This definitely is a new age, that’s for sure. Not only must entrepreneurs today know their stuff business-wise, and be techno-geeks too, but now it seems that we all must be content generators and aggregators as well. Oh how some small business owners long for the days when all they had to do was run their business and not worry about their computers, systems, mobile technology, and Internet presence.
Social media especially has made it such that small business people who want to be in the loop must now do more than simply be in business if they want to stay connected. You can’t simply logon to Facebook, post your special of the day, and think that that is going to garner you much traction, because its not.
These days, you better also be generating some good content if you want to get or stay noticed online.
While this content-generation stuff does take thought and effort and is time-consuming, the good news is that it is also rewarding from a bottom-line point of view. The fact is, if you do it right, people will notice you, and that’s the point. Social media is also called social networking for a reason – it allows you to network with folks you otherwise would not normally meet, and in the process, get more business.
And how do you meet them? A main way is by offering valuable content. By blogging interesting blogs, by posting quirky videos, by linking to valuable articles, you can make yourself a conduit in your area of expertise/interest.
Your content brands you, for good or ill, so make it for good.
And that requires generating content that people like and find interesting or valuable. Notice I said “generating” not “creating” content. The other piece of good news (and a long-winded way to get to the specific answer to the question above) is that you do not have to be a gifted writer or vlogger or whatever to generate good content. Does it help? Sure. But it’s not critical.
Consider the content that you think is “good.” Good content can be any number of things, but what it is not is some self-serving piece that is boring, or lame, or useless, or all of the above. The old 80-20 rule applies here as well: 80% of your online content should be about/for your audience and customers, and only 20% should be about you or your business. The first mistake many people make is when they get that ratio backwards.
Instead, what you need to do is offer your audience content that either
· Helps them run their business or lives better, or · Puts a smile on their face, or · Gives them something to pass on to their network
None of that requires that you be a great writer. What it does require is that you know who your intended audience is, know what they like, and offer them that. If your blog is written in an authentic style and has good insights, no one will care that you didn’t use an apostrophe. If you take out the camcorder and create some interesting instructional videos, again, no one will care that they were not cut in a studio. And if you tweet links to good articles, no one cares that you didn’t write them.
And just consider all of the options available to you now when it comes to content options:
Articles and blogs: They need not be more than 400 words or so. That is not hard to do
Videos: People love videos and they are so easy to make and edit these days
Podcasts: Podcasting software is free, and podcasts are downloaded plenty
Social media posts: This is the easiest of them all – simply link to articles and other content you find valuable
The point is, today, no one needs to be Ernest Hemingway to be a content creator.
Today’s Tip: Taking a note out of my own book, I recently launched a new podcast that you might like. You can download at iTunes – Small Business Success with Steve Strauss, Powered by Greatland. Steve says check it out.