5 Key Items That Make Up Your 2016 Content Strategy

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The following 5 Key items that make up your 2016 content strategy, aren’t new items or ideas but you may have forgotten their importance to your business. Writing content to promote your product or service must include these key items which will provide the ideas that evolve from each item.

1: Your Audience

Knowing your audience for the product or service you promote. Asking questions like: What does your audience want? What are they looking for? What keeps them surfing the Internet? Does your product answer their needs?

Knowing your audience and using a conversational tone helps you reach out in a language they understand. Letting them know you have what they need keeps them coming back to your site for additional information. They’ll submit their email address for your newsletter, e-book, or other information they have been looking for or need.

Your audience will (1) keep coming back to your site and (2) will let others know about your site by word of mouth!

2: Relationships Promote Helpfulness

Building relationships with your audience is the difference between a person who thinks only of the sale and a person who thinks solely about his customer. Everyone likes to buy but most people don’t like being sold.

To build a relationship with your audience find common ground by asking lots of pertinent questions. At the end of your content copy,

  • ask about their present situation
  • what are they looking for
  • what bothers them
  • how you can help them

Offer to help by giving them a Top 10 List that solves a problem they face. Or give them a free copy of your e-newsletter, an e-book they may enjoy, or access to your email address so they can contact you privately with their questions.

These actions show your prospects (3) it’s not all about the sale to you and (4) you genuinely care for your prospects. When they know you have their best interests in mind, your prospects feel comfortable giving you their email address or purchasing your product.

3: Your Presence Online

This is one of those items you may forget because you’re not sure how to get your presence online. Social media is your answer. Do some research to determine which social media platform your prospects hang out at. Find out where people spend their time online. Facebook, Twitter, or Linked In are great places to start. Then go to forums that ask questions similar to the answers your product or service gives your prospects.

Listen to their complaints and their praises. This information helps you become an authority on the subject, especially if your product or service links to their complaints and praises.

An online presence (5) establishes the questions your audience asks and helps them find the answers on your site. (6) Social listening gives you the upper hand on your customers’ conversations and you provide the answers to their questions.

4: Your Valued Proposition

Every product and service has something special to share with prospects. Unfortunately, those special qualities aren’t always emphasized and could be the difference between making a sale or being bypassed.

Evaluate your service by listing the benefits your service offers its customers. Look over your list and pick the one benefit that is special or exclusive. This is the benefit to lead your content copy with — show your prospects how your service is different and better than the competition. Prospects look for services that offer exclusivity, especially when the service gives them what they need or want.

Your product’s value to your prospects’ needs shows (7) why he should buy your product instead of the competition’s. And (8) by distinguishing yourself from your competition, it will be easier to close more deals.

5: The Purpose of Your Brand

Begin with the question: Why? And write down why you sell your product or provide your service. As you write down the reasons, you’ll begin to find your purpose for your business. It’s always been there but may have fallen through the tracks with all the “business stuff” that takes over. And when your purpose is clear, your passion steps forward.

With your purpose and your passion at the helm, your writing becomes transparent with your prospects. Your enthusiasm pours through your writing and your prospects believe you! They believe your passion, belief, and purpose in your copy content. “Purpose and belief transcend your offering.”

Your prospects connect to you freely when you successfully communicate why you do what you do. Everyone looks for his purpose in life and once your prospect sees your purpose, a connection develops.

You will (9) become a better salesperson once you determine your brand purpose. You’ll sell with a conviction you weren’t aware of because your deeper purpose motivates you. And (10) your prospects pick up on your passion for your work, and passion is highly contagious.

Each of the 5 key items provides two ways your business improves in 2016. With your passion and purpose resurfaced in your business, you feel the positive effects of what 2016 brings to your company — and it looks promising. To discuss this in more detail or answer any questions, please contact us.