Growing Your Business

You need to do important things like…grow your business. But you also need to juggle calls, take out your dog, create amazing work, and (if you’re anything like me) remember to eat.

And then…THEN…this new word starts getting tossed around…context. Context. It’s all about context!

What the bleep is context and how can it grow your business?

After you, context is what keeps it all together. It’s just one of the many moving parts of your brand story. Here’s why content with context can grow your business:

1. Content with context is human

Quality content with context is human. And it’s the best way to build a brand that’s human. Your company needs to be human because you’re competing with humans. Human content is personalized, relevant, and engaging. And if you haven’t already noticed, it’s this type of human content that gets shared most often on social media.

In today’s world, every website wants you to click on worthless information – so they can sell advertising. But advertising isn’t human. And it rarely ads value or offers a unique perspective.

Creative content is unique, compelling, and it allows you to showcase your ideas. And in today’s information age, ideas are everything.

2. It positions you as a leader in your niche

Any brand can create a sales-y, overly promotional advertisement. It takes serious thought to create – and curate your way to quality content. That’s why when you do this right, you position yourself as a “thought leader.” And even though I loathe the term, I love what “thought leadership” does. It sets you apart from the flock of fakes.

You’ll find that the thought that goes into thoroughly thinking through your themes comes back ten-fold. It allows you to educate and entertain your customers so that they can make an informed decision. This can win you the attention of loyal fans and followers. And it gives you the necessary knowledge you need to become an effective brand storyteller.

This “moments of warmth” ad from Duracell Canada positions Duracell as a leader. The brand rises above the status quo, and connects with its customers in a deeper way than any generic advertisement ever could.

Yes. It’s been a brutal winter. And Duracell understands. Not only do they understand – but they’ve created something to show you how to connect through human touch. As we’re coming out of our Winter comatose, this layer of connection adds relevancy to our lives. We effectively become the brand (battery) juice that justifies human connection {click to tweet!} Duracell makes it about their customers. You don’t need to win the slots to know that this a winning approach.

3. Context is like an awesomely-themed slot machine 

Every slot machines offers you the chance to win money. It’s not the content of the slot machine alone that draws you in.

It’s the theme of the slot machine. And content with a theme transcends transaction {click to tweet!}

Think about it: Do you go up to just any slot machine when you’re looking to gamble (if you’re a gambler?) Of course not. You find the slot machines with a theme that you like. Or a theme that resonates with you in some way.

Once you start playing that certain slot machine, it becomes the mechanics of the game (the engaging content!) that continues to keep you engaged.

4. It generates website traffic – and opens doors.

Content with context acts as a warm lead generator. It provides an experience that expands your audience’s mind, and your brands reach. It opens doors not just for your business, but also for your customers. When you synthesize multiple sources of insights, you provide value to your customers. Linking to other research articles or sharing photos sparks conversations that need (or should) happen within your industry. This creates opportunities.

5. Your website has more meaning

Content with context is no longer just “words” or “website copy.” Content with context is meaningful marketing. And the thing is…we’re all media companies now. Is your media meaningful – not just to you, but to your customers?

Mass media used to be the way that brands developed their story. But today, it’s the words on your website that creates the connection. It’s how you tell (or rewrite) your story that develops your brand.

Create content to spring your ideas forward, or to show where you’ve been. Stories show that your business has soul – and it’s this soul that often reveals how far you’ve come.

For example, two years ago I couldn’t get inspired to create. It was hard work. And it required a lot of brain power (which I didn’t have at the time). Unlike Duracell, I had no juice left. So, I wrote about ways to find inspiration when you have no juice left. And I kept going…and going…and going (oh, wait. That’s the Energizer bunny).

But I did get energized by the act of creating content. And in addition to the thousands of articles my business creates for clients, I now have created hundreds of published articles on my website alone. I like to look back on when I had no juice to get inspired. The good news is that if you’re not inspired or you’d prefer to outsource your content, you can still create content for your website anyway.

If you’d like help with your business or a project, you can book a call with me for the answers and ideas you need. You can find out more here.