Tag: sales

3 Ways to Leverage Your Contacts for Leads

Posted on by Maria Ross
3 Ways to Leverage Your Contacts - photo of person drawing social media circles on chalkboard

You may think you don’t have enough reach, a big enough email list or enough leads.

But you are actually sitting on a goldmine. And you might be ignoring it.

Recently, I learned the importance of clearly reaching out and communicating your work to people you know. Yes, just took me more than 11 years in business to learn how to be proactive on this! #latebloomer

All of us have networks of former colleagues or clients. All of us have some quantity of people on our email lists, be that 100 or 10,000. All of us are connected to people through social media, especially LinkedIn. You might think some of them can’t help you get more clients and customers, but they can.

This is your lead and referral base. Time to start nurturing it!

Here are 3 ways to leverage your existing network, client base or email list for more leads and revenue opportunities.

  1. Reach Out: This year, I’ve committed to reaching out to 5 contacts. Just a short, sweet note of connection. These could be folks from my corporate life, colleagues I’ve met at business networking events, former clients. People who may or may not need my services right now – but may know someone who does. I’m letting them know what is going on with me and inviting them to coffee or a Zoom call so we can connect and help each other. This is not just about you being selfish: Reconnecting with your network is a great way for you practice generosity and see how you might be of service to them. Remind them that you exist and you may just unlock new business or yourself…or for them.
  2. Tag Emails and Posts with a CTA: This is a technique that works so well for sales coach Leah Neaderthal of Smart Gets Paid. You may have noticed in recent emails or social media posts, I’ll occasionally mention “3 ways I can help” and remind fans about my 90-minute Brand Booster sessions, free private Facebook community they can join for entrepreneurial advice (MOMENTUM for Savvy Entrepreneurs) or DIY digital course for marketing success, MOMENTUM Pro. This has helped kick start folks into action. We are all busy. No one remembers everything you do, so it’s on you to continually remind them! As my good friend and colleague conversion copywriter Betsy Talbot always says, “You have to tell your clients how to buy from you!”
  3. Love Your List: I don’t care how big your email list is. You need to love on them! Quality beats quantity any day.  These are your biggest fans, so make them feel special. Offer exclusive content, provide free trainings, heck, send them an inspiring playlist! Not sure how to love on them? Grab some templates and ideas from CLIENT LOVE, so you can love the fans you’ve got and attract even more. When you love your existing tribe rather than always striving to “collect” new subscribers to clients, you turn them into brand evangelists!

People are busy. They forget about you or what you do. They don’t keep up with every new launch, rebrand or product you have to offer.

Don’t waste your existing network, fans or client base: Remind them you are there and how you can help.

Proactive generosity and connection will always bring you success. (TWEET THIS!)

How to build a sales process and close more deals with Leah Neaderthal

Posted on by Maria Ross

build a sales process and close more deals with Leah Neaderthal

If you’re a coach, consultant or service provider of any kind, you may falsely believe that you have to accept a life of feast or famine. I mean, you never know when or if your next client will land on your doorstep, right? How can you possibly PLAN to reach your revenue number each quarter?

Easy. Create a sales process and build a sales pipeline for a consistent flow of new clients who pay you what you’re worth.

But….how?

Today I’m interviewing sales coach Leah Neaderthal.  Leah is the founder of Smart Gets Paid and a business coach for women (but guys, you’ll want to tune in, too, if you want to close more deals).  I adore her so much, I can’t sand it.

Her signature course, SIGNED, teaches you how to build a repeatable sales process, get paid what they’re worth, negotiate better and close more deals (I’ve taken the course and it’s been a game-changer…more on how you can get a special discount below!)

Grab a pen and take notes. Seriously. That is, if you want to book more clients at higher rates. If you don’t, you can go binge watch Game of Thrones.

But…if you want to build a healthy sales pipeline so you can stop worrying about revenue, have better sales conversations, and book more of the right clients (so you make more money. not do more work), please click below to watch the interview!

