One of the most popular questions I have gotten from entrepreneurs, freelancers, businesses, content creators, and social media managers is this:
How do I create content that puts money in my pocket?
Lots of people spend time creating a ton of content. Some post every day, some make videos, take professional pictures, spend long hours designing images and carousels, yet, it doesn’t reflect in their account! They can probably go a whole week without making a dime or converting à lead from their online channels.
A lot of people learn about social media and content creation. Many post on social media and do their best to create content, but just a very tiny percentage of people know how to create content that puts money in their pocket or the pocket of the business.
Let me show you the way:
The very first thing you need to do is – Start with your communication goals. What are 3-5 things you want to achieve with your communication online. These goals could be around awareness, top of mind, engagement, community, sales, growth, or even lead generation but ensure they feedback into your business goals and are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.
Next, ask yourself, what is the intersection between your customer’s goals and your goals?
The next step is to use the sales funnel to inform the kind of content you create. For this to work, you need to be very clear about who your audience and customers are. Be as specific as possible. If you say you’re targeting everyone, you’re already on the wrong path.
Once you have figured out your target market, it becomes easier to categorize them in the sales funnel based on where they are in their buying journey. You will notice that your customers are at various stages of their buying journey.
Your potential customer may not know your name at the Awareness stage, but they know their problem. When you have a problem, you Google the problem, not a brand. You are looking for solutions. So, first, when creating content, provide answers to their questions before they ask.
When your customer finds answers to their problems on your platform at the interest phase, they get curious about you. They get interested! When they are interested, you have to give more information about your service and the benefits, not the features. The benefits!
At the desire phase, your potential customers focus on consideration, intent, and evaluation. Your potential client wants to answer the question, ‘why you?’. They are actively comparing you with others, so content categories like FAQ, testimonials, BTS, a demo will help ease their decision.
At the Action phase, your potential audience has probably decided to commit by signing up, purchasing, etc. You can throw in discounts, free trials, or set up guides. Content like this will help make your client’s journey more comfortable.
At the Advocacy phase, you want this customer to buy again and tell other people about you. Your job is not complete after a purchase. So, what will make your customer put their integrity on the line for you? As a content person, give them more beyond your product: community.
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Use features like polls to ask them leading questions. Let’s assume you build websites, use the stories or poll features to ask questions like “do you have a website.” Then dm everyone who says no, and tell them how you can help them build one or other options. Keep it personalized. Yes, those who ask them how they feel about their website and their experience with their website. You can listen and eventually share how you can support them.
You could also take a cue from the conversation and create a guide in your stories to help them through a challenge they have shared with you and tag them. Only do this after having a conversation with them.
Listen to your audience, help them, give them solutions to their problems, answer their questions, show that you care, show your track records, celebrate your customers, develop pricing ladders. For example, if your website creation service costs 300k, you can create a 5k ebook, telling people features they need for their websites), engage with your audience, respond to their comments and harness the power of DMs.
To help you figure this out better, I have curated a content strategy workbook to help you create a great content strategy for 2021 that can guide you towards sales! Get it here.
Have any questions or challenges you are facing? Please write me an email telling me your story, stating your challenges and asking me your question – [email protected] I’ll answer the top 3 every last Monday of the month.
