A good lead magnet can help you attract new customers and subscribers to your email list. The question is, what does a good lead magnet look like? One of the essential elements is to make sure it will only be useful for people who could actually become customers. Beyond that, your lead magnet can be tailored to your business and what works best for your audience. Read on for a few ideas.
Quick and actionable tips
Your lead magnet can help to establish you as an expert, which is particularly important when you offer a service. Offering an eBook, video or webinar that helps people make quick progress (like my free eBook) gives them a taster of the results they could get by working with you. Don’t solve the whole problem; show your subscribers how they could get better results with less effort by becoming customers.
Checklists and templates
A checklist or template might sound too simple to be a good lead magnet, but it can offer your audience real value. A template can give them a structure for anything from a blog post to their CV. Checklists can help someone to plan their wedding, pack for a holiday or sort their legal documents. Having something to refer to so they know they’re on the right track reduces their stress and helps them trust you.
Free samples or trials
Offering either a free trial of a service or a sample of a product lets potential customers try before they buy. It allows them to test your product’s quality and experience your service. A free sample won’t let them see long-term results. However, it will tell them if your skincare gives them spots or if they find your software easy to use.
Discount codes
Discount codes are a great lead magnet option if you can’t offer your audience a free trial or sample, as they can encourage people to take a chance. However, if you choose this option, you’ll need to look at it carefully and consider the potential financial impact on your business. How much of a hit can your profits afford to take as a marketing expense? Will some people only buy if there’s a discount?
Reports
A report may seem like a strange option for a lead magnet, but it can be great for B2B services or products with a lot of technical data. You don’t even have to do your own research for this (although you could). Instead, gather statistics or case studies showing your service’s benefits or how much your customers could save to help them understand what they’re buying.
Quizzes and calculators
You might think that a quiz is a fun procrastination tool that’ll let you test how many 80s songs you remember or tell you which ‘Stranger Things’ character you are. However, if you offer a range of products or services, they can help your customers to understand which one is right for them. Another option is providing a calculator that lets customers enter their details and analyse costs. I’ve seen these used for high-cost investments like insurance or software subscriptions.
Ask participants to enter their email address at the end, and you can send them their results and tailor your follow-up emails to suit their results.
Do you want to grab your audience’s attention with a great lead magnet? I can help with that. If you’d like a chat to find out how it works, you can book a call here.
You can also sign up to receive monthly emails packed with useful content writing and marketing tips using the form below.
Building a relationship with your audience means encouraging them to take a step closer to buying from you. How can you do that? With a lead magnet. Read on to learn more about lead magnets and what they can do for your business.
What are lead magnets?
As the name suggests, lead magnets are a way to attract your ideal customers to your business. Your content marketing helps your audience get to know you and what you do. A lead magnet takes it a step further by persuading people to give you their email addresses in exchange for something they want. That means you aren’t at the mercy of a social media algorithm anymore; you can talk to your customer via their inbox.
Keeping you at the front of your customer’s mind
You might think email marketing has had its day, but it hasn’t. If you send marketing emails regularly, you’ll stay at the front of your customers’ minds by reminding them what you do. Then when they’re ready to buy, they’ll remember you. If you get to know your customers, you could even tailor your emails to arrive when they’re thinking about that very thing. Your lead magnet could do the same job if it’s something your customer looks at or refers to regularly.
Offer your audience something useful
One of the most important things about good lead magnets is that they offer your audience something valuable. This helps your business in two different ways. Firstly, it allows you to qualify your leads. If your lead magnet is specific enough, it’ll only appeal to people who might eventually buy from you. Secondly, it helps your audience to understand how you can help them by offering them a sneak preview of the results they could get if they worked with you or bought your product.
Encourage people to try your product
If you have a product-based business, your lead magnet could be a free or low-cost sample. Your potential customers might hesitate because they’re reluctant to spend money and take a risk. By offering them something free or asking them to pay a small amount on P&P, you encourage them to take a chance.
This approach doesn’t just apply to physical products. Many software services offer a free trial so that you can try it out for yourself.