YouTube video

Highlights include:

* What holds people back in business, especially women (2:26)
* 2 reasons why talented, smart people struggle with making sales (6:22)
* Top myths holding you back from closing more deals and getting paid more (9:36)
* What is a sales process and why do you absolutely need one (12:30)
* Why you must “lead the client” because they don’t know how to buy from you (13:30)
* What she says to those who say they don’t “need” a sales process – so good! (15:55)
* How to manage your sales pipeline and why you need “pipeline coverage” (17:34)
* No active deals currently in your pipeline? Here’s where to start! (20:04)
* How to get paid what you’re worth and protect your price in the sales process (26:41)
* How value-based pricing creates a better client relationship (29:10)
* How to protect your price during tense negotiations  (31:40)
* The single best antidote to protecting your price (36:36)
* The 2 crucial tools you need to effectively manage your sales process (38:05)

Don’t fear sales. Not everyone is born being good at it, but it can be learned. As Leah says so well,

“If your work creates value and people can benefit from it, it’s your responsibility to share it” (TWEET THIS!)

Learn more about Leah on her website, or connect with her on LinkedIn

PS: Want to learn more about SIGNED to close more deals with better clients?

Just contact me, and I’ll introduce you two. Leah doesn’t accept everyone into the course, so jump on a call with her to discuss your goals and see if it’s the right fit for you.  

#SoWorthIt

After taking SIGNED, I used Leah’s techniques and templates to craft a strong proposal and boldly DOUBLE my engagement price by adding more value without adding more work. The client agreed without blinking an eye. Scouts honor. – Me!

How to Write Copy That Converts to Sales with Betsy Talbot

Posted on by Maria Ross

Maria Ross - How to Convert More Prospects Into Sales

Do you have trouble writing for your business?

Maybe it’s a blog post idea you can’t seem to get from your brain to the keyboard.
Or a sales page that makes you feel like a carnival barker.
Or even an email to an influencer, potential client, or journalist—the kind of person who could help your business if only you knew what to say to them.

And don’t even get started on case studies and testimonials—it takes too much bravery to even ask, much less guide them on what to say! Right?

What would it feel like if you knew the basic framework to confidently write the blog posts, website pages, and emails to grow your business?

No more stress.
No banging your head against your keyboard.
And no more worrying you’ll say the wrong thing.

Today I’m interviewing Betsy Talbot, my go-to copywriter and straight-talking campaign strategist. Betsy and I have worked together for years because her words spur action. And that’s what you want your words to do for your business!

Get your notebook ready, because Betsy’s sharing the kind of info that can save you hours of work and get you more sales. And I also asked Betsy to share her entrepreneurial advice on how to let go of a business when those sales are just NOT converting.

Um, we also talked about how strippers and spies can make compelling content. So, yeah, you need to check this video out.

If you want to write copy that attracts and converts more browsers into actual, paying buyers, please click below to watch the video interview!

YouTube video

Highlights include:

How to launch a brand from scratch and quickly see revenue (2:30)
Making a hard choice about when to close down your business (3:56)
Why you need to ditch the “hope and growth” strategy and what to do instead if you want to be profitable – including avoiding the mistake of DIY-ing everything in your business (4:35)
Betsy’s best advice for turning interested prospects into paying clients: Lead the client (8:26)
When to DIY versus hire a copywriter + the mistakes to avoid when writing your own sales copy (17:16)
The most important tips to make writing and content creation easier for yourself and more effective (22:02)

“Document your solution. You have to explain HOW you specifically help people. They do not know otherwise.” (Tweet This!)

My juicy blog writing tip to add more sizzle. This is where the strippers and spies come in! (23:54)
Why selling is NOT sleazy and how to EDUCATE rather than sell and OFFER rather than ask (27:20)
How to “actively solicit” or “cold call” the right way: What to cold-email a target prospect, the media or a “famous” person so he endorses your book! (31:54)

Don’t miss Betsy’s practical tips on how to write clear, compelling copy that will actually convert to sales. And with all of this advice, heed Betsy’s wise words:

“There’s a place for learning but you have to follow it up with ACTION!” (Tweet This!)

Are you not getting the results you want from your copy, but don’t have the budget to hire a copywriter? Well, then check out Betsy’s Pocket Copywriter Program right here. And use discount code: redslice” for $100 off per month!

The Myth of Authenticity

Posted on by Maria Ross

The Myth of Authenticity

Be authentic. Have an authentic brand. I want to be seen as authentic.

