If you’re ready to take your time back and create a simple content strategy for 2023, then listen to this episode. I want to focus on getting more time back into your calendar.
In 2023, trends and use are changing. For example, I am terrible at looking at Facebook updates and will instead look at Reels. The same is true for Instagram. I skip past any that don’t make me laugh. It’s important to understand that platforms change and people use them differently. We also need to be aware of who is using them. I may not be everyone’s ideal client and I might not be using it the same way everyone else is using it. I consume in my own way because of where I am in my business.
Start with your ideal client
For example, if I am looking for another business coach to reach me it might not be in the same way someone else would like a business coach to reach them. You have to look at your ideal client to understand who they consume and what they want you to deliver.
Your content always starts with your product and your product always starts with your ideal client. Look at the ideal client, who we want to serve and create the best product for them. Then secondly, how are we going to get that product in front of them through our content?
- What do they want to see?
- What platforms are they on?
- Are they in networks?
- Where do they consume content?
- What do they use on each social media platform?
Take them on a content journey
Understand what you’re selling, what is your niche and your ideal client then you will know what content you need to take them on a content journey to buy your product. You need to take them from the point of awareness of you and your product to wanting to buy it. It’s not just about being present on social media. It’s great to be visible but that’s just step one. What’s the next step when they are aware of you? What is the call to action to draw them into the content journey?
For example, I could offer you a masterclass at the end of this podcast or a social media post. So they get to know me and what they need to learn about the product that I want to sell.
It’s not about fire-gunning out Reels but how you are going to get in front of the right people and get them to the next level. Always think about the next step at every stage. Then you lead them to work with you. Rarely will you get people who find your website or find you on LinkedIn and instantly want to work with you.
You need to take them through a journey, especially when you are selling high-ticket (or any product) so they are warm at the point of selling.
I’d also deter anyone who simply wants to book a call with you without going through this journey as they won’t fully see where they are going.
Hero content
In order to take people through this journey you first need to think about your hero content. What is the one piece of content that you will create per week that you will repurpose? Repurpose will save you time. Is your hero content going to be a podcast episode, a video, or a blog? It has to be meaty, full of passion and your voice. It needs the essence of your brand and business inside this hero content.
You need to offer value, and let them see a personal brand behind the business. I would encourage video over a blog as a video will get you closer to your potential customers.
There are certain bits of content that cannot be repurposed into other things. YouTube is an example. You can delist videos that, if they are not optimised effectively, can damage your ratings on the channel. If you want to make the best out of YouTube then you need to use it correctly.
You could repurpose the video into a Reel. Get a content manager to help you and save time. If you’re looking at dominating Reels then you need to lead with some Reel-only content. You can take that Reel and repurpose it on other channels. Look at where your audience is consuming content and focus on one platform.
At this point, when you’re making money from that one channel, you can hire a content manager to take your content onto other channels and increase your audience reach.
Your hero content should be something you enjoy and move the needle the most. People would love to see and hear you. But you can also use a blog. Yet, video will pack a punch for 2023.
Do market research with your current clients and ideal clients to find out how they consume content.
Plan your content
If you’re winging it to get visibility, yes it might be entertaining to watch. But if you want to repurpose it, then it has to be worthy. Always create content with repurposing in mind. And do this with other platforms in mind so that it doesn’t look disjointed.
Market Research
Keep an eye on trends, but start looking at what your current paying clients are using. You need to do your market research with the right people. It also depends on how many clients you have. You might get different responses back without any golden thread whatsoever. If this happens, then look at demographic use. For example, Facebook has an older audience so if this is your ideal client, then you want to try Facebook.
There is a time and place for demographics. I’m a fan of psychographics as this looks at what works with their mindset. If you have a sceptical client, having ambitious hyped-up content that resonates with positive people, it might not resonate with your sceptical clients. You then need to create content that resonates with them.
While age doesn’t matter, you may need to look at your demographics for where they might hang out. And more so if you plan to use Facebook Ads. Then go all in on the one strategy and the hero content. Fire that out consistently.
Consistency
You also need to pay attention to consistency. Being consistent works. You need to make sure you release weekly hero content. As I said in my last episode, I’ve not been able to release new recordings recently but I have the luxury of re-releases because I’ve done over 100 episodes.
You can also get to this position but you need to put in the hard work in the first place. Batch record and be consistent. You need to take time out if you know you’ll be on holiday. Also, if you don’t have a content manager, you can have the minimum standard and the best in the world standard.
Best in the world standard is the most optimised way that we know we can work that will pack a massive punch with our ideal clients. We know it is consistent and we’ve repurposed everything. Then I also look at a minimum standard as we don’t have as many resources. If you lack resources, then what are you doing that’s still consistent?
Let’s say your hero content is a video that you’d usually repurpose into a blog and send to your email list. How can you make your life easier and more effective if you are sick or you have a sick child? What is the bare minimum that you need to happen if you need to pull back?
Perhaps for a week or two, you need to pull back on the repurposing. Instead, you stay consistent with your hero content and repurpose it at another time. Or perhaps you’ve got batch content you can pick from should something happen. I suggest staying ahead of yourself and batch-producing content. The point it to remain as consistent as possible. People will look for your content and they will wait for it. It also exercises your creative muscle.
Get help from AI
Coming up with ideas can be hard at times. My tip is to use Chat GPT. You can ask this anything. For example, I can ask it to give ten ideas for podcast episodes that are focused on coaches and service-based businesses. It will roll out ten ideas. Then ask it to outline a podcast outline for idea number three.
I don’t robotically stick to a plan but what they give you off an AI tool is generic. It can give a starting point but you need to put your energy, passion, skills and opinion on top of what you’re given. You can ask it to write an intro to a blog on a specific subject. It’s extremely useful and clever. Before this, I’ve battered off AI but this is good.
Use your content buckets
Finally, think about your different content buckets. Content buckets are important to cover in your marketing strategy. You want to look at how much people engage with content buckets. Yet, bear in mind that if you are putting out content on sensitive topics you may not get much engagement so there might be another way to measure it. Therefore your ideal client might be quiet. In this situation, you need to ask them when you talk to them how they found you. When you know what content gets the most traction, you can lean into it and create more.
These are the content buckets you need:
- The value-adding expert status content – the how to’s and answering your customers’ questions
- Polarising or thought-leadership content
- Personal or behind-the-scenes
The content that will work well this year, is a mixture of personal stories mixed with the marketing. Combine the story with the marketing. Our more popular email recently was peared back and written in plain text to one person. From sending it, we got an instant response because we sent it as though it’s a personal email.
Personalised content that is less about your offer and more connecting with people before the call-to-action. All these different buckets need to merge together this year. You can merge your opinion into the how-to content. Bring in your thought-leadership into other content. You can also link your daily occurances back to your core message.
Useful links:
Book a Call with Jen – bit.ly/claritycallpodcast
Download my FREE Seven Figure Market Leader Roadmap –http://www.marketleaderleague.com/marketleaderroadmap/
Send your emails to jen@jen-hall.com
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