Content Promotion: Start at the beginning
How often do you create content?
Do you have a regular set schedule for content creation or do you just wing it and hope somebody likes it?
Where do you currently publish and promote your content?
Are you using more than just your blog?
Are you producing content in various formats to attract more people?
These questions about content creation and content promotion really go hand in hand because you can’t promote your content if you don’t have any created.
Sure, you can share links to other people’s content on social media – and there’s a time and a place for that kind of promotion – but in general, if your entire plan is to direct your followers to other people’s websites, videos, or podcasts, then why should your followers stick with you?
First, Bust Through the Writer’s Block Mentality
So many people are plagued with the mindset of, “I don’t have anything new to say,” or, “I don’t know what to write or talk about.” These negative thoughts will certainly make content creation more difficult so let’s turn it around and recognize that content ideas are all around you; you just need to look for them.
Pay attention to what’s happening in the news and your niche.
What’s the hot topic in your niche? Write about it.
What’s a breaking news story that is close to your heart? Do a live stream video.
2. Look around your own business for clues of what people want to know.
What are the most frequently asked questions about your services? Create an infographic.
What administrative shortcuts have you found that save you oodles of time and would be helpful to your followers? Create a short report for your list.
3. Scan your past blog posts and/or videos and make notes about what should be updated with current information and/or strategies.
4. Look through your short reports or eBooks and choose sections that can be recorded as videos, audios or rewritten as blog posts.
5. Ask your audience what they want. Instead of guessing about their needs, simply ask them with a Facebook poll or a more structured survey. You might just be surprised at the responses you receive.
As you can see, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to finding content ideas. It’s a mix of paying attention to your business clients, your social media audience, and the world around you.
Now here’s where many entrepreneurs miss the mark before they even begin:
Know Where Your Audience Hangs Out
No matter how awesome your content is, if you’re sharing it on LinkedIn and your market spends all their time on Instagram, you won’t get any traction. But first things first:
- Do you know WHO your audience is?
- Have you created a client avatar with their unique demographics?
This is a detailed representation of WHO your services and signature products are geared towards.
Client avatars can change over time so even if you have done this exercise in the past, review your avatar and make any necessary changes. The more details you identify about your client avatar, the more receptive they will be to your marketing, so make note of their pain points, their income level, their daily struggles, etc.
Once you know WHO you’re marketing to, now you need to discover WHERE they hang out.
Let’s start out using a little common sense first. If you’re a life coach marketing to mothers who are going back into the workforce, chances are high that you won’t find them on LinkedIn, which is for more professional, corporate networking with brick-and-mortar businesses. Instead, you’ll want to keep Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest in mind for that market.
However, if you’re a business coach for executives with 7-figure businesses, then LinkedIn would be the best place for you to share your content and make new contacts.
Even with the soundest logic and common sense, you should still ask questions of your customers, your list, and your social media followers.
- Ask which social platforms they use most frequently.
- Ask if they listen to podcasts and if so, which ones.
- Ask if they read blogs regularly and if so, which ones.
If you belong to any Facebook Groups that cater to your niche and ideal clients, ask them these same questions.
The key is to find those platforms where your audience naturally gravitates towards so you can meet them there with answers to their questions or problems.
Randomly promoting your content across all social platforms and hoping it resonates with someone is NOT a plan; that’s a waste of time which rarely yields any results at all, never mind positive ones.
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Want to know more? My latest report is now ready for download. (Free for a short time.)
Content Promotion: A Step-by-Step Guide to Promoting your Content.
In the guide you will learn how to:
Know where your audience hangs out
Create a strategic content plan
Make your content promo-worthy
Create channel-specific promos
Automate
Cross-promote
Track your results
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