Everyone’s all about “authenticity” these days. Which really hasn’t changed all that much since I first blogged about this in 2011. And yet, marketers and entrepreneurs are still fretting out about it.

It’s time to bust this myth of authentic branding, once and for all.

Authentic is not something you can BE. It is a way of being that is unique to whatever you already are, what you deliver or how you serve people.

Trying to be “authentic” is like trying to “be original.” An original what? Authentic to what? How does this show up in the world?

When experts advise you to be authentic, all they are really saying is to be who you are.  Play to your true strengths. Don’t try to slap on “coat of brand paint,” as I like to say. This is the very reason why your brand must be lived from the inside out.

Some confuse authenticity with transparency, or homemade, or natural. If that is who your brand and business really are, then, yes. You are being authentic if you convey that vibe. But if you are truly a loud, obnoxious and rabble-rouser, your brand can convey those traits and “authentically” be that, too.

All authentic really means is that you walk your talk and deliver what you promise.(TWEET THIS!)

It’s not an “end state” to aspire to, it’s a way of being what you already are and showing that to your audience. Period.

What I believe entrepreneurs and marketers often mean when they say they desire an “authentic” brand is that they want to be seen as down-to-earth, conversational, approachable, open or direct. If so, then use those attributes. Don’t say authentic. It should be a given that your brand walks its talk.

You can be an elite, exclusive, downright snobby brand and, if that’s truly what your organization delivers and what you convey in all of your messaging and design, then it is an authentic brand as well.

And please don’t take things too far! Being authentic is also not the same as having no filter. It’s not an excuse to forget about your audience’s needs and what would be valuable for them. Personally, I don’t find an Instagram feed full of what a thought leader ate for breakfast “authentic.” To me, that’s just egotistical. If, however, showing me the “behind the scenes” glimpses offers value, then great. Share the story, lesson, or failure so I can learn something. Heck, make me laugh or inspire me. That’s adding value, too. Be real…as long as it’s genuine to who you are AND in service to the promise you made your audience.

Authenticity is not a state to be achieved that means one thing. Authentic is a qualifier: Your brand is authentically….what?

Are you Using the Right Marketing Muscles?

Posted on by Maria Ross

Are you using the right marketing muscles or is your progress stalled?

Being an avid Crossfitter (going on 7 years now), I’ve learned a thing or two about getting my head on straight so my body will follow. And how false assumptions can only hurt your progress. 

My fabulous coach (I use more colorful adjectives when she gives me too many burpees) devotes herself to ensuring we understand the intent behind all of our moves, so that we are not just blindly trying to complete reps, but that we do each rep right. Proper form is everything.  

You can do a million reps of an exercise, but if you do them badly, you won’t see results. Period. 

For years, I held on to false assumptions about which muscles should be activated when doing certain moves.  And because of that, I plateaued. Despite lots of effort, I never got stronger, faster or better. And often, I would just hurt myself! 

For example, when you do a deadlift (lifting a weighted barbell from the floor), most people think you use your back or even your arms to a certain extent. You actually need to activate your hamstrings and booty to lift more weight..  

When you do a push-up, most people position their arms in the wrong spot and believe it’s all about arm strength, which is why they quickly fatigue. It’s not about arms, but about tightening your abs and butt. 

When you squat, especially with weights, it’s not about your quads. It’s about your booty and core. 

When you bench press, it not about using your arms. It’s about activating and pressing from your core.  

The epiphany here is that if each rep is perfectly executed, you can actually do less and make more progress than if you do a thousand reps really, really badly. And side bonus: You don’t hurt yourself! 

You’d be surprised how much more weight you can lift and how many more reps you can do when you activate the right muscles.  

The same holds true for your business and brand success.  

If you’re brutally honest, you may find you, too, hold many false assumptions that are halting your progress and keeping you from reaching your personal best – and potentially hurting yourself! 

Sales is not about being pushy, annoying or slimy, it’s about having a conversation. 

Profitability does not come from just signing new clients. It’s about managing expenses and correctly pricing your offerings or you could actually be losing money on every new deal.   

Marketing success is not more effective just because you spend more money, time or effort. More ads, more content, more, more, MORE. It’s actually about doing less, but making sure you’re doing the right things so you get more bang for your buck.  