Lead magnets help you share information
If you have a service-based business, you can’t necessarily send someone a free sample of your service. I could write you an opening paragraph for your blog, but it wouldn’t get you very far. So instead, you can create lead magnets with hints and tips that help your audience to take a DIY approach. Helping your audience with your lead magnets shows them your expertise and builds trust. Then, when they’re ready to work with someone, they’ll remember you and how you helped them.
You can also follow up on your lead magnet with emails that teach them more about your services and how you work.
Do you want to grab your audience’s attention with a great lead magnet? I can help with that. If you’d like a chat to find out how it works, you can book a call here.
You can also sign up to receive monthly emails packed with useful content writing and marketing tips using the form below.
Good content marketing headlines can mean the difference between your content being read or totally ignored. (Find out why here.) Here are my tips on how to write a headline that will help you attract the right audience.
Make sure your headline reflects your content
A good headline lets your audience know what to expect. If people start reading only to find that your post wasn’t what they were expecting, you’ll lose their trust, and that’s fatal to a small business. So write a headline showing them why your content is worth your time, and ensure your post sticks to the point.
Write your headline last
If you’ve planned your post, you’ll have a good idea about what you’re going to cover, but things can change as you write. You might come up with an interesting analogy or a take on the subject you weren’t expecting. If you write a headline before you start, check it at the end. Does it still work with the finished piece?
Use numbers
If you can use a number when you write a headline, do it. Several studies have shown that using a number in your headline can increase engagement by anything from 15% to 73%. Readers like numbers because they’re specific and show you roughly how long a post will be. However, please don’t shoehorn a number in if it isn’t relevant. Your readers will smell a rat.
Write lots of different options
Writing several different headline ideas gives you options to choose from and can help you to create a headline that fits your content. Change the structure of your headline and use different synonyms. You can also think about the results your readers will get and why they’ll be interested in what you have to say. Then, when you’ve finished the piece, you can see which one is the best fit.
Put keywords at the start
Putting your keyword or phrase at the start of your headline means that your subject is clear from the start. That’s great for your readers and your SEO. However, it isn’t always possible; I think it’s better to have a headline that reads well than to put your keyword at the start and end up with a clunky sentence.
Use power words
Power words are words and phrases that encourage people to pay attention. Sometimes these can be as simple as using ‘you’ or ‘your’ in a headline. It makes your reader feel that you’re speaking to them personally. Power words are often emotional but can also create a sense of urgency. CoSchedule’s list of 180 power words will give you an idea of the kind of words that work.
Test your headlines
A good headline lets your audience know what they’re going to read but also creates an emotional connection. You might not think you can test that, but you can. If you’ve got a few different options, a headline analyser can help you to pick the best one. There are a few to try, but my favourite is the Advanced Marketing Institute’s headline analyser.
Do you want to grab your audiences’ attention and create content that speaks your customers’ language? I can help with that. If you’d like a chat to find out how it works, you can book a call here.
You can also sign up to receive monthly emails packed with useful content writing and marketing tips using the form below.
You might associate the word ‘headline’ with a newspaper or online article, but you use them everywhere in your marketing. They’re the title of your blog posts, the subject line in your emails and even your social media posts have a line at the top that’s the first thing your readers will see. Good headlines can determine whether your marketing hits the spot with your audience. Read on to find out why…
Headlines catch people’s attention
OK, this is the most obvious reason for creating good headlines. They’re designed to intrigue potential readers so that they want to know more. That could be because you’re offering the solution to a problem or because you’ve teased some juicy secret they must know about. It makes them look twice and tempts them to read the rest.
I have one important caveat – a good headline isn’t misleading. This brings me to…
Good headlines let your readers know what to expect
Clickbait may work for some businesses, but small businesses like ours need to build trust. A clear headline that lets your reader know what they’ll get from your content helps you do that. It also allows your audience to decide whether it’s worth their time. That way, when they click through, they know that you’re providing tips or advice they can use.
Even if people don’t read the whole post, it gives them a clear impression of what you do and what your business offers.
