Every small business and business owner needs content. It is how you create your presence online, on social media, newsletters, emails, and every other medium. Content = presence. But, where and how do you start? What do you do when writer’s and content block gets the best of you? Here are some quick 5 tips on creating content and what to do to avoid roadblocks.
1. Create a branding/style guide
First and foremost, have your style guide at the ready. This is going to help you establish the overall aesthetic of your content and brand. From colors to fonts to minimalist/maximalist. Are you bold with bright colors and big fonts or subtle with soft pastels and small print? Having that established first hand will set you up for success.
Think of branding like a triangle. There are three legs to it: logos, colors, and fonts. Branding does not only establish the ambiance of your website and socials, it bleeds into your written content as well. Fronts are vital to blogs, emails, and any written piece.
Again, it helps establish who your brand is and is the third leg of the triangle.
2. Creating content for Audiences
Next step, who are you creating your content for? Small business owners know who they are targeting, so aligning your content to these groups helps bring awareness and engagement to your brand. Start writing and creating social media content for these audiences, be helpful. People want two things when it comes to content:
- Incentives
- Knowledge
Create your writing processes around these two, and you can watch engagement and traffic roll in. It is not an overnight thing, especially focusing on organic only but consistency is key. Keep creating and being helpful to your audiences, and the growth will start.
3. Research topical pieces
I think that this is probably an easy guess. We all do research when starting something new. But, focus your research on topical, newsworthy pieces that are happening in your industry right now. People want the hottest, newest tips. Find subject matter that is relevant to your business and again, how you can help your audiences with your product and service.
You are an answer to a problem, talk about it. Show your worth, especially when new information comes to light. Be on top of your industry knowledge and stay in the know. Keep content focused around that.
4. Socials vs. Blogs
Most businesses jump straight into an email and social marketing. It is easy to get wrapped up in social media since almost everyone has some form of profile on a platform. Yes, social proof is important, please create at least a Facebook and Instagram for your business. Linkedin is number three.
Have a strategy in place for all three, all unique and different since no platform is the same. They each do something different. Do not forget this. One medium that sometimes does get overlooked is blogging.
Having a blog on your site is a great way for you to become a source of news in your business vertical. You are generating topical, newsworthy pieces that teach and bring new knowledge to your clientele and customers.
Blogs also are a great way to keep an established relationship between you and existing clients. It keeps lines of communication open and available. Same with monthly email newsletters. Keep those content pieces alive.
5. Stay organized and take a break
So, what does a business owner do when the creative block occurs? Having a list of writing goals and objectives is a great way to stay organized and know what is up and coming for content purposes.
When freewriting is not in the works at the moment, take a break. Walk away from a writing project for a bit, it’s okay to not have ideas right then and there. Reset the presence of mind, and come back at a later time.
Having a bank of content at the ready is also a way to make sure content stays consistent when content block hits. Having at least 2 weeks of content at the ready is a safeguard for branding.
Also, switch it up and move your writing routine around. If you find a new topic of interest that is tied to your business and audience, write and create content around it. It is good to find new things to focus on to keep audiences engaged.
Finding topical content that motivates and excites you as a content producer is what will keep you going. Stay hungry for new trends and information about your industry, this will help you stay informed. Consistency is key when generating content, make sure your business is creating relevant and quality content. Hope these 5 tips helped, go create.
