Content is King (or Queen)

As you learned in a previous SheBuzz feature article, the rules of marketing have changed. Marketing is moving online at a rapid pace and there has never been a better time for us to reach our target market directly. Google provides three-quarters of a billion search results a day – the perfect platform for useful content. The Web allows smart marketers to deliver compelling content that people actually want to consume.

What potential clients really want is valuable content that will improve their lives. We now have the opportunity to create useful content that not only positions us as authorities in our industries, but is one of the greatest client attraction secrets.

Content marketing is about getting clients to invite you to interact with them. It’s about engaging in a conversation, building trust and providing something of value. The secret to writing great content is to put yourself in your potential client’s shoes and look for opportunities to help make her life a lot easier. It’s understanding exactly what your target audience needs to know and delivering it to them time and time again.

In our rapidly changing business environment, the entrepreneurs who are going to thrive are the ones who engage their clients and build long-term relationships. Here are five reasons why you want to start writing now:

1. Helpful articles and information position you as an expert – Have you “Googled” yourself lately? Do you know how you are perceived online? One way to assure that you are listed high in the search rankings is to send articles to article submission sites on a regular basis. The search engines love new content. A few of the top submission sites include: ezinearticles.com, goarticles.com, article-host.com, ehow.com and ideamarketers.com. You can get your name out there fast and improve your ranking in a matter of weeks.

2. Great content is a huge client attraction tool – Delivering valuable information and resources to your potential clients builds the “know, like and trust” factor. Create an engaging conversation and you will become a client magnet.

3. Your content can be developed into bigger projects down the line – Whether you decide to write a book, create a proprietary system or develop a workshop, if you have already been writing for while and have an archive of information and research to draw from, it might be much easier to create your bigger projects when you are ready.

4. Don’t reinvent the wheel – This is probably my favorite part of writing articles. I repurpose the same content for my newsletter, blog, article submission, speaking engagements and workshops. In other words, do the work once and then use it for multiple purposes. Sure, you may have to tweak depending on the reader/viewer, but you aren’t starting from scratch.

5. Writing gives your brand personality – It’s an opportunity to exercise your authentic voice. It’s also a great way for your target audience to get to know you better and develop trust in you and your brand.

I hear grumblings from busy female entrepreneurs that they just don’t have the time to write. If you want to build your buzz, position yourself as an expert and attract more clients, writing articles is one of the most cost-effective ways to market yourself in the online marketplace.

Put aside a window of time each week to write – schedule it in your calendar as you would any other important meeting and commit to it. I have a block of time every Monday afternoon that is scheduled exclusively for writing. I actually leave my office and have a quiet place at home where I can write undisturbed for a couple of hours. It’s the only way it gets done.

For most people, writing is a muscle. The more you use it, the easier and better it gets.

©Liz Dennery Sanders 2009