In my interactions with current clients, I often field the question, “I’ve been posting regularly on social media. Why aren’t people reaching out to me on these channels about doing business?”
If you don’t understand the bigger picture, this can be frustrating. Why put in all the effort to post valuable, consistent content if you’re not seeing direct results? Let’s take a few minutes to discuss the importance of using quality content to establish brand awareness and other ways content creation benefits your business.
Every time you post on your social channels or create an email or LinkedIn campaign, you’re investing in your brand. If you’re striving to educate your audience with valuable information and thoughtful resources, you’re making a positive investment.
Similar to a financial investment, you can choose to make a sacrifice today—putting in the time and effort to create and publish valuable content—with the expectation of a positive return on that investment in the future = new clients!
If you’re consistently posting valuable content on social media and using relevant hashtags to get found, you should have a growing follower base. Once you have their attention, don’t let your foot off the gas. The more frequently your followers see your company name—even if they don’t engage with your posts—the more likely they are to think of your brand in the future when they need what you offer! You’re fostering brand awareness…and it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
While you're focusing on crafting exceptional content to build your brand, many other crucial things are unfolding at the same time!
We've all come across businesses with minimal websites and lackluster social media presence, often limited to Facebook and a few posts spanning several years. If we didn't already know they were legitimate businesses, we'd have some serious doubts.
Conversely, a well-organized and informative website and a purposeful social media presence that provides valuable content give visitors the confidence that your business is legit and trustworthy. This trust is crucial for converting leads into customers when they’re ready to buy.
Whether they’re sharing images of their products on Instagram or insightful articles on LinkedIn, your competitors are more than likely creating and sharing content. Doing likewise helps you stay competitive in the digital age.
Conversely, being inactive can make your business appear outdated or less relevant. Occasionally, small, family-owned businesses can thrive by relying on their well-established reputation within the community and avoid sharing digital content. However, as a general rule, maintain an edge in your industry by creating and sharing quality digital content.
Working a solid SEO strategy is the main way prospects find you online. Creating SEO-rich content and posting it on your blog can help you score higher on the search engine results page (SERP) and draw more attention to your business.
But it doesn’t end with content creation. Search engines also take your social media presence into account when running their algorithms. This means that regularly sharing your content on social media is another way to boost your search engine rankings and attract prospects!
On that note, when you post content on social media, link back to your website often. Even though you might not see immediate conversions, you can be confident that getting more eyes on your website will further your credibility and increase the chances of future conversions.
Creating and sharing quality content offers a cascade of benefits for your business.
You put in the effort to craft an awesome blog post and feel a sense of accomplishment when you finally get it posted on your social channels. We know the feeling! But don’t rest on your laurels.
Monitor your post and look for any opportunity to connect with your readers. If someone engages with your post, engage back. Each interaction helps nurture your prospects and has the potential to turn them into a customer.
Sometimes when you post content, you’ll get a comment from a follower who’s struggling with something that relates back to your post. Take this opportunity to send them a private message! Lead with empathy, establish your authority, and give them an opportunity to reach out to talk one-on-one.
Your message may go something like this:
It sounds like you’re having a difficult time implementing XYZ strategy. We’ve been helping small businesses with this exact issue for over 25 years, and I’m confident we can help you out too! Would you like to set up a complimentary exploratory call to share more about your situation and learn how we can help?
LinkedIn makes it easy to engage with prospects. If you’re sharing original content and demonstrating thought leadership on LinkedIn (and you’re using hashtags to grow your follower base!), you’ll receive frequent notifications when new prospects view your profile.
Don’t miss these golden opportunities! If they look like they might be client material, follow up with them by reaching out directly and see if you can answer any questions or offer any support.
And don’t be deterred by skeptical or critical comments on your social media posts. Oftentimes, negative comments stem from a misunderstanding or incomplete information. In StoryBrand speak: As their guide, you can clear up any confusion and set them on the right path…a path that leads them directly to your brand for the solution they need.
Using content to establish brand awareness is a critical component of any successful marketing strategy. Even if you don’t see immediate conversions, you’re still building credibility and trust, staying competitive, improving your SEO rankings, and expanding your influence.
If you’ve been struggling to formulate a content strategy, create quality content, or post consistently to attract and engage prospects, we’d be happy to discuss how we can help. Schedule a 15-minute exploratory call to learn more!