Content is (Still) King!

Nov 13, 2017

Content is King

We live in a content-driven society today. Everyone has something to say these days whether it’s in a blog post, a video or a podcast and, as an expert funnel marketer, I know how valuable that content can be as a free traffic generator to build your list or sell your services.

Content marketing is a marketing method based upon the idea of demonstrating expertise through the use of valuable, free content. Instead of telling customers what a company can do for them or what their corporate resume looks like, businesses are demonstrating their expertise and building relationships through the use of content.

But, developing good content that creates value is the key to making it all work and many entrepreneurs and small businesses look to outsource that creation to writers. Finding the right writer that has the perfect balance of understanding marketing and your business can sometimes be challenging so I asked content marketing guru Lyndsay Phillips for some pointers.

Her company, Smooth Sailing Business Growth, works with clients all over the United States to successfully create a content plan and implement killer content. That way her entrepreneurial clients can benefit from organic SEO, expand their reach, increase their expert status, serve their audience and convert leads to sales, faster. Phillips wants to help clients reduce the amount of time and resources spent finding customers and marketing so that they can spend more time actually working with them. Here are her top 5 tips:

Choose your writers

No matter what your topic is or the format of your content, it is critical to make sure the writer you hire is a good match. Make sure to ask to see samples of past work, read their testimonials from past clients that have worked with and make sure they have a clear understanding of exactly what your needs are. Working with the wrong writer can be time-consuming, costly and, above all, extremely frustrating that it’s preventing you from achieving your goal. Bonus: If they are a copywriter, they’ll have a good understanding of marketing, incorporate a call to action and help bring your prospect further down your sales funnel.

Provide clear instructions

Most of the writers you hire will be working remote so you won’t have the face-to-face contact that builds comfort levels. It’s extremely important to be crystal clear in the instructions you give to your writers in terms of tone of voice, style, formatting, and layout. Ensure they understand your audience, their pain points and the solution (the product/services) you offer. It’s helpful to provide samples of your past work so they can hear your voice and style.

Stay consistent

Whether you work with one content creator or several, make sure they provide consistency in all the content they are providing. Using the same format and voice is extremely important as you are trying to build a relationship and trust with your viewers or followers. Part of your content plan should be an outline of your different messages to make sure there is consistency.

You get what you pay for

There are a lot of people that know the first letter of the sentence is capitalized and a period goes at the end but that doesn’t make them a good marketing content creator. The old saying of “you get what you pay for” is very true when it comes to finding a writer. Your content can be the single greatest lead generator of your business so make sure you are ready to invest appropriately.

Evaluate Results

Just because something reads well and is interesting doesn’t mean it will motivate your followers to take action. One piece of content might not move the needle but judge the success of your writers by a combination of what they write and the results it has when posted, shared or disseminated to your audience.

Remember, good content can be a free lead generator to get people interested in your services and into your funnel, which can mean more sales and revenue. Following these tips should help you find the right person to help with your content so you can focus more on what you do.