They can express a particular mindset
Have you ever stood and looked at a newspaper and magazine display in a shop? Each publication could be talking about the same subject or news story, but they all do it differently. The headlines they use help you understand their political viewpoint or the issues they care about.
Your headlines can do the same; they can help you attract customers with a similar worldview to you or tell them something about your personality, so they’ll know whether you’re their kind of person.
Headlines are great for SEO
Headlines work to boost your search engine rankings in two different ways. Firstly, the fact that you have a headline tells Google that your content is well-organised and likely to be helpful.
Secondly, you can include keywords in your headlines. Then, when search engines look at your site, they can immediately tell what your subject is. That means when someone asks a question with your keywords, they know your content is relevant to that search.
Good headlines = more clicks
When you create marketing, you want people to read it, and a good headline encourages them to do that. That doesn’t just apply to content you created to educate your audience. It can help you to get new sign-ups to your email list and more sales. A headline can make it clear that you’re selling something and give your audience insight into the benefits of your product or service so they click through to find out more and ultimately buy from you.
Do you want to grab your audiences’ attention and create content that speaks your customers’ language? I can help with that. If you’d like a chat to find out how it works, you can book a call here.
You can also sign up to receive monthly emails packed with useful content writing and marketing tips using the form below.
Growing your business means getting yourself noticed. What content can you create to attract new social media followers and website visitors and let people find out about you when you’re not face-to-face?
Read on for some ideas.
Be creative in how you present information
Whenever you create new content, think about how you can reuse it, so your audience gets the point no matter what kind of content they prefer. For example, you can edit your website copy for leaflets and present social media posts as text, graphics or videos.
Keyword blogs and articles
Writing blogs or articles using keywords your customers are searching for will help you show up in a Google search. You can also share them on your socials and educate people about your services. So, think about your services and what you want to be known for, and write about that.
Case studies
Case studies show your future customers the results you’ve got for real people like them, so it helps them trust you. Sharing them on your website helps your SEO, and you can post them on your socials or make a video telling the story.
Testimonials
Testimonials work the same way as case studies, except they come straight from your customers. Google reviews help your SEO, but you can also make graphics out of positive reviews and share them as posts.
Infographics
Infographics help people remember information so they can make great posts, and you can include them as a summary in your blog posts. They’re good on Pinterest as you can use them to summarise a longer article and post them with a link.
List articles
List articles could include top tips, questions, or your favourite resources; there are loads of possibilities. Post them on your website and break them down into individual social media posts and Reels or summarise the key points.
Personal stories
Sharing your story helps your customers get to know the person behind the business. A story can be an article or a few sentences so you can share them on your website and social media as text, images or videos.
Business cards
Believe it or not, some of us still have business cards (mine are from pre-lockdown). They’re great for networking, but you can carry them all the time; I once had someone ask for my card at a kids’ birthday party!
Leaflets
Leaflets offer more information than your business card can, which means you can pin them on your local noticeboard, leave them on a bumph table in a café or send them in the post.
Brochures
Brochures let you show off your work and give more details about your products and services. They can be pricey, so you could stick to sending them in response to new enquiries, but they can be a great way to introduce yourself to new people, especially if you offer a B2B service.
Merchandise
You’ve probably seen personalised merchandise at expos and trade fairs, but they work well as thank-you gifts and as a way of introducing yourself by post. The great thing about products with your name on is that people will keep them where they can see them, so they remember you.
Do you want to grow your audience by creating content that speaks your customers’ language? I can help with that. If you’d like a chat to find out how it works, you can book a call here.
You can also sign up to receive monthly emails packed with useful content writing and marketing tips using the form below.
Getting to know your audience is a fundamental part of marketing your business. When you understand what your audience needs, you can create marketing that speaks to them and lets them know you understand them. The alternative is bland marketing that doesn’t connect with anyone.
Here’s why you need to know what your audience needs and how it’ll help your business.
Products and services
Sometimes, the services you offer depend on your qualifications and experience. For example, you won’t get far without professional credentials if you provide legal advice or treat someone’s bad back. In other industries, there might be more than one way for you to help your customers. Understanding what your audience needs allows you to tailor what you offer.