It’s not about doing more and doing it all badly. It’s about focusing on fewer tactics and making sure you execute them with perfection.(TWEET THIS!)

Ready to learn proper form and technique so you can do less sales and marketing and yet attract more clients, fans and revenue? If so, please check out MOMENTUM Pro, a self-study digital course you will adore to help you focus, streamline and be more effective in generating sales. Sounds good, right?!

Photo Credit: Tech Girls Movement

4 Ways to Support Small Businesses, Not Just on #SmallBusinessSaturday

Posted on by Maria Ross

This week is Consumer Crazy Town. You know what I’m talking about: The post-Thanksgiving, shopping-binge, sale-frenzy that is Black Friday.

To be brutally honest with you, it kind of disgusts me. The unabashed display of consumer greed. The crowds lining up at 3 a.m (What the…?1?!) to save $300 on a new TV, trampling all over each other to get in the door. P.S. there is actual data showing that, for all that effort and pain, people don’t save as much as they think they do.

All I can think of is how these people’s children are seeing this behavior…and what they are learning from it. Yeah, they’re REALLY going to believe that you can’t buy love.

I’m ALL FOR a good deal. Believe me. The Nordstrom semi-annual sale. Finding an awesome piece of art at a garage sale. Scoring that cheap boutique sweater that becomes my staple for years. I just prefer sleeping in (or at least as much as my toddler will let me), enjoying time with my family and finding similar deals from the comfort of my own laptop.

With this commercial frenzy, comes the equally ambitious push to ditch megastores and instead shop small on #SmallBusinessSaturday.

Here are four ways you can support small businesses, not just on Small Business Saturday, but EVERY day:

  1. Shop there! While you might adore them from afar, how many small boutiques and cozy local restaurants have you actually given regular business? And then one day–POOF!­–they are closed and you just say, “Oh, that’s so sad!” Businesses can’t stay open without customers, so put your wallet where your mouth is. (TWEET THIS!) And this includes your favorite Etsy boutique or small online specialty retailer.
  2. Share an Online Review: Social proof is a huge marketing boost for any business. If you love your new hoodie or had a fantastic meal, don’t just keep that joy all to yourself. Leave an online review to help that business succeed.
  3. Give the Owner Feedback: I am notorious for falling in love with a local shop and, as an occupational hazard, giving them tips and pointing out issues. That’s how you know I care: when I point out your flaws (…just ask my husband.) You want your favorite haunt to succeed, right? Then let them know their menu is confusing, or the sweater pilled on the first day or that their store hours are not posted online. They may not know…and they need to know. You are not complaining if you do it with love – you are giving them feedback to help them keep more customers and stay alive.
  4. Tell Your Friends: Instagram and Facebook are tailor-made for sharing your next savvy find or amazing local experience. Don’t feel like a cliché in sharing your morning latte or food porn IF you also tag the small business and give them more exposure. Better yet, send an email to 10 friends and tell them about it. If I find out you’re holding out on me by not telling me that shop has fabulous locally-made necklaces, I’ll be very mad at you. This works for B2B businesses, too. If a consultant or coach rocked your world, share the love. Word of mouth is priceless.

Just like you shouldn’t wait until Valentine’s Day to tell your honey, “I love you,” don’t wait until #SmallBusinessSaturday to support your favorite small business.(TWEET!)

Otherwise, they may not be around this time next year!

And if you’re a small business on a budget, here’s how I’d like to support YOU: My popular digital course, Brand Bootcamp, will be going away at year end to make room for some new offerings. You can still access all this juicy value that has helped small business owners attract more customers, clarify their sales messaging, and get more buzz for a Farewell Sale price of just $49. Click here to learn more. The course will have it’s final curtain call on December 31, so if this sounds like just what you need for 2018, please enjoy!

Photo via Unsplash

3 Tips to Make Facebook Ads Work For You

Posted on by Maria Ross

Social media offers fantastic opportunities to increase your brand visibility, drive sales and build an audience. For those who do it well, you can get away with using the platforms for free and accomplishing all your goals.

There are lots of experts who can help you do this well, such as Lilach Bullock, Jay Baer, and Amy Porterfield. But they will also educate you that investing some money into the process through ads or promotions can exponentially increase your reach and grow your audience.

