Whether your prospects are going directly to your website, googling you, or hanging out on social media, a key way to get their attention is through creating valuable content.
But… what should you write about?
How can you advertise your organization in a natural way — keeping it interesting and non-salesy?
With content, remember: it’s not about the information you want to put out there — it’s about what your prospects want to read!
This won’t always be what’s the easiest thing for you to write about. Here are a few questions to get you started:
- What are the key questions that your prospects may have regarding finding a new place to locate their business?
- What are some misconceptions or perceptions that you want to clarify?
- What type of like-minded businesses would you like to attract to your community?
Handle these topics in creative ways to capture their attention.
For example…
- Interview businesses that have recently located or expanded in your community. A Q&A with a new CEO can be beneficial in many ways. The CEO feels important and valued and it serves as a solid testimonial for your community.
- Do industry profiles. For example, you could do a one-pager (or more formal white paper-type doc) that highlights the biotechnology industry in your community — sharing statistics, demographics, workforce data, the type of work that’s being done, and what businesses are currently there.
- Highlight your workforce. You can do this by profiling a professor at the local community college, highlighting a recent graduate, or showcasing a new internship or apprenticeship program in your area.
Once you’ve created valuable content for your audience, repurpose it!
By putting some thought into repurposing your content, you can spend less time creating more content, and more time getting your best content into the hands of more prospects. Here are five ways to do that:
1. Your Blog
Start by posting your article on your blog, so that prospects can read your content when they visit your website. Make sure your blogs are search engine-optimized so that you can target viewers that are looking to read the information you’ve worked so hard to present. Tagging appropriate keywords can add an extra punch to your efforts.
2. Send a Newsletter
Sending out a newsletter is an opportunity to highlight the interesting things happening in your community, as well as sharing some of your content with them.
For example, you could find out what upcoming courses the Small Business Development Center or local community college are hosting that would be relevant for your target audience (newsletter readers). You can also guide your audience to the new online content you’ve created, like a Q&A with a CEO of a local business, your latest blog post, etc.
How often should you send a newsletter? Start with sending a newsletter once a month and build from there. If you can send a newsletter as much as once a week, that’s great — as long as you are providing valuable content.
3. Post Your Blog in Industry Groups on LinkedIn.
Don’t just post your blogs on your website… share them on social media networks now and again in the future. For example, on LinkedIn, you can post on your page and in industry groups.
Think of industry groups as tradeshows that are really cost-effective to attend. These groups are an opportunity to share information with others who share a common interest. The group size can range from 10 people to thousands of people.
Start by identifying 4-6 groups where your ideal customer is involved. Start participating in discussions OR simply reading and learning more about their perspective.
Have the goal of always adding value — that means being educational and sharing content that will help others. (This is NOT the place to post sales-oriented content. In fact, many groups have “group rules” banning that type of interaction, as it can quickly make a group feel “spammy.”)
4. Share Your Content on Facebook and Twitter.
After you’ve posted your blog on your website, you should also post on Facebook and Twitter. Remember to add hashtags so that more people can reach you. Tagging other organizations to encourage retweets is good too.
You can also make multiple social media posts by key phrases or ideas from a recent blog. For example, break down a few key thoughts and create fun visuals in graphic design websites like Canva.
You could also turn your content into an infographic for social media. Presenting information visually and in bite-sized doses can reach a whole new audience that might not read an entire newsletter. Infographics drill down the information into clear, digestible chunks. Instagram and Pinterest are a haven for this type of presentation of your content.
5. Share Your Content in a Video
Whether you do a livestream video using Facebook Live, or simply record a quick video from your webcam, this can be a personal way to share additional information. Take the blog or press release that went out and address one main idea from it in a quick video. Some people are more likely to watch a quick video than read a full blog, so this can be a great way to reach a broader audience.
People won’t always see your post the very first time, or have the time to read it. After spending your time crafting a blog post you want your prospects to read, be persistent in putting it in front of them through repurposing your content!