A range of products and services will also cater to customers at different stages of the buyer’s journey.
The buyers’ journey
Every potential customer who comes across your marketing will be at a different stage of the buying journey. They might need what you offer but want to know more about you before parting with any cash. Maybe they aren’t sure what they need, or they have an idea but want to try a low-cost product or a DIY version of your service to test it out. But, on the other hand, they could find you and sign up immediately because you’re exactly what they’ve been looking for.
Creating different types of content lets you meet people at whichever stage they’re at.
Who needs your business most?
When you’re planning your marketing, it helps to think about the kind of people who need what you offer. For example, you’ll only need me if you have a business or create content for other companies. You’ll mainly talk to parents and grandparents if you sell baby clothes. Will your service be a great fit for someone who’s cash-rich but time-poor, or is it the opposite way around?
Technically, you could sell to anyone, but when you work out who is most likely to need what you offer, it’s easier to create content that hits the spot.
Who do you want to work with?
If you run a service-based business and work one-to-one with your clients, your life will be a lot less stressful if you get on with your customers. Of course, you might already have worked out what type of person is most likely to need what you offer, but you can still tailor your marketing to attract people you’ll enjoy working with.
For example, I mainly work with small business owners, and there are a lot of those about. I use relaxed language in my marketing but also mention my kids and my former career as a solicitor. It combines to attract people with the same approach to life as me.
How will they engage with you?
Finally, ask yourself what your audience needs to do to get in touch with you. Can they quickly buy your products when they finally sit down at the end of a busy day? Do they need to send you a message, email you or click a link to book an appointment? Thinking about how your customers spend their daily lives can help make it easier for them to buy from you.
Do you want to create content that speaks your customers’ language? I can help with that. If you’d like a chat to find out how it works, you can book a call here.
You can also sign up to receive monthly emails packed with useful content writing and marketing tips using the form below.
You know your business inside out and back to front. It’s all so familiar that it can make you blind to the possibilities that your everyday, day-to-day business life can offer when it comes to creating content ideas. If you’ve ever struggled to come up with new ideas for your marketing, you might be surprised at how many are hiding in plain sight. Here are just a few.
Answer your FAQs
What questions do your customers ask all the time? If you’ve never written any of them down, start now and answer one at a time in your content. They work well because some people won’t contact you to ask a question, but they will Google it. You can give a short answer in social media posts and a longer one on your blog. If you have an FAQ page, start there or build one as you create more content.
Listen while you network
If you go to networking events, listen to what the other attendees talk about. What are their challenges, and how could you help? I love doing this at face-to-face events, where you might overhear other people’s conversations. I know my granny would disapprove of me eavesdropping, but it works.
Tips
Sharing tips can work in two different ways. Pro tips let you share your expertise and help your customers when they need to DIY a task, so you build trust. You can also make your existing customers feel looked after and appreciated by sharing a tip that helps them get the most out of their purchase.
Share your favourite resources
Sharing some of the resources you use every day has different benefits depending on who your customers are and how much experience they have. For example, a crafting business can help new learners by giving them a beginner’s guide, but you can also show more experienced crafters that you know what you’re talking about. If you offer a service, sharing professional resources lets your audience know that you take your work seriously.
Case studies
Case studies are brilliant because they tell your future customers about people you’ve worked with before and the results you’ve achieved. You can lift stories from your day-to-day life and use them in your marketing. Ideally, get permission from the subject before you write about them, but you can also write anonymised versions if that isn’t possible.
What can new customers expect?
This might seem ridiculously obvious, but good content can sometimes be as simple as describing what happens when your customer first contacts you or walks through your door. If someone isn’t contacting you because they’re nervous and don’t know what to expect, this kind of content can help to give them peace of mind.
How to find the right person
If there are lots of different businesses that do what you do, the choice can be overwhelming for a new customer. You can help them by talking about things to look out for or questions to ask at the first meeting. Use your insider knowledge to help your audience avoid common pitfalls, or let them know what credentials to look for, and they’ll start to trust you.