In the past few years, I’ve experimented with Facebook ads to boost my brand and increase sales. While I would never claim to be a Facebook expert, I’ve learned three incredibly important lessons about how to make Facebook ads work for you.

3 Tips I’ve Learned Firsthand About Making Facebook Ads Work

  1. Use Facebook Ads to Build Your List, Not Just Sell: Nordstrom can get away with simply offering a cute pair of red stilettos in their ad and having people click “Buy!” (ahem…guilty) That’s because it’s a product and I know their brand well. Initially, my old school advertising background kicked in and I mistakenly thought that I, too, could just promote a paid program in my ads and it would work. No. Even if you think your product is competitively priced, people may not know you yet…and you’re invading their personal News Feed with your ads. So, yeah, you’ve got to build trust. Duh. Using Facebook ads to promote a free offering FIRST (a cheat sheet, webinar or the like) works much better to pull people into your orbit and onto your list. You can then nurture them and create warm leads for when you’re ready to make the ask. Drive folks to a specific blog post (and offer a free download they can sign up for when they get there), offer a free guide or access to training videos. Anything they can easily sign up for with no risk.
  2. Create a Marketing Funnel for Your Campaign: Social media does not work, as mentioned, for most unknown brands as AD = SALE. Plan the journey you want prospects to take. Perhaps you build a campaign to launch a new coaching program that includes: A) Free guide, B) Free webinar or Facebook Live event and C) Free consult. Think through the steps and plan ahead.
  3. Leverage Lookalikes and Retargeting: Facebook has such cool features that enable you to laser-focus on your ideal client or customer. Mapping out who they are in crisp detail will make your ad efforts (in any medium, I might add) way more effective, trust me! Facebook allows you to create lookalike audiences of your existing email list and also retarget in many ways, including: website visitors, people who downloaded your previous offer or those who attended your last Facebook Live.

Once I learned these lessons, my Facebook ad results matched up to my expectations and I’ve gotten much savvier about how to effectively use them.

Now, I have no idea how to voodoo behind Facebook ads work–and I’m not the gal who wants to DIY this type of thing as I have no interest in being a Facebook Ads expert. That’s why I turned to experts to help me, including most recently the FABULOUS Devani Freeman and in the past, Tammy Martin and Gavin Bell. Seriously worth the investment.

With these tips, you can hopefully skip some of the learning curve I had to climb and get to success faster!

Trick or Treat?

Posted on by Maria Ross

Trick or Treat?

Marketing does not have a very good reputation. 

People often perceive marketers as liars or con artists, saying anything and everything to get you to buy their stuff. 

When I see others in my chosen profession deceiving the public, my blood pressure goes up. I want to throttle soda companies that try to pretend their products are “healthy” somehow (this includes so-called “water drinks” that are loaded with sugar). When I get a piece of direct mail that looks like an official legal document, all I can think of that naïve person who might actually think they’ve done something wrong. 

Makes me want to smack somebody. Hard. 

I once got a direct mailer that essentially made it sound like my credit cards would all be shut down unless I responded to their offer. Sickening. 

And don’t get me started on telemarketing companies that prey on the elderly. My dad is 89 years old and we’ve luckily intercepted calls for him where they made him think his computer was hacked, tried to con him into another timeshare condo or assured him they had a “can’t miss” investment opportunity.  

My profession and other honest marketers like myself take a hit every time some jerky jerk decides to engage in false advertising or find the semantic loopholes. (“What did we do wrong? We said it only has 100 calories! We don’t have to mention how much sodium, chemicals or sugar is in it, too. Legally, we can say it’s a ‘healthier alternative!’”) 

Marketing is not about lying to people. It’s about elevating the truth of your story so the right people who need what you’ve got can find. Click To Tweet

It’s about communicating real value. If you are targeting the right people who have a very real need, then it will not be a hard sell, as long as you’re clear and compelling. 

You can choose to play the game in one of two ways. And you must decide now what kind of marketer (and human) you will be: 

  1. Trick people with lies and hyperbole.Trick, scare, or scam them into action and then deal with the aftermath of regret and anger.  
  2. Treat people with the truth. Delight them by making it compelling, valuable and authentic and, if it’s a good fit, they won’t be able to resist. Savor the loyalty and connection. 

