Creating content and marketing is a lot of work. Frankly it’s hard work and done consistently it will pay off, yet most business owners fail to do this.

Generate new content ideas. Write weekly content. Promote posts via social media and email.  Sometimes it feels like it’s a never ending process.

Everyone wonders from time to time whether the hard work is paying off and we find ourselves asking  should I keep on going?  Do I write more? Promote more?  Am I doing all that I can to be seen and heard?

Yes I’ve  thought of quitting now and then. I think it would be  nice to stop worrying about the next post , have some extra time to hang out with my friends or family or  just take a nap.

Yet I have discovered that  the benefits of writing content  is huge and it has been a game changer for my business.

This has been the year where I have taken content creation and marketing seriously for my business.  Yes I have been doing it for a long time for my clients and I knew that if I wanted to really take my business to a higher place, I needed to get cracking.  I’ve learned that my blog   generates search traffic, built my authority, and generated some great leads.

My blog drives the majority of my social media activities.  And I love knowing that I am creating content that is helping others.  To me that is the best form of marketing I can do.

Along with my clients, there are many more companies and solo-entrepreneurs whose blogs fuel their businesses. Since I have been serious about creating content and marketing properly, I am able to successfully  generate many more business leads.

Wondering how you can your content marketing a success, engage more readers and get more leads without working yourself fingers to the bone?

I’ve pulled together 34 Tips For More Readers & Business. These will help you to streamline your content creation process, get you seen and heard so you can engage with more readers, and connect with more potential clients.

Step 1:  Streamline your content creation

8 tips to help streamline your content creation process

1. Commit to a regular schedule.  Create a content plan it so that it works for you and for your readers. There is no need to over commit or  publish daily. Here’s my post on how to streamline your content creation process
2. Create a list of content topics.  Research and find out what the hottest topics are on social media and when you find clients asking the same questions, add those to the list too.
3. Start the writing process with an outline. knowing what you are going to write speeds up both writing and editing.
4. Follow proven blueprints. Don’t waste your time reinventing the wheel. Most blog posts follow straightforward structures.  Here’s my five part formula for a successful article.
5. Don’t wait until the last minute when you are under the gun to write your content.  I find that my best articles are ones that I wrote over time and in multiple sittings.  The best content evolves over time.
6. Write ahead. Stuff happens and it is a great idea to have content ready for when you need to take a break.  And don’t worry if you miss a week, it really isn’t the end of the world.
7. Block out time to write in your schedule and adhere to it.  I like to use a timer and take breaks to help me focus. I also know the time of day when my writing mind is most prolific and don’t attempt to write when I am tired.

Remember to try to not rush the process, make it enjoyable and the more you write and start to see results the more of a pleasure it will become! 

Think of writing as the best marketing tactic you have to help you get seen and heard.

Step 2:  Getting seen and heard with your content

Resist  using your content marketing as the main method spread your sales messages, nobody’s interested. You won’t catch the eye of any clients you’re looking for.

Initially most  people who connect with you via your content aren’t interested in your sales messages. Most of them have an issue and are looking for help, for someone who is an expert and can solve their problems.

Start by writing content that will help them out, make it simple and something they can easily execute and you’ll have them coming back for more…

6 tips to help you write content that will help position you as an expert:

1. Know your audience. Do your research so you understand what they’re struggling with, then tailor your content so you can help them.  Doing will establish you as an expert and build the know like and trust factor which is an essential part of building the right relationship with your audience.
2. Know who you want to help to achieve what.  I focus on three different types of people with my content.  People starting out in business who don’t have anything created, people who are at 6 figures and beyond who need help with their content marketing and funnels and people who have purchased or are considering purchasing infusionsoft.  So my content is tailored around each of these audiences.
3. Don’t create false headlines just to get people to click.  Make sure your headlines compliment your content and you will be rewarded with a lower bounce rate and visitors will be more likely to opt-into your mailing list.
4. Be truthful and not afraid  to voice your opinion.  Not being afraid to say what you believe helps  you to stand out and connect with like minded people.
5. Study the masters. Learn from people like Derek Halpern at http://socialtriggers.com or Pat Flynn at http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/.  Learn  what makes great content by reading their posts – I do!
6. Understand your body’s rhythms, write your content when you know you are most prolific.  I know my best writing time is either on a Saturday morning when I am not thinking about my client’s needs or I block out time during the week early in the day because that is when I am my most creative.  And I block out multiple times to work on a single post.

