As business owners, we all want our content to lead to sales. Doing that is easier than you think.
Let’s dive in.
Step One: Make sure the content you’re creating serves a greater purpose.
Do this by strategically planning out the next 6 to 12 months of your business. That way, you know the big milestones that are coming up, and when. (For more on planning your content, click here.)
When you know what your next offer is, you can create content that seamlessly leads your audience in that direction. Be sure to include a specific call to action in every post to help with this.
This is known as creating with a purpose, and it puts you a step ahead. No longer are you grasping at straws trying to decide what to write about today (of course, the same applies to video if that’s your medium).
Step Two: Get your content out there!
Here are some steps to take to get that done:
- Start by posting it on your website.
- Create accompanying graphics or branded images to use on the post.
- Use those images or graphics to promote your post on social media. Consider which channels make the most sense for your business and focus there.
- Schedule social media posts throughout the days and weeks that follow.
- After a few weeks, add a few evergreen posts to your library so it occasionally gets mentioned again.
- Send your post out to your mailing list.
- Consider paid promotion of your post on your preferred social media channels. This is especially important if your post has any content upgrades that would attract an opt-in to your mailing list.
- Ensure your post has appropriate SEO to help people find you.
- Consider where else you can post this content to get it seen. Think: YouTube for video or Medium for written content. Be sure to understand the rules for cross-posting!
- Make a note of the content in an editorial calendar or library for future use.
- Consider how this post could be used as course material, bonuses, product lessons, etc.
- Also consider how this post could be combined with other material you have to create a new guide, e-book, opt-in, or mini-course.
- Make a note of the response to the post. Whenever you generate a particularly juicy post you want to consider what else makes sense in that wheelhouse. This can be a great way to test out new product or service ideas without committing too much too soon.
If this feels too overwhelming today, start with the core items and build from there.
Here are the top three to get you started:
- Get it posted,
- Sent to your list,
- Shared on your favorite social channels.
Then, make a goal to add one additional step each week or month until you’re leveraging your content to grow your business.
Don’t let overwhelm stop you from leveraging your content more effectively – you don’t have to do everything at once to see a change!
This post is the first in my new Unpack It series! In each Unpack It, I’ll tackle one task and unpack it for you here on the blog so you can master it in your business. If there’s something you’re dying for me to cover, leave a comment below!