Wall Street and our current consumer-driven culture may disagree with me, but I’ll give you one guess as to which approach is more sustainable, scalable and better for humanity. 

Content Marketing Success. Part 3: Tips and Tricks to Make Content Marketing Easier

Posted on by Maria Ross

Enjoy this special three-part series on how to find Content Marketing success! If you missed it, head back to check out Part 1 and Part 2.

You’re all bought into that content marketing is the right way to attract the right clients and customers, showcase your expertise and build a long-term relationship.

Fabulous. Now, how the heck can you possibly get it all done?

Boost your brand with content marketing. But be super smart + efficient about it!  (Tweet this!)

Here are some of my favorite best practices and tools ensure you can be efficient and more importantly, effective, with your content marketing efforts. 

  1. Make Content Shareable: No use creating all that luscious content if folks don’t do some of the sharing for you, right?
  • Use Forward to a Friend or Social Share Buttons on your website and emails.
  • Pre-write posts to share. My favorite tool is ClicktoTweet to enable your audience to share with the click of a button.
  1. Use Images and Infographics: Two very important data points for you:

When people hear information, they are likely to remember only 10% of that information three days later. However, if a relevant image is paired with that same information, people retained 65% of the information three days later. (LifeLearn, 2015)

Visual content is 40X more likely to get shared on social media than other types of content. (Buffer, 2014)

  • Use Free Images: Here are some of my fave free image resources. Be sure to add a photo credit, depending on rights agreement and terms.

Unsplash

500px

Flickr Creative Commons

  • Optimize Images for Each Social Network: Each network has its own size requirements so make your image comes out crisp and clear otherwise, there’s no point. Bookmark this Page! It’s an always- updated image sizing guide for every social network. How can you resize for all the right dimensions if you’re not a designer? Easy….use these free image editing tools:

Canva: Get every template you need, pre-sized and with compelling imagery. They have templates you can use or you can upload your own images.

PicMonkey: Re-size images to any size you like and add eye-catching banners, effects, titles, etc.

Milanote is a tool for organizing creative projects into beautiful visual boards. By design, it feels a lot like working on the wall in a creative studio – visual, tactile and sometimes a bit messy – Milanote is a great fit for designers who work in teams remotely.

  1. Batch And Pre-Schedule Content: Be super efficient by cranking out a bunch of content, whether blogs, videos or podcasts, all in one sitting, maybe for the next month or even six months and scheduling it to publish over the long haul. Many successful bloggers operate this way.
  • Pre-schedule content delivery in advance so you can set it and forget it:
    • Blogs: WordPress https://wordpress.org/ enables scheduling posts in advance
    • Email Platform: All of them have the ability to schedule in advance
    • Social media: Popular scheduling tools include Hootsuite, Buffer, Meet Edgar, and you can use Tailwind specifically for Pinterest and Instagram
    • One caveat: If pre-scheduling to a Facebook brand page, only use Facebook’s native scheduler, not a third-party tool. Otherwise, the Facebook algorithm will not show the post to as many of your fans.
  1. But…Set Aside Weekly Time For Live Engagement: You can’t just quite “set it and forget it.” Remember, social media is SOCIAL so make sure you are active within the platform
  • Schedule 15 minutes per day to dip into social networks and interact, even if you pre-schedule content.
  • Follow proper etiquette for each network. They all have their own rules so make sure you know what you’re doing. This is a great book on that.
  • Respond to comments, give shout-outs, thank people, share valuable content from other trusted sources, promote complementary businesses or organizations if applicable
  1. Recycle and Reuse: You’ve put so much into your content. As your audience grows, many of them may not have seen your earlier stuff–or frankly, they may not remember it. Plus, people like to consume content differently. Avoid reinventing the wheel and repurpose what you have.
  • Spruce up old content for use again
  • Repackage into other forms: A blog post becomes a media pitch; an article becomes a podcast or video. A series of blog posts becomes a free guide.
  • Find at least three uses for every piece of content
  1. Gather Continuous Feedback: Keep polling and interacting with your audience to figure out what they want and need. Do they want to see more of a certain topic? Do they have questions? Use this info to keep delighting them.
  • Monitor social media for questions, comments
  • Provide mechanism to solicit content ideas
  • Ask clients about your content efforts when they come in for appointment
  • Poll your audience annually

How Can I Get It All Done?!

