What does “content” mean in the context of my business?
In a nutshell, your content is the total sum of all the expertise, case studies, data, stories, and information that you posses. For example, if you own a travel agency, your content could cover tips for getting the best deals on airfare, or best travel locales for honeymooners. If you own a hotel, your content could include your original photography of your hotel premises or your advice about delivering the best customer service to hotel guests. Whatever industry you’re in, you have content, advice and information you can share!
What kinds of online content could I produce for my business?
Unlike traditional marketing collateral, online content needs to be instructive, interesting and of value to your reader. With your online content, you’re not selling so much as you are providing indispensable information that can help your customers overcome their problems.
You can produce content as blog posts, online articles, white papers, e-books, online newspapers, etc. And let’s not forget that content doesn’t have to be “in writing”. You can produce other media like podcasts and videos, which connect with your audience and are just as easy to share.
Why is producing and sharing online content important for my business?
The benefits of online content are immeasurable! Build your brand, build your sales pipeline, build your business. Promote your expertise or demonstrate your expertise.
You customers don’t just go online to buy. A large majority also use the web to find information, get answers, test a product, see what it looks like, and if you play your cards right, it will be YOUR product they find, investigate and purchase.
Content is important because your customers will stick around on your site a lot longer, which translates to what some refer to as the “stickiness” of your website. As customers read your website and explore new content, they get a good sense of what your business does, what it stands for, and most importantly, what it can do for them.
By producing online content that fulfills the varied needs of your customers, you can anticipate and respond to questions and objections before customers even step through your virtual door.
Why produce content in other languages?
If your business is on the web, your audience is a global one. You can benefit from increased business and company awareness if you can communicate with these different audiences in the language(s) they are most comfortable reading, speaking and learning in.
It’s key to keep in mind that not everyone will be as comfortable with English content as you are. Think about appealing to different audiences with either multicultural content that is translated from English into your target languages, or multicultural content that is written from scratch in the target languages you hope to reach. Both are great options for getting your message out and providing valuable information that current and potential customers can apply and use.
What do I need to do to get people interested in my content?
Make it readable. Make it attractive. And make it worth reading (instructive or educational and of value to your target reader). It’s a pretty simple formula and once you develop it, you can use it in many different types of media, over and over!
Not ready to tackle online content creation for your company? Contact us! We can help you produce original, well-written content that delivers useful advice and showcases your company’s unique and specialized expertise.
