How Can You Make Your Content Marketing More Relevant To Your Readers?

Imagine creating content that gets noticed. You start to make a difference in your industry and your business is getting noticed! That would feel pretty good, wouldn’t it?!

You can make your content marketing more relevant to your readers by making it good, informative, entertaining, and interesting. Today we are going to talk more in-depth about how you can make your content fit this plan so your readers will turn to you for expert information that answers their questions.

Here’s a breakdown that we're going to cover here today:

• How Can I Make Content Marketing More Effective For My Business?
• What Makes Content Marketing Successful?
• How Do I Know If My Content Is Successful?
• How Can I Improve My Content Marketing?
• Content Marketing: Grow Your Business
• 5 Things You Can Try To Make Your Content Marketing Better
• How To Try New Marketing Strategies
  ​

How Can I Make Content Marketing More Effective For My Business?
​
There isn’t a real secret to making content that is more effective for your business.

One big problem a lot of people and businesses have is creating and developing content consistently. Making content that is relevant must also be content that is created often.

#1 - Much of the battle with reaching your readers is with consistent creation of your content. This is a remarkable way of making it more effective for your business.

Can you produce content daily? Can you produce content a couple times a week and distribute it in a fashion that will reach the most people? This is a must if you are going to be effective with your content marketing.
​
Sit down and get serious with your content. Decide on your schedule and stick with it. Everything else can be back burner until you develop a habit and your system for creating content consistently.

#2 - Make content that is relevant to your reader. But, more importantly you need to make content that is directed to the people you want to work with. Who is your target market?

Do you need to take the time and really figure out who these people are? That’s who you will be talking to and creating your content for. These are the people you will be speaking to when you make your marketing content.

#3 - Pick one type of content and get really good at it before you move into something else. This can also be a tough one. You see something else and think it would be great and you want to try it.

Or someone tells you, “no! do this - it’s a guarantee!” And, you think, “I should be doing this”, and then the first content creation project you were working stops being consistent.
​
And, then your content creation becomes kinda bad.

#4 - Practice and Repeat what you have learned. There is no silver bullet! No special pill. You can not sit down one day and create one piece of content and have big expectations.

Once in a while something will go viral for people. It’s often a surprise. The same people that had their content go viral have been working and toiling at their content marketing for a long time.

They have practiced and practiced. They have learned and changed things until finally, they have success!

And, then they go and do more of the same. Practice and repeat and create a lot of content!

What Makes Content Marketing Successful?

Essentially content marketing is successful if it brings more awareness to your business and people learn to trust and depend on you.

Maybe they even start to reach out to you!

Successful content marketing is going to do just these few things. Successfully content marketing is going to engage your target market.

You might see success with your content marketing by having more people reach out to you. These leads might take time to contact you, but long term marketing that speaks to this group is important.

Speaking to people with your content at the right time in their buying cycle can be super helpful.

#1 - Are they just window shopping? Just looking? Create content that talks about why they need what you have to offer.

#2 - Is your target market aware that they need some help, but don’t know much about how your type of service can help them? Tell them all about what you do and offer.

#3 - When your prospects have become more involved with your content they might have moved farther along and turned into a lead when they finally reach out to speak with you.

Maybe now you can ask if you can send them more info specifically designed for someone at this stage of they buying cycle. Maybe a video discussing your service or product better. Maybe a white paper. Maybe an in-person demo?

The option are vast. It might sound like a lot, but it can be great fun as well.

How Do I Know If My Content Is Successful?

There are a handful of ways you can analysis your content to see if it’s a hit.

You will need to have some tracking on your content. If it’s a blog for example, Google Analytics will be a good fit for this.

1. Pop into GA to see what is going on. Are people sticking around to view your content longer than a second or two? If they stay a while - you can consider your content successful.
2. If you find people are engaging with your content - also a great sign you are creating good content this is helpful or appealing to your visitors.
3. When people sign up for your email content and download your resources or lead magnets, you know you’re on to something. 👍
4. Are you finding people are reaching out to you more for your product or services? This is a good sign your consistent content marketing is working.
5. And, a big one when it comes to ranking online. Is your content popping up in a search? Does the content you created show up near the top of your search platform? That’s always great!

​
One of my favorite sites for more info is OptinMonster and they have a great article on this as well.

How Can I Improve My Content Marketing?

There are so many many great ways you can improve your content marketing if you don’t like the direction everything is going in.