  • Create a plan so it’s easier to divide the workload. This is why an editorial calendar is super useful.
  • Hire a full or part-time content marketing manager
  • Hire a skilled freelancer on Upwork,  Fiverr, or Airtasker
  • Hire a virtual assistant specializing in content marketing/social media from somewhere like Worldwide 101.
  • Contact a local college or university and bring on an intern who is studying marketing, communications or journalism to build the plan and execute the content. You may be able to do this in exchange for course credit rather than pay!

Remember the most important tip: Have Fun!

This is your opportunity to showcase your unique brand personality and voice. Get creative! If you’ve never done video before, experiment with simply using your phone. If you’re a closet artist or photographer, create and capture unique images. The more you can have fun when creating content marketing, the more engaging the content will be to delight your clients, as well as attract new ones.

Missed the entire series? Check out Part 1 and Part 2.

BONUS!  Download this delicious free Content Marketing Cheat Sheet that outlines everything we’ve covered in this three-part series.

Content Marketing Success. Part 2: What Content to Create?

Posted on by Maria Ross

Enjoy this special three-part series on how to find Content Marketing success! You can read Part 1 right here. And Part 3 here.

Great! You’ve created your Content Marketing strategy as discussed last time and you’re ready to create some mind-blowing content to delight your ideal audience.

Only you can’t think of anything to talk about.

Maybe you think your business is not sexy enough: How creative can you get when talking about accounting services, you think to yourself? Or maybe you think writing is just not your “thing.”

Relax. You are the expert in your field and this didn’t happen overnight. You have years of rich wisdom and important information to share with your audience.

‘Oh, everyone knows that.’ No, they don’t. Share your wisdom!  (Tweet this!)

Content marketing comes in many forms: videos, blogs, podcasts, newsletters, emails, social media posts, free guides, tip sheets and more.

In your content marketing strategy, you determined in which vehicles you want to invest. Maybe you love to write or hate being on camera. Maybe your audience adores podcasts and you love donning headphones and interviewing people. Pick what works for you and your target audience. Remember to only choose one or two things and do them really, really well rather than try to create everything under the sun!

You still need topics and ideas, though. So how do you determine what you should talk about? 

First and foremost, survey your clients. I can’t believe how many business owners miss this obvious source of delicious information. What do they want or need? If you don’t have customers yet, find your ideal customers and interview them.

You’ll get oodles of content ideas. No topic is too basic. Remember that your “basics” could be mind-blowing insights for your audience.

Here are six more content ideas to get your brain in gear:

  1. Answer common questions you get all the time.
  2. Comment on hot trends or current news and give your professional take.
  3. Share important advice you know your clients or customers need to know. Even if they don’t know they need to know it!
  4. Interview other experts that may be of interest.
  5. Curate, don’t just create! You don’t have to create everything from scratch. You are also a trusted curator. Share interesting articles, community events, links to great resources.
  6. Poke around on social media or do Google searches and see what questions people are asking and for what they are searching.

Now you should have at least a page, if not more, of content topics. Enough to fill up the entire year. Build an editorial calendar and slot in the topics by date to keep yourself organized. This way, when you’re not feeling the inspirational buzz, you can just look at your calendar and instantly start creating, rather than staring at a blank page for too long.

In Part 3 of this series, I’ll show you my favorite tips and time-saving tricks to make content marketing fun, effective and efficient so it won’t consume your time and life.

In the meantime, download my delicious  free Content Marketing Cheat Sheet with tips, tricks, and best practices to attract new fans and convert more sales.

Some past posts that may be of interest as you come up with content ideas:

3 Tips to Make Blogging Easier

7 Simple and Stunning Blog Post Ideas to Keep Your Ideas Flowing (this can apply to blogs, videos, podcasts, eBooks….the works!)

5 Inspirations to Spice Up Your Content Marketing

Want to better define your ideal audience so you can understand what content they need and how and where they want it? You’ll love my Brand Bootcamp digital course – self-paced and stress-free!