I know what you’re thinking. Diversify my content? How many pairs of hands does this woman think I have? I know, you’re already up to your eyeballs and when you’re not it feels as if your business will never come to anything. However, if you want to diversify your content it could be easier than you think.
Let’s start with why it’s a good idea…
Do you tell people your business story? If not, why not? You might think its unremarkable and well, maybe a bit boring, but it’s not. Self-employment might be getting more popular, but if you’ve started your own business you’ve still taken a leap into the unknown. Even if you’ve still got a day job, adding in extra work takes effort.
You might find that sharing the reasons behind the change could be just what your business needs.
Over the last year or so it feels as if everyone has got a course to sell. I’m clearly part of their key demographic as I can’t open Facebook without being told how one course or another is going to transform my business. I don’t necessarily have a problem with this. I need to learn things and if someone with the right expertise can teach me, I’m happy. What I do object to is being told that if I want to create a digital product and free up my time, I must create a course. Frankly, that doesn’t make sense to me. I’d rather just say that I’m running workshops.
Online networking is a wonderful thing. I’ve met some wonderful people through Facebook groups that I would never have bumped into in real life. When you run a business the loneliness is often the toughest thing. That can be true whether you work alone, like me, or even if you’re the boss. Social media can give you a place to chat with like-minded people so you feel a little bit less alone. That said, it’s no substitute for meeting people face to face. I’ll never give up going to live events. Here’s why…
OK, I hate to say it, but here goes. Blogging isn’t for everyone. There are all sorts of reasons why starting a blog might not be the best thing for your business. Perhaps you just don’t have the time or the skill. Maybe you don’t know what to write. It’s entirely possible that the people who are most likely to do business with you just don’t read blogs.
Of course, you can overcome the challenges of time and skill by paying someone like me to write your blog for you. Then again, that depends on you having the right resources. However, there are still times when blogging could just be bad for business if you don’t get it right. Here are just a few.
We’ve all seen those memes. The ones about people clamouring to buy Kim Kardashian’s new perfume or queueing for days for the new iPhone, but they won’t support a friend’s business. The truth is, as small business owners we’ve got a bit of a mountain to climb. Our friends and family might not need our services. Even worse, they might view it as a hobby that you’ll get tired of. By far the most difficult hurdle lies in persuading our future customers that we offer a better experience than those customer service nightmares they’ve heard about online.
People feel safer shopping with big brands because big somehow means trustworthy. The good news is, your marketing can help to allay their fears. Here’s how to start.
You might think that storytelling has no place in business. In fact, sharing your story is one of the key ways that you can communicate with your customers. A story isn’t just something fictional, a bedtime story for the kids. It’s a way of letting people know that you understand them.
Let me show you what I mean.
Let’s face it, marketing your business can get expensive. There’s always something that you can spend money on, whether it’s fliers to hand out or Facebook adverts. By contrast, getting your name out there by word of mouth is completely free.
But how do you do it? After all, you can’t force people to recommend you. The good news is, there are steps you can take to make it more likely. Here are just a few…
You’ve found topics, planned and written your blog post and included an irresistible CTA. You’ve pasted it all into a page on your website so you’re ready to hit publish. Don’t do it! At least, not until you’ve checked through and done your final edit.
A great blog post needs more than just good words. Here’s how you can really get it working for your business.
One of the benefits of a blog post is that your audience can read it and walk away, obligation free. Of course, from your point of view that’s also one of the downsides. By writing a blog you offer useful information that demonstrates your expertise. Your regular readers get to know you, like what you’re saying and ultimately trust you. By using a CTA you can help that relationship to develop.
CTA stands for call to action. It can be anything that helps you to build a relationship with your customers. It could be something as simple as asking your readers to leave a comment on your blog or share it on social media. At the other end of the scale you could be asking people to buy something, from a physical product to a training course.
The best CTAs are the ones that make it easy for people to take action. If you want people to share, include buttons so they can do it with one click. Include a link to a form that signs people up to your mailing list or allows them to book an appointment. People are far more likely to act if it’s straightforward.