Do you want to develop new content ideas and create engaging marketing content? I can help with that. I create content that speaks your customers’ language. Book a call to find out how it works.
You can also sign up to receive monthly emails packed with useful content writing and marketing tips using the form below.
One of my favourite things about my work is the chance to learn about the different ways that creative people work. I loved art at school, but I know that there are artists and designers out there that are far better at creating visuals than I am. Hand me a pen and a notebook, and I’m happy. I don’t panic in the face of a drawing pad and pencil, but I might not show the results to anyone. It makes me happy when I see work from people who can make stuff look beautiful.
This means that I was thrilled when I met Christina from Goldfinch Marketing. She creates gorgeous designs, and she’s also brilliant at techy stuff. It all comes together in beautiful websites that Google will love as much as your customers do. She’s also very good at writing; in fact, she’s so talented I would hate her if she wasn’t also lovely.
This may have you wondering why she’d need me, a writer when she’s already good at writing. Read on…
The pandemic
I met Christina during lockdown when everyone was virtual networking; some of us were home-schooling too. She’s based in Dorset, so the chances of us running into each other in person were virtually non-existent. Like many of us, Christina had taken some time during lockdown to evaluate her business and work out what she wanted to spend her time doing.
She’d started Goldfinch Marketing to help her clients with all their marketing needs, whether that was a new website, graphic design or content writing. Her review told her that she loved web design and graphics work but didn’t want to do content writing anymore. That’s where I came in.
The project
Christina had gradually reduced the amount of content writing she took on, but she still wrote blogs for one client. She told me they were lovely people she enjoyed working for and didn’t want to let them down. At the same time, she wanted to free up some time for other projects, so she wanted to see if I could take over writing a blog for them.
Of course I could. Writing their blog was right up my street; they’re a business offering a professional service, so they needed to share their expertise but didn’t want to be stuffy. I read the posts that Christina had already written to follow the same style and suggested some new topics. I also wrote social media edits for each blog post so that the individual paragraphs would work as standalone posts. The client was still happy, and Christina had time for other things.
If you need a new website, I recommend checking out Christina’s work here. Alternatively, if you want to outsource your content writing, either for yourself or one of your clients, let’s have a chat. You can book a call with me here.
Photo by Emma Bauso: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-wearing-black-boots-3585819/
Mary watched the fields flash past her window in a green blur as Sam steered the car along the narrow country road. They’d only just left the M1, but she already felt like they were in the middle of nowhere. Bliss. She flinched slightly as the branches of a dark green conifer clattered against the window. The sat nav announced their destination was half a mile on the left. Mary leaned forward in her seat, hoping to see the little house where they’d be spending the next three days.
She tried to forget how her mum had looked at her as they packed up to leave — disheartened and a little bit sad. Mary had known in advance that two days would be enough. Christmas Day with her parents and her younger sister was always fun, and she loved seeing the extended family on Boxing Day, but she knew Sam struggled. Her family’s Christmas centred around eating, drinking and watching TV, and Sam started to get cabin fever. They’d gone for a walk, but a stroll around a suburb was a long way from his childhood, spent climbing the Malvern hills whenever he got the chance.
Mary remembered her childhood Christmases when everyone had stayed together in her grandparent’s house from Christmas Eve until New Year’s Day. It had been heavenly when they were children, but now she wondered how the adults had managed to stay sane. Perhaps that was why her Dad and Uncle John had started drinking so early on Christmas morning.
Next year it would all be different.
…
“There it is!” Sam said, sounding as excited as a five-year-old. He indicated and turned off the narrow lane onto a block-paved drive. Mary sighed happily. The cottage was just as lovely as the photos suggested, with beautiful red bricks and fields stretching away into the distance. She turned to look at Sam, and her smile widened when she saw his face. He looked more relaxed than she’d seen him in months.
“It’s beautiful, Sam.” They climbed out of the car, and Mary stretched her arms upward, lowering them again to rub her back. “Oh, God.”
“What? You OK?”
“Yes, I’m just such a cliché. A little Weeble with an aching back.”
