six strategies for creating content and building your business
CONTENT MATTERS. GREAT CONTENT DRAWS IN POTENTIAL CLIENTS AND KEEPS CURRENT ONES LOYAL. CREATING AUTHENTIC AND ENGAGING CONTENT IS ESSENTIAL FOR BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR COMMUNITY AND AUDIENCE. IT ALSO DRIVES TRAFFIC TO YOUR BUSINESS AND WEBSITE. HOWEVER, IDEAS AND TIME CAN BE HARD TO COME BY, BUT IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE COMPLICATED. HERE ARE SIX STRATEGIES TO CREATE ROBUST, ENGAGING, AND AUTHENTIC CONTENT WHILE BUILDING AND GROWING YOUR BUSINESS.
TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING
When I first started my content writing business, I had no idea how it would look. I also had no idea that I would be engaging in content creation as it is known today. I just thought I was going to write. I decided to talk about my plans and tell everyone I was starting my own writing business. #writerinthemaking was how I marketed myself in that initial phase of my startup. Little did I know that I had embarked on my original content marketing strategy. By talking to anyone and everyone who would listen, I could formulate my ideas, concepts, and brand. I knew I was a novice, and I knew that those who were listening could likely tell. But I didn't care. I had a vision, and I wanted to bring it to life. Talking about it put it out there into the Universe, allowing it to take shape and solidify. Once I finally saw my business and my content, I was able to build and create it.
Talking to people opens up the opportunity to hear what they have to offer. Many people have wonderful experiences, education, expertise, and knowledge they are willing to share if someone wants to hear. I learned a wealth of information about marketing, the business of writing, how to build clientele, how to market myself, and so much more just by engaging in conversation and talking about what I was doing. So tell people what you are doing.
MAKE CONNECTIONS AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER WOMEN
When I first decided to start RachelRichContentWriter, I quickly realized that the South Shore was full of supportive women running businesses, families, and personal lives. They are working hard and succeeding at all of it. They are also seeking out like-minded women with whom to connect. I was so grateful to learn that many of the women here want all of us to succeed.
There is no need to go it alone. Reach out and engage with them. Join Facebook groups like Leading Ladies of the South Shore and South Shore W.O.M.E.N. and search out other women you can learn from and send them a message. Most of them will be thrilled to make a connection. Once you make some connections; discuss, and collaborate. Ask lots of questions. Find out what programs they use to create content. Who designed their website? Who is writing their copy and managing their social media? If they are doing it themselves, how do they manage the time to think, create, and implement. I have found that the community of women here are willing to share their strategies and resources. By talking to them, you also begin the process of marketing yourself. People you connect with will help you with leads and referrals. They will see your passion and drive, and in this particular supportive community of women, you can be rewarded for sharing it!
YOU ARE CREATIVE; TAP INTO IT
I never considered myself creative. I always saw myself as a type-A organized person who followed the rules, guidelines, directions, and recipes well. Writing is perfect for me because there are rules and approaches to writing, depending on the purpose and audience. However, writing in someone else's voice, showing people why a writer is a worthwhile investment, branding myself, and engaging in self-promotion requires creativity. Instead of learning how to be more creative, I decided to tap into what I had to offer and be creative with that. My style, approach, sense of humor, and understanding of what people want all went into creating my own authentic content.
What I learned was that I have something to offer. People like my type-A personality and appreciate that work is completed on time and often ahead of schedule. They enjoy, and sometimes even delight, in the fact that I bring my five children along for the ride and am open about it because it's the only way it works for me. And they like my style. I don't fit everyone's needs, but I fit many people's needs. They find me and work with me because I'm true to myself and my content reflects that. There is someone who wants what you have to offer, so be authentic to yourself when creating your content. Your content is a reflection of who you are, and clients appreciate transparency and authenticity.
WHAT IS EVERYONE ELSE DOING?
Watching what others do was my favorite part of building my business. To this day, I continue to monitor. I pay attention to how other women, and men, in business talk, market themselves, post on social media, and how they collaborate. I want to know how they do it. If they are good, I learn from their example. I also look to learn about new terms, ideas, thoughts, workshops, and concepts. I then research, join, and participate. I pay attention to learn from others' mistakes, figure out what I like and don't enjoy, and take note of trends. What kind of posts are people making? What are they writing for captions? What hashtags are they using? Are they engaging people or experimenting? What kind of workshops are people attending? Why? What are they learning? Do I need to know that as well? Finally, seeing what others are doing is inspiring. I don't want to copy someone else. That would not be authentic or true to my brand. But I can see something cool and find a way to incorporate it into my content and make it my own.
EXPERIMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media's forgiveness level is high, so don't be afraid to try something different or new. Anxiety and fear can prevent us from hitting the post button. There are judgy-pants out there critiquing your every move. In the past, I would let the fear of a bad post, professional mistake, or negative comment prevent me from posting. But I have come to learn that it is easy to be forgotten about on social media, so the ability to recover from a mistake is relatively high. Those judgy-pantses are judging everyone, not just you, so who cares. The reality is, if you're not posting, people aren't thinking about you. If you make a terrible post, after a few days, they've likely forgotten. So experiment. Try out different visuals, captions, and approaches to increasing your organic engagement. Test drive hashtags to see how they work. Identify what people like, what they respond to, and what they don't. By experimenting, you become more reliable and present on social media. You also focus on presenting your business brand and creating content that keeps people with you.
ADOPT A TOGETHER ATTITUDE RATHER THAN A COMPETITIVE ONE
I listened to Melanie Padgett Powers Podcast, The Deliberate Freelancer, when I was first starting. In one of her first few episodes, she spoke about working together with other writers and adopting a supportive mindset instead of a competitive attitude. "There is enough work for all of us," I recall her saying. She also talked about working with people that are nice and taking on work that fits your style. By working in tandem with other writers, we could turn down clients that weren't a match but move them to a more appropriate writer, building our credibility and providing the client with someone who can best meet their needs. Her approach spoke to me. It made sense. There is enough work for all of us, so we don't need to be enemies. We can be competitors but also get along. I want to know who the other writers are so I can learn from them and support them. We all have something to offer. Whatever our expertise is, we have our unique value and way we work with clients. Working together and supporting each other makes us all better.
Creating authentic content and building a business happens by tapping into and revealing our value. Being open to learning from the community, experimenting, and working together brings forth ideas that will engage followers, clients, and future business. Set aside some time to connect. Continue learning. Try new things. The investment is worth it!
MEET THE AUTHOR
rachel rich, content writer
Rachel Rich is a freelance content writer and creator from Scituate, Massachusetts. She learned sales and marketing from working with a DM company post highschool. After getting her B.A. in Education and M.A. in Special Education, she became a teacher, wife, and mother. Five children later, Rachel now runs her own content writing business working from home alongside her husband, who also runs his own family business. Five little future entrepreneurs are watching their every move! You can find Rachel at Rachelrichcontentwriter.com and she can be reached at rachelrichcontentwriter@gmail.com