Are you ready to get stuck in with your content plan for 2022? In this episode, I share all the latest strategies so you can supercharge your content and bring in real sales for your business.
I have been researching all the different content plans that people want to do in 2022. So this episode covers the best tips and tricks which will move the needle for you and your content this year.
I cover the TWO things you need in place BEFORE you start creating a content strategy. And the best approach to your content plan so that you keep it simple and don’t get overwhelmed.
Listen on the player above or read the blog below.
Why bother with content?
Content is the thing that people spend the most time on. Your content is really about positioning and being able to sell your products. There is a correlation between creating content and making sales. Yet, on the flip-side people can spend so much time on their content that it comes to the detriment of everything else.
What happens is someone will make some money from their content but continue to reuse the same plan. They end up burning themselves out. You need to be strategically visible so you get the most from your time. My content strategist helps me be strategically visible. In our conversation, she makes the point of making sure you are spending the right amount of time on something and ensuring you are getting some return on investment. That you are not spending tonnes of time creating content that does not bring in the money.
I am going to share the key strategies that will bring people from seeing your content to buying your products.
People will put out content without giving a second thought to what they are selling.
Are you focused on what you are selling this year?
Have you planned out what it is that you are selling this year? What are your products? And then you reverse-engineer. Some people will chuck out content willy-nilly, which is great for putting your name on the map and getting attention. But if it does not lead someone to your product, it will not make any money.
It is fine to figure it out and get content creation juices flowing – then go ahead and do this. Sometimes putting content out for the sake of it has its benefits. Unfortunately, one of them is not making money. The sooner you can look at what is your product suite and when you will sell it, the better.
I spent two days with my business partner, Andy Moore, looking at what we will be selling for our travel company. When we will be selling it and the new products we are launching. We looked at the campaigns that worked the best and so decided what we would do for each launch.
Content for warm and cold audiences
You also need to consider the kinds of content you are going to create for your warm and cold audiences. Depending on where you put the content out, will depend on the content that people need. For example, in EverTrek, we have people who are booked onto four trips. They have yet to go on a trip due to Covid so need a different kind of content. We need to keep them engaged and add value to their journey.
We then need new bookings. One of our big words for next year is “inspire”. When you inspire on both levels, you can capture new people and inspire those already booked on tours. We are looking at our content through this lens. Does the content inspire people to take on these treks? Does it inspire them to keep their booking with us?
You want to think about this for your own content.
Goals and direction
What are your goals for this year? And what is the direction you want to take your business in? Look at where your audience is – where are the people who don’t know anything about you? The people who know about you but have not yet bought. Plus, the people who have already bought and want to buy again.
Your current customers are your biggest buyers so you want to re-engage them. These people are on your email list so you need to look at your email marketing and what you want to say so that you inspire them.
Go beyond first-layer content
It also depends on where your business is at right now so you can focus on where you need it to be. I realise that can seem like a big task, but it doesn’t need to be. You can simplify things. Often, it can seem so big because you are focussing on that first-layer social media content. The result is that you are not taking your customer on a journey. There will be missed opportunities with past and current clients unless you focus on that next level content.
You draw people into that next layer, which could be a masterclass. Masterclasses are still content. You bring them on a journey so they go beyond liking and moving on. You need to entice them into becoming a part of your brand and your business. The Call-To-Action is important in any year. Bringing people on the journey to build a connection with them.
For example, if you have a high-ticket programme, you will want to build a real connection and have a good quality conversation. You need to bring people to that call. Reverse-engineering is really important to understand what you need to do each step of the way towards that product you sell.
Topics and niche
Reverse-engineering will also determine the kinds of topics that you talk about in your content. Here you need to think about your niche. Your niche is not your opinion. Opinions can inspire your niche. Opinions can bring about thought-leadership but thought-leadership without a niche is just a following. You cannot make money from just a following.
The one I see online all the time is “I help busy mums”. You help busy mums to do what? What is the problem? Most mums are busy – is it an issue? Instead, what are you doing to solve a problem for them? And how are you educating them on that? Everyone is in that niche and not making money from it because it is not a real niche.
A real niche consists of a problem and an outcome. The bigger the problem, the bigger the outcome, the more money you will receive. Small problems and outcomes can be fluffy and ambiguous but do not make much money. There can be passion there but if it does not solve a real problem that people want to pay money for – it is an expensive hobby.
Really think about your niche this year. If you need to refresh your niche, listen to this episode here. If this is not something you feel you can do on your own – it is something we help with at Market Leader League so jump on a Clarity Call with me. This will dictate your content and the success of your business.
You cannot create good content without a good niche. You cannot work out what your products are without that niche.
Passion
Then you can show them the story about why they need your product. It is not about manipulation, it’s about education. When you get this right with your content, your customers will come to you. This is why you need to make sure you put out valuable content over quantity.
I see so many people trying to put out a high volume of content but that lacks the quality you need. And it lacks quality because it is missing the niche and the reverse-engineering. Quality means bringing your customer on a journey to buy your product.
I spent some time working out what I am passionate about in my business – and it is helping service businesses sell those high-ticket items and get paid their worth. When you are passionate about something, the area of expertise you want to hone in on for at least the first quarter – give it direction and passion. Really draw out the passion. Passion is what people will connect with. You need to get passionate about what it is you do and the content.
If you want to make high-ticket sales from your content, you need to focus on the problem and that outcome in your content. To make sure that your problem and outcome is strong enough to warrant bigger bucks. Your offering may be high-ticket for different reasons. Many people think high-ticket means luxury, this is not always the case. It does not always mean more 1-1 work either. There are many different ways to peel an orange.
Use content to educate people on the problem and educate them on the solution you offer.
Let’s help you look at the kind of content you need to put out there.
1. Teach people about the problem they already have
Businesses solve problems. Whether you are an ice-cream van style problem – i.e. you are convenience-based. This is a harder sell as you need to show people a problem they did not realise they have. Really dig in about agitating that problem as much as possible to show the impact. Show them they need to take action else these are the consequences.
2. Bring in the story
Tell your story and how this problem relates to you. Some people help others to heal their hearts. Is this about you or your clients? Combine with proof about how you achieve results. People just like them.
3. Education around the solution you deliver
Look at your unique solution. Your biggest USP. Why is this solution different? The more you make it about you, the bigger the rod for your own back when you want to scale. People try and position them as the USP when they want to scale. It makes it difficult. You want people to want your solution – not you. Make it more about an external solution you provide. This needs to be succinct and clear.
4. Why should people buy now?
Where is the urgency? Why wait? This can help by looking at the consequences of not acting on the problem. Bring a sense of urgency. But also look at this strategically in your funnel. It can be about having transactional conversations. People need deadlines. It can be about when you are closing the doors. You may want to focus on bringing value to clients rather than selling. Deadlines also give people a ticket up the backside to book in.
Being available all the time does not help your potential clients. If people don’t see the urgency, they will chase their tails. If you genuinely believe in your results, why would you not want to see them get that?
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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