“You don’t look remotely like a Weeble. Much sexier.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Remind me of that when we’ve got a newborn, and I feel like I’m made out of rice pudding.”
Sam looked down and rubbed her belly. “It’s a strange thought, isn’t it? Next Christmas, we’ll have a ten-month-old crawling all over the place.”
“Yep. Weird. Anyway, let’s make the most of the peace and quiet and get inside.”
“Your wish is my command, oh Weeble-ish one.”
Mary laughed, reflecting that Sam was lucky she hadn’t picked up her handbag, or she might have walloped him with it. She watched as he took their suitcase out of the boot, opened the passenger door and retrieved her bag from the footwell. They definitely wouldn’t be able to travel this light next Christmas. She realised they’d have the perfect excuse to stay at home.
…
“They’ve left us some teabags and milk,” Sam called as Mary shut the front door behind her. She smiled at his unerring ability to find the kettle wherever they went and followed his voice into the kitchen, where he was already rummaging in cupboards looking for mugs. “I’ll take the case upstairs when we’ve had a cup of tea. What are you smiling at?”
“The fact that nothing starts without tea.”
“Quite right too.”
She wrapped him up in another hug, stroking his cheek as she kissed him.
“Do I need a shave?” he asked, feeling for stubble.
“Nah, you’re OK.” She groaned as he rubbed her back, then felt him hesitate. “Don’t worry, that was a good groan.”
“Did you see the pictures of the bathroom?”
“With the lovely slipper bath? Yes. I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to a proper soak. The only problem is, you might have to hoist me out.”
Sam tried and failed to suppress the snigger. “Sorry. Tell you what, let’s have tea, and I’ll check whether I’ve got a signal in case we need to call the fire brigade.” He ducked away as she tried to slap him on the shoulder.
…
Mary followed Sam up the stairs as he carried the suitcase into the main bedroom. It was glorious, with a king-sized bed and views out over the fields to the woods beyond. The listing had said that there were 14 acres of land across the farm, and they were welcome to walk anywhere they liked. Sam had put the case down and was gazing out of the window. She told him that she was going to run a bath and headed across the landing to the bathroom. The smell hit her before she opened the door. She hesitated, half wanting to know what was behind the door and yet not feeling ready to face it. She realised she was standing completely still with her hand on the doorknob and felt faintly ridiculous. Eventually, she decided to stop dithering and turned the knob, pushing the door open in a single movement.
It wasn’t the first time she’d seen a dead body. She’d been there when Sam’s mum had died eighteen months ago when cancer that treatment had held at bay for three years had finally overtaken her. This was different. Emma had looked peaceful. This man’s life had clearly ended with violence. Even if the rope hadn’t been left, tied tightly around his neck, his face would have told her that. Mary had always thought that people who found dead bodies screamed, but she didn’t feel the need. She was shaking, transfixed by the man’s contorted face.
“Mary? Are you OK? Is anything wrong with the bath?”
She almost called back to tell him that, yes, there was a dead body in it. That made her feel ridiculous, and she giggled, clapping her hand to her mouth at the inappropriateness of it all. She turned and headed back to the bedroom. “Don’t go in there,” she said, “because there’s a dead man in the bath.”
“What? Are you kidding?” He turned to look at her and realised that she wasn’t. “God, you’re shaking.” He took hold of her and sat her down on the bed. “You’re sure he’s dead?”
Mary nodded. “We need to call the police.”
…
DI Fitzgerald and PC Jones had been impressively efficient, arriving within an hour of Sam’s call, shortly followed by a pathologist and two forensics staff. Mary sat on the sofa next to Sam as DI Fitzgerald asked her to tell him about her discovery. She’d been surprised at how easily the details came out; the smell, the position of the body and the cord around his neck. Fitzgerald had nodded encouragingly, watching her with his piercing blue eyes. She wondered what it would be like to be a suspect facing that searching look.
“That’s excellent, Mrs Collins, thank you. Can I ask, have you ever seen him before?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“What about you, Mr Collins?”
“I didn’t see the body. I’m a bit squeamish, to be honest.”