What have you tried so far?

Have you tried it long enough? Have you done it well enough?

Do you need do what you’re doing already better? More often?
​

1. Review what you have going already to see if you can up your game.
2. If you have put in a lot of effort and time and you still aren’t seeing results ask if you are directing your content to the right market?

​
Are you trying to reach people that work from home, but you are talking to people that work in the construction industry?

Are you reaching out to the right people, but maybe those people aren’t where you are? For example, maybe the people you want to reach are on LinkedIn, but you are spending your time on Instagram? Reconsider where your market hangs out.

Maybe they aren’t on social media at all! Yes, shocking. Some people do business all day long without being online. How will you reach those people?

3. Give your current marketing strategy a good review and then make a new one.

If you need to speak with a professional to get some ideas - this can certainly make the process go faster.

And, better! A professional marketer will have good advice based on past experience and projects they have worked on. Spend a few bucks and get the info you need quickly.

Content Marketing: Grow Your Business

This is how it’s done. Some businesses need less marketing and some need more. Large ticket items can need a lot more marketing and persuasion. Understand where your customers are coming from.

What is holding them back? Talk about that stuff! Do they think your services are too expensive? Why?

Talk about that in your content marketing.

Do they think it’s not necessary? Why? Talk about that in your content.

And, on and on.

If one thing isn’t working, you refine what you have going or you try something else.

You can look to the big guys and see where they have changed up what they offer and how they go and look for their people.

Or you can turn to your marketing and entrepreneur friends to see what works for them. What do they like.

For me, in person networking wasn’t my thing. Honestly, it wasn’t the gathering and the chatting. I enjoyed mingling and the business atmosphere. It was the getting ready, the long drive back and forth to events. Sometimes they were great events. But, often it was a full day for me with little results.

So, I went online with my networking. It worked for a while as well. Things changed in the group and it wasn’t the type of group that would need my service. And, so I bid farewell and found a different direction. I’m delighted to still be friendly with a couple of people from that group and one gal has become my long time client.

You can see where I am going with this story? Some things work and some don’t.

It’s ok to make the adjustments and try new things. But, keep going.

If you find the content you are creating isn’t reaching your people and causing engagement, consider asking around - what would they like to hear you talk about?

Go on forums like this one and see what questions come up in your industry. This is what people want to know about.
​
5 Things You Can Try To Make Your Content Marketing Better

#1 - Blogging. Do you blog? It is far from dead in the marketing arena. It is a powerful option for any business. Study how to do it well. Do it, get better and stick with it.

#2 - Video. Video on YouTube for your business to support your business. Answer questions your clients have had in the past. Take these videos and put them online. Included them in your email marketing. They are another powerful way to share your message and build credibility in your market.

#3 - Email Marketing. One of my favorites. It reaches more people than social media. Get that! Wow. If it’s not something you have in your marketing plan, consider starting this next.

#4 - Cold Emails and Sales Letters. No one really likes cold calling. But, it can be a robust part of your marketing strategy. Look into it. Try it. and then try it again and again. It can help you reach those people that aren’t on social media. Remember them? It can help build awareness of your business for the folks that live near you.

#5 - Networking. Maybe this is the spot for you?! This could be the very thing that connects you with the right people. Look for groups in your area that get together regularly. Give it a try. And, then keep going.

Many of these ideas should be tried for 6 months? A year? Marketing can take considerable time. It’s important to put in that time.

Track what you are doing. It can help you go from point A to B and see where your successes lie.

How To Try New Marketing Strategies
​
I have also decided to up my marketing game. I have some extra time right now after a large job ended.

​And, instead of bringing in another larger client or chasing around some of my past clients, I decided to do what I am doing now - better.
​
I studied solid for a week. 10 hours a day. 2 Weekends. Kindof like a writing and marketing conference, but at my office.

I laid out my plans and got to work the second week.

And, this week, I am implementing what I learned!

It took time out of my job, yes. But, this is what working for yourself requires. Put your head down and get to work.

And, right now I am doing and accomplishing. (You can too!)
​
I have been writing for blogs online for over 10 years. But, things change. Writing for blogs in the past is different than it is today. It’s important to learn the new things and use what you learn in your own business.

Have You Tried New Marketing Ideas?
​
I’d love to hear about your efforts! Join me over on LinkedIn. You can message me and we can chat.