We hear it all the time:  Content is King. It is a vintage phrase that continues to hold on strong. After all, content marketing is a proven tool for reputation building. However, not all content is worthy of the crown. Generally speaking, well written and positioned content is a powerful tool for business development because is makes you visible to potential buyers. Thoughtfully curated content can show you really know your stuff, it can help people see you, it can get the word out about what you do and remind people that you are a viable option for when they need services like yours. In a nutshell, content builds visibility. Here are some tips for creating and using content that does its job.

• Quality, Relevant Content 

The key to creating relevant content is understanding who your target reader is. Once you know who they are, do some research as to what they want to know and what they need to be successful. The only way to get people to read your content is to provide them with something interesting and relevant to their world.

• Be Engaging

Engagement means to capture someone’s attention. Writing about your perspective on a compelling topic is just the first ingredient in the engagement recipe. The way you write the piece is equally as important. Be sure you write in a style that is easy to digest, provides a point of view they can relate to and has clear takeaways they can use. At the risk of giving an other vintage (but still useful) term– employ your best storytelling techniques. Use the classic 4 “Ps” of storytelling– People, Place, Plot and Purpose. And keep it brief– shorter stories tend to engage readers more successfully.

• Share Content Widely

Use your content in many places with many lead-ins.  Put it on your website, your social media outlets, send it directly to your contacts and refer to it in your conversations.  Don’t be afraid to share the same piece often. You increase the chance of people seeing your content the more often you put it out there.

• Be Visual

When you share your content (no matter where you put it!) include an eye-capturing visual. There are lots of options out there, just make sure you have the proper permission to use photos or illustrations. Infographics and GIFs are other options to consider. Not only will the visual draw attention to your content, it can make an emotional connection that prompts the reader to spend their time consuming it. And on social media, it is well documented that posts with visuals get more shares, likes and comments.

There are so many success stories showing how content helps build reputations that bring in business. These tips will help you get started in the right direction. Have questions? Please contact me and I will answer them!