Think like a mentor and focus on your audience’s needs when writing.  The key is to think about how you can help them get the results they are looking for easily and in a short amount of time.

Do this and they will become raving fans.

Step 3:  Take a stand with your content

Let me be truthful, there is a lot of garbage out there…

Find your voice and take a stand for something you know is important to you and your audience. Do this consistently and will become an authority in your field. Simply put – don’t copy other people’s stuff or outsource your writing to someone else.

Your audience will know….

8 tips to build your platform and your authority

1. Voice your opinion. Take a stand an say what you think, your audience will love you for it.
2. Put your best foot forward and always give your readers value.   Every single time.
3. Never worry about giving stuff away for free. This is marketing at it’s best when you give away something for free, your audience will become raving fans when you give them great stuff for free and will come back wanting more and willing to pay for it.
4. Quote and link to experts in your posts. It shows that you are continually researching and learning your craft.
5. Write simply.  Make sure your content is understandable, use the Flesh Kincade score in Microsoft word Tool to make sure your audience can read what you write.
6. Use examples and case studies from your experience.  Do this when possible or link to other posts that have related content that may be of interest.  Story telling makes your content more interesting.
7. Write great content on a regular basis.
8. Add great images to your content every time.   Having great images will generate more attention and more traffic.  Here’s how you can create images that will do just that for you.

Be generous with your knowledge.   I’ve learned from doing this that potential clients will find you and want to work with you.

Step 4:  Keeping your readers coming back

Know what your audience is interested in by taking a look at your marketing metrics.  Knowing what they are interested in and writing more content on those subjects is the best way to build your readership.

8 ways to connect, inspire and keep them coming back for more:

1. Give them simple executable tips.  Ones that they can implement to solve their pressing problems.
   
2. Format your content so that readers can scan.  That means using subheadings and bullet points to format your content so that readers can look through to find and read what they want.
3. Get personal.  Tell personal stories that relate to your content.  Share with them that you too have struggled and found the answers.
4. Be conversational – avoid writing in the third person.  This is stuffy and boring, you’ll turn readers off immediately.  Write to them like you are chatting with a close friend.
5. Inspire your readers to take action.  Whenever you can, be sure to show them how and make it easy to take action.
6. Be generous and always give your readers your best content and a tip to help them out.
7. Create a unique voice. Make them laugh, inspire them to take action, be relate-able… just be YOU!  Do this and you’ll have them coming back again.

Infuse everything you write with your personality and  know that this is not something you can outsource…

Be genuinely you and you’ll stand out and build an audience of raving fans.

Step 5:  Marketing Your Content

Content marketing is one of my favorite and I believe to be the most effective way to market.

I love content marketing because you aren’t selling anything.   Look at it like you are starting a conversation at a cocktail party.  You may chat with a lot of people at a cocktail party but you won’t become close friends right away with someone, it takes time.

It’s the same with content marketing.  Yes, content marketing can help you get leads but don’t expect to win sales just by writing a few posts. It takes time and perseverance to build your audience.

6 ways to market your content and build rapport with your audience

1. Start first by building an email list.  Having a list of subscribers is the first thing you should be building and is the one of the smartest things you can do.  Your email list will drive the most traffic to your blog.
2. When people subscribe to your list nurture them.   Build the relationship with a 21 -30 day autoresponder seriess where you continue to give them great content.
3. Keep your emails short and conversational.   Give them a reason to click and read your content on your blog.  I like to take my best content and send it to my list  I usually touch a problem, and give them the step by step solution in my blog post.
4. Optimize your posts for SEO.  I recommend using WordPress SEO by Yoast plugin.  It’s simple and easy to use, I can’t live without it.
5. Share you content on social media and social bookmarking sites.  Start small and expand your reach, don’t try to be everywhere all at once. I suggest starting with Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook and Pinterest.  After you have those down, I’d move on to creating podcasts, short videos and slides of your best content to reach a wider audience.
6. Guest blog. This is a great way for you to expand your reach.

Wrapping it all up…

The key to your success is making sure you have good quality content that is worth sharing

Dare to be different.

Express your opinions freely.

Write consistently and conversationally

Do take breaks but don’t disappear for months and reappear, you’ll loose the interest of your audience.

The key is consistency and having a true passion for your audience and content.

And remember to have fun!