In our internet-driven business world content is king. The quality of the information you put out across the web will directly affect how successful you are at generating leads and closing business. But what type of content do you need to provide and what should you write about?
Selling with valuable content – 5 top tips:
- Adopt the right attitude when thinking about creating content. Produce information that is of real value to your customer base. Your position should be NOT “look how great we are” (as in a traditional brochure) but “look how useful we are – we have the answer to your problems.” Create content that is genuinely useful to your customers. Make yourself indispensable.
- Pick the right tool. There are many different types of content to choose from: articles, newsletters, webinars, online presentations, audio, video, whitepapers, case studies, ebooks…the list goes on. Select the tools that your customers are most likely to engage with. A variety of methods often works best.
- Informative articles are a great starting point; and the easiest, cheapest and quickest way to get them published and out to your customers is via a business blog. Sign up to WordPress or Blogger; link the blog to your corporate website and start writing useful, education articles.
- Think like one of your customers. What questions do they ask when selecting products or services in your field? What problems can you help them to solve? Listen carefully to your customers and create helpful content just for them.
- Make your website a resource hub. All this valuable content will start to transform your site from a flat, online brochure into a living, breathing resource for your customers. Update your content regularly to keep it fresh and invite your customers to sign up for newly added information.
Valuable content is a win-win for you and your buyers. They learn what they need to help them with their challenge and you demonstrate your expertise and build the trust that leads to sales.
Valuable content heros of the small business world:
- Mel Lester produces a fantastically useful monthly ezine for his architecture and engineering clients: an amalgam of his best blog articles, industry news and trends plus insight from others in the field www.blog-bizedge.biz
- Heather Townsend – a well respected business coach – sends out useful fortnightly efficiency tips on a Monday morning as a reminder to get organised and stay on track www.theefficiencycoach.co.uk/blog
- Bryony Thomas and her company Clear Thought Consulting have created short video tutorials for their B2B clients with tips on all aspects of marketing www.clear-thought.co.uk/10_minute_tips
What would help your customers? What valuable content can you create? I’d love to hear.
Hope this has been useful 😉
Sonja – nice post, and great blog in general. And I heartily agree with your sentiments, especially the one about attitude. There is overwhelming evidence that a content-based online marketing strategy is more effective these days than a pure, old-style ‘interruptive’ approach, but it’s still hard for many to get out of the mindset.
A gradual movement is required. Continue with outbound marketing, but increase the quality and variety of content that is offered as fulfilment. When these pieces start to drag in business of their own accord, I think most marketers will see where the real value is…
Keep up the good blogging!
John
I totally agree with your ‘gradual movement’ plan John – spot on! Loved following your ‘Great Content Marketing Experiment’ too. Many thanks, Sonja
Hi, Sonja.
Another great article. I’m learning so much from it. I have a business blog on my website but I’m finding it a little difficult to fill with decent content. Your advice is really helpful!
Many thanks,
Nick