Business owners taking their business online or reworking their website must become content creators. Creating content for a website is not easy, let’s start by defining what content is. Content is any piece of media included on a website; that can include photos, images, illustration, video, blog posts, page copy, call-to-action prompts and inventory. Yes, your inventory is content as well. Some website packages include content but are quite expensive, most don’t as this is the more cost-effective way to go. In this article we are going to talk specifically about text content: blog posts and text throughout your site. So, how do you create quality content for a business website?
The first thing you need is a brand image, how do you want your brand to be portrayed to the world. This will help you keep your messaging and imagery consistent across multiple platforms as your online presence grows. The second thing you need is a plan. Finding topics to write about is easy but keeping those thoughts organized is not. I use Trello to help me keep track of which topics I am currently working on, which ones I am ready to publish and which topics I want to talk about next.
Business Content: How to Generate Topics
Knowing what people want to know is the best way to reach people online. The most common search topics are: How much do things cost, common problems, best of / reviews of products or services, product comparisons, how-to articles, and what-is articles. There is a final category of FAQs which is tailored to your specific industry. I use a content planning matrix which helps me visualize how much there is to write about each service I sell and what I’ve already written about. Visit the link below to purchase a copy of this kit which comes with a series of videos to show you how to use it.
Business Content: Define Your Audience and Your Niche
Who is your ideal customer? Wouldn’t it be nice if every customer was that ideal customer? By defining a very narrow audience you can easily determine the things that person is searching for. Using narrow and specific keywords will attract that ideal client due to competition being low compared to industry keywords. By defining your ideal customer, you are also defining the keywords you want to utilize in order to attract that person. When using keywords in a website you want to put yourself in your potential customers’ shoes. What would they search to find your business and how would they type it into Google; what phrases would they use?
Business Content: Refine your Message and Products or Services
You know your products and services in and out, of course you do. Take the time to type what you know explain it in detail to someone who is not familiar with the industry. This will enable you to take the knowledge in your head and use it to capture more search results. Use the keywords you determined by defining your niche in your product or service descriptions. Putting as much info out there as you can creates authority and educates your customers. Let them know who you’d like to work with, and let them know how it can benefit them.
Business Content: Give Away the Info but Don’t Give Away Your Products or Services
A blog should act as a library of information that is available about your products and services. Think of it as a way for your potential customers to pick your brain before they even talk with you. My knowledge is vast in my chosen industry as I’m sure yours is, it is our life’s work and as a business owner we are passionate about what we do. Write about it, use dictation software if you have to, but get it out of your head and on to your website. Doing this puts what you know to work for your business. Don’t worry about the competition, in most cases, the information you provide will not be new to them. And if they copy you, that’s even better because it shows authority within the industry and makes you a leader when other business copy what you do. Don’t worry about the DIYer trying to figure it out. There is no loss of business when you publish information in this way, there is only a net gain. The viewers who come just for the information would never be your customers in the first place, you are only attracting new people whom you wouldn’t have attracted before.
Conclusion
It’s easy to create content that will work for you and drive traffic. All you need is a plan and a product or service to sell. You already know about the product, write it down and make the information available. You don’t need to write a technical document, in fact anything written for online publication should be kept at a 6th grade reading level. Why? Because people don’t search using anything higher than a that. Think about how you search and how your customers might search when looking for a product or service similar to yours. Don’t forget to define your audience and narrow you niche, this will help you leverage keywords associated with your ideal customers. Finally, don’t be afraid to give away free information, education your potential customers and they will come to you when they are ready to buy because you are the expert.
