When it comes to being successful in attracting clients, it can all come down to the content you are putting out there. Is it engaging your ideal client? Is it keeping your current customer base interested?
Keeping your content fresh and focused is the best way to ensure that you're getting the most out of what you're creating, it also helps boost your SEO.
It's important to create content that gets your name out there, gets your ideal client interested, promotes consideration of your product or service, and helps your potential clients and current customers make a decision that involves working with you!
Check out these content ideas that will help you in each of those four areas:
You need content that is going to create awareness. This means the content needs to spark interest in what you do. This can be done by showing the "expert" side of your brand. Think of this kind of content as what you want people to share when they see it. We want them to share it with your ideal client! Remember, this is the first step in building a top of mind brand.
Ideas for awareness content can include:
As you can see, here at CIS Agency, we use blog posts as one of our forms of awareness content! Blog posts allow you to show off your expertise, help your customers and ideal clients with what they need, and it also is an opportunity to allow customers to hear your voice. Content should always be written in your brand voice. If you're not sure what that is, don't worry - we have a blog for that, too!
Who doesn't love a good online quiz? On the surface, a quiz about you and your partner's financial compatibility or which house you should buy based on your Enneagram number can just be fun! For you, however, if done well, these kinds of assessments and quizzes can help you reach a specific audience and gather some key information about them before reaching out! For example, a financial advisor may use that compatibility quiz to reach out to couples who need some mediation and guidance when it comes to how to manage their money. The house quiz can be great for realtors, designers, builders, or anyone who deals with remodeling homes!
The best part about quizzes is that they catch people's eyes and usually get shared. It may take a bit of set-up, but these assessments can produce a high return!
Another great way to establish your brand as an expert is by creating content outside of just the written word. Podcasts and videos will reach another audience and - a big bonus - most of the time you can offer a subscription! This means when you create new content, it immediately gets pushed to your subscriber base. Keep in mind that sometimes you'll want to create awareness with podcasts and videos, but that you can also hit on the other three goals of creating interest, consideration, and making a decision.
This is another great way to establish your brand voice. These episodes can be fun and light-hearted, or they can be brief and more serious, or they can be anything in between! Find what works for your brand and your base.
There's so much you can do to drive awareness! A few more ideas include:
● Sharing articles
● Infographics
● Whitepapers
● Thought Leadership
● News
● Tip Sheets
● Webinars
● eBooks
Now that you've got their attention, we want to turn those prospects into leads! This is where we might get a little more specific and target a certain group or solution.
Holding events is a great way to interact with your base! If a current or potential customer is willing to spend time or money on an event, it is likely that they will also spend money on what you're selling! Consider hosting an event that demonstrates your products, training on a concept that is in line with a service you provide, or even just a way to get your base connected with each other.
If you take a look at Pinterest, you will see a plethora of interactive education worksheets. This kind of content is a great way to generate leads and know exactly what kind of guidance they are looking for. Examples you may find are checklists, budget workbooks, or worksheets that answer questions like "How much should I be charging for my service?"
We can also get more specific with videos. Providing videos that show exactly how to use your product or how your service works will help answer questions your potential clients may have. Fewer questions lead to more confident customers! More confidence often leads to more buying. It's a win-win!
● Frameworks
● Perspectives
● Solution Pages
● Solution Decks
Now that your potential client has many of their questions answered, we want to give them content that will really get them bought in.
Sure, they can take your word for it, but it is so effective to use the voices of your already happy customers! Customers that are willing to promote your products and services are valuable to the brand and can make a big difference when it comes to converting leads to sales or sales to more promoters! Testimonials can be written or recorded for podcasts and videos!
If you have the ability to let someone test out a product or service for free, then trials are a very effective tool! Whether it is a promotion that is good for a limited time or a constant offer, advertising-free trials will help leads convert!
Think back to the last time you made a buying decision. What were some of the searches you did for research? One of the most common is a comparison - how does one brand compare to another? Or am I looking at the right product in your line-up? Comparisons in the form of blogs or infographics make for quick and easy answers to these questions your customers are absolutely asking!
● Product Guides
● Case Studies
● Data Sheets
● FAQs
Finally, you aren't always going to reach the decision-maker right away with your social media or website marketing. In these cases, you want to make sure you're providing tools that can be used by your promoter to help sway the decision-maker towards your brand of products and services.
The key to this kind of content is hard facts and data.
If you've been in business long enough to be able to show real numbers associated with the benefits of using your product or service, then this is a must for content to create! Showing prospective clients what you have done versus just what you can do can make all the difference between a response like "I'll think about it" and a confident sale.
Even better than generic data is specific, custom data. Creating a custom executive presentation or data set will show your potential buyer 1) what they are getting through partnering with you and 2) that you're invested in them even before they open their checkbook to you. These presentations should be specific to what you've done for similar clients and what you can do for this client with their numbers and their goals.
The keyword in every type of decision-making content is custom. When the content is tailored to that potential client, you increase your ability to close the sale with confidence. Providing workshops and demos that are custom to the client - or, at the very least, their industry - will help them visualize how what you offer will fit into their day to day and help them reach their goals.
Other Decision Content Ideas
● ROI Tools
● Detailed Assessments
● Custom Sales Enablement
It can be overwhelming to look at content creation from afar and realize there are so many options and so many ways to accomplish your goals. We hope this helps you to narrow the focus: Need more awareness? More lead conversion? Then which of these content types best suits your brand, your schedule, and your voice? Once you have those answers, it should be easier to prioritize your creation.
If you ever need assistance with your content - or your brand! - CIS Agency is happy to lend a hand at whatever stage of the content creation game you're in!