Their conversation was interrupted by a cough from the doorway. The pathologist had appeared and asked to speak to DI Fitzgerald. They disappeared into the hall, and when the police officer returned, he was smiling.
“I have some good news for you. We’re ready to remove the body. It looks like we might have a possible ID. You’ll be relieved to hear that I won’t be asking you to view the body, Mr Collins. Hopefully, you can both have a restful night, even if you don’t fancy a bath.”
Mary groaned, “I was looking forward to that.”
Fitzgerald smiled. “A warm bath was the only thing that helped my wife’s backache when we were expecting. The forensics officers have almost finished with the bathroom, so we’ll be out of your way shortly.”
…
Mary and Sam wished the departing officers a happy Christmas as the last cars pulled away from the house.
“Alone at last,” Sam said. “They were a lot quicker than I thought they’d be. Are you OK?”
Mary nodded. “I’m fine, and surprisingly hungry. What have we got for dinner?”
…
A large pizza, garlic bread and ice cream later, Mary lay back on the sofa, rubbing her belly. “I think the baby likes pizza; she’s kicking like mad.”
“Don’t you mean he?” Sam teased, sitting down next to her with a glass of red wine. “I’m sorry you didn’t get your bath.”
“I don’t mind. I’m just happy to be here, just the two of us.” She lifted her glass of elderflower fizz and clinked it against Sam’s. “Here’s to the next adventure.”
“Cheers,” Sam replied. His face creased with concern as they heard a knock at the door. “Who can that be? It’s pitch black out there.” He heaved himself off the sofa and put his glass on the table.
Mary felt a shiver go through her. She felt that something wasn’t right, and got up and followed him, reaching the door just as he opened it.
“Mr and Mrs Collins? I’m sorry it’s taken us so long to get to you. It’s been a busy night.”
The two police officers extended their warrant cards into the light.
“A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline.” ~ Harvey Mackay
I like this quote for its optimism; you can dream, but you only get somewhere when you make a plan and hold yourself accountable for each step. If you’ve planned your goals for the next 12 months, your next step will be creating a marketing plan to help you hit them.
The question is, does your marketing content align with your targets? When you match your marketing to your business goals, you’re more likely to achieve them. Here’s my guide to the types of content that will help you at each stage of the customer journey.
Brand awareness
To grow a business, you need to make sure that people have a) heard of you and b) understand what you do. SEO plays a big part here; it lets people find you via keywords that describe your business. Personality-filled, shareable blogs and social media posts will help you to reach more people and stay at the front of their minds.
It’s also worth creating guest posts for other sites and collaborating with other businesses. My favourite local café hosts workshops and shopping events, and it helps everyone involved grow their brand awareness.
Engagement
This is the stage where you want people to move from knowing who you are to having a conversation so they can decide whether they like you. Asking conversation-starting questions works well here. You can do this in your blog, on social media posts or ask for interaction on your Stories. You can also invite viewers to ask their questions on live videos.
People are more likely to buy things that their friends like, so ask people to post pictures of themselves with your products.
Lead generation
Lead generation is just a fancy term for encouraging them to opt into a closer relationship where they hear from you more often and start thinking about buying. Asking people to sign up for your email list is an excellent first step, as you can send them an email series that shares everything they may not have known about your business before. You can offer a helpful freebie, such as a checklist, eBook, video tutorial or a free trial to encourage them to sign up. Sharing case studies on your website and social media can help as they show your results.
Sales
Small business owners often struggle with this, but selling doesn’t have to mean pressuring someone into buying. All the work you’ve done to build a relationship means that your audience knows how you can help them; they just need to take the next step.
Sales content needs to take away any doubts people might have. They might need to understand the process or get more details about the product before they buy. Use your content to talk about the benefits and your process, and include technical information as bullet points in your product descriptions. Sharing reviews and case studies lets them see that you’ve delivered for others.
One final thing. Don’t forget to follow up after the sale to help them get the best out of what they’ve bought. Offering hints, tips, or extra support maintains the relationship and makes you memorable.
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