Creating regular content whether it is thought leaders, blog posts, client newsletters, videos or podcasts takes time but sometimes how that content finds its audience can get overlooked.
All the value and hard work get lost because the content isn’t presented in a way that entices people to read, watch or listen.
There are different avenues for putting content in front of people such as email lists and social media and you shouldn’t just rely on one.
However, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
It is not enough to just tell people you’ve written something or got a new podcast episode, you’ve got to give them a reason to invest time in consuming that content.
You need to intrigue and tell them what value it has to them.
And there are lots of different ways of doing that.
A cracking headline is the most obvious. It needs be something that grabs attention and lets people know what the piece is about and what they are going to learn or how they will benefit.
Think objectively
You don’t have much space so every word counts. Think objectively about what is the big draw of the piece – that might not necessarily be your CEO saying something.
But it doesn’t end with the headline. There are many other ways of selling your content to your audience. Selling might seem like a dirty word in this scenario but that is what you have to do.
Tell your potential audience in a couple of sentences a key issue or point raised, a question that is answered.
Pull out quotes
If there is a standout quote or pivotal point that will make people want to find out more – pull it out and make it prominant.
Create a bullet point list of the main points.
There is a lot of content for people to choose from so highlight how yours is different. Say why it is interesting, not just that it is.
Talk directly to your audience and tell them why or how your content will add value.
And don’t just market it once.
Repeat at different times
When you post on social media you are only tapping into a small proportion of your connections/followers.
People engage with social media at different times. Don’t forget weekends which can be a great time to catch people.
Pick out different elements of your content to promote at different times to ensure you hit as wide an audience as possible and don’t be afraid to repost another day or at another time.
Make sure your social media posts encourage and invite engagement – particularly on LinkedIn as it will increase the visibility. LinkedIn as a platform is looking for content which people interact with.
How you sell your content to your audience should be part of your content marketing strategy otherwise you aren’t getting a proper return on the time you’ve invested.
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