that next level. So if you are a you know, you are in the tourism industry and you have you know, a particular tour or restaurant or, you know, whatever, like in the hospitality industry as well,  you could do content about your local area. You can do content about you know, it's not about your business.

It's about, you know, it could be about travel in general. Like it's not about you and your brand. It's about. It's about your audience, what they like to engage with, it's about entertaining them, it's about getting them to think, it's about getting them to take a little bit of an action. You know, it's not, and the action is not about purchasing from you.

It's just something that's going to help them. For example I'm working with a hospitality space. And we are doing, you know, general things like how to peel prawn because they're in the seafood space. So that would be a top or final piece of content. So, and of course there's more you can expand in that, but think about how you can bring in more content that is going to attract new eyes that don't know you and aren't ready to buy from you.

The fourth one is the founder's journey. Now, this is interesting. It might not relate to you, might not be relevant, but I see this more on TikTok than anything, but basically founders creating their own personal brand a little bit away from their business. And this isn't really relevant for, I guess, like coaches, things like that.

Although it could be, but you know, if you have a business with a business name, that's not yours, and then you have your own personal brand, it's like creating the founder's journey. So for example, I've seen this with Fate, which is a clothing brand by Brittany Saunders, who was a massive, is a massive influence in Australia, created her you know, grew on YouTube and now has a clothing brand.

She wasn't actually always going to have her own page. I think she, well, of course she did before. She had fate, but fate is now a very big part of her. So basically she uses her personal page to create the founder's journey of being a business owner. And then fate has more of the stuff about their clothes and what they sell  to the founder's journey is really that top of funnel.

It's a really good way to bring awareness to your business. I have that, but I only did that because I actually want to talk about other things as well. But basically, yes, it is about sharing the journey as an entrepreneur and a business owner. And it's a really good way to, yeah, build your personal brand, build your network, and then from a second hand, build your business as well.

Cause people go, Oh, I really like this person. What business do they do? And they naturally want to follow it and follow the journey. So I see that on Tik TOK, a little bit on Instagram, obviously and LinkedIn. naturally happens because your business page doesn't get as much growth as your personal page.

So you can use your personal page to kind of share about you and your business. But I'm seeing this a lot more and I think it's a really good way if you're feeling like you want to share more as your own personal brand, to do that. Create an account to share the founder's journey might be a really good way, but of course, it just adds to your content list.

So I would recommend doing this if you're outsourcing or getting a little bit more support in your business, because you don't want to burn out from creating too much content. The fifth and final one is energy. Now this is a mindset piece,  energy in your content. So there's believing in you yourself and what you do.

And really when you're creating that piece of content, not just creating it for the sake of it, not just creating it because you have to tick it off your list. It is really about connecting with your audience, content, marketing, social media,  podcasts, blogs, whatever it is is a really good way to be in front of an audience that don't know you.

So what is the first impression you want to give? Do you want to be not, it doesn't mean you have to be energetic if that's not your personality, but how are you giving love and nourishment into that piece of content that you're putting out there and not just doing it because you have to tick it off your list.

So think about it from two perspectives. One could be, you know, the energy and your own self belief, your own mindset, which is something I'm always working on and it's never but working on your own energy and your mindset and your self belief in your business. I think entrepreneurship is the biggest self development journey ever.

And I think if you can continue to work on your own personal development, that does really help with your mindset. Because then when you're doing videos, creating a podcast, people can feel that energy. So, You also want to be really intentional before you start creating a piece of content. We did some episodes on being creative and getting creative space so I'll put them in the show notes but think about your energy when you are putting it.

Can you do a little ritual when you send out your piece of content or something depending if you're into that sort of thing but  putting that sort of energy into what you're doing and just really believing, you know, it doesn't mean you have to go like, Oh, this post is going to go viral, or but if you generally believe that you've got an important message to say your content is of value, if you keep saying like, Oh, I create shit content, that person creates better content than me, nah nah nah nah Of course, you're not going to see the results either because we are energetic beings.

So people pick up on our energy in our content. So the fifth one is just get in check with your energy and  mindset perspective. But then when you're creating it, be in that sort of energetic space to create the content. So I hope they were of value. So think about outside the box content ideas to create.

It doesn't have to always be just you posting to social media. What 1 percent changes can you make in your marketing to improve your results?  Number three is think about top of funnel content. That's not about you or your business, but it is here to connect with your audience. For if you are getting lots of support in your business and you want to just kind of go to that next level and build a personal brand.

I think the founder's journey concept is awesome. And I think it's something we're seeing a lot more of. And then the fifth one is be in the energy of your content, work on your mindset, because that's a massive thing when you're putting yourself out there online. And if you want to get a content marketing strategy, so you can kind of go back and do that.

You know, put in the proper strategy in place to set yourself up for marketing success  and be in my energy because also what happens is if you join bootcamp you get three months in my membership for free and we can have live calls together where we discuss your marketing, talk about that, and give you really tailored advice and tips.

rather than just generic ones on this podcast. But I think these ones will really help you in your marketing. So be a content queen or king and remember that developing your strategy and story develops your business. Thank you so much for joining me today. And please don't forget to share this with all your business and entrepreneurial friends.

You can do this by adding it to your Insta stories and tagging me at content queen Mariah, or just tell them about it. If you rate and review on whatever platform you're listening to this on, it helps me get amazing guests, helps me continue to deliver content. So please leave a rate or review if you haven't before and follow me on Insta or TikTok and let me know if there's any topics you want me to talk about in the future.

I would love to, and let me know how you think these sort of small episodes go for you. All right, I'll talk to you soon. Bye.

PodcastMariah MacInnesmarketing, marketing advice, how to be authentic online, business ownerComment