Aaahhh, content. You need it. You want it. You know that is how to drive targeted, profitable traffic to your business.
It'll free up your time so that you can spend it on the more important parts of your work.
But a funny thing happened on the way to getting the content that you deserve. Maybe it happened at the water cooler. Or in the elevator. Or in that gawd-awful Monday morning meeting:
The “b” word got in the way.
No, not your coworker. That other annoying thing that rears its ugly head: Budget.
Here's how to get outsourced content approved in your budget:
1. Look at content as an investment
Content on your website is owned media. It's an investment into your business that will constantly give you a return on investment, possibly for years down the line.
When you create and distribute relevant, valuable content to attract and engage a clearly defined targeted audience, you drive sales. And you eventually get more business. Lots of it.
When you think of your company as a media company, you can create conversation. You create connection. And connection is what leads to relationships. And relationships lead to sales. It's that simple.
2. Embrace the “connection economy”
When you're starting out with your content marketing, it's easiest to approach it by talking about yourself. You would create informational content, and discuss what makes you so great. The problem is, this is the old mentality. It will feel like an advertisement. And people have learned to tune these out.
Thought leadership embraces this new “connection economy.” It's fun and beautiful. And more meaningful than yesterday.
But the real opportunity in the connection economy is the evolution of your customer, and how disruptive technology is changing how they do business. So ask these questions:
- What uniquely defines the persona of your customers?
- What is different about their customer journey?
- What are the touchpoints that they frequent? How do they use them, and with what devices?
- What are their expectations, what do they value, and how do they define success?
- How are they influenced, and by whom? How and whom do they in turn influence?
3. Realize that content marketing is an art.
The best content creators know that content marketing is an art.And you must market your art in some way, shape, or form for your customer to see it.
But when you're creating content that's valuable, marketing doesn't feel like “marketing.” It won't be slimy or promotional. Because the second your art is released into the world, it's about the value it brings. It's no longer about you. It's about educating and entertaining your customer – the consumer of your art.
4. Let go of the traditional approach to marketing.
The majority (80%) of business decision-makers prefer to receive information about a company in a series of content versus traditional marketing tactics, according to Demand Gen Report: Content Preferences Survey.
In the book, Persuasion: Psychological Insights and Perspectives, psychologists Melanie Green and Tim Brock argue that entering fictional worlds radically alters the way information is processed. The more absorbed readers are in a story, the more the story alters the way they think. They also found that fictional stories influence the opinions in a way that's comparable to factual narratives.
5. Develop thought leadership.
Thought leadership is expressing your ideas to demonstrate that you are an expert in your field.
Developing thought leadership is at an all time high. At Jessica Ann Media we have clients who are:
- Launching new brands, podcasts and books
- Raising investment funds
- Getting featured in the media (without pitching the media)
The success for all of these clients comes down: Content Strategy.
The secret sauce to getting a “yes!” to your content strategy is to embrace the new way to do business:
Content marketing – It's is the only marketing that's left.
Contact us to learn more.
