So you want to dive into this mysterious business of ‘content marketing’.
You may have heard me talk about how great it is: how it’s fun to write, fun to read, ethical, helpful, great for building relationships, and… you know, a multi-million dollar industry by now.
You probably know, maybe even cleverly deduced, that content marketing involves creating… uh, content. Something that people like to read/watch/listen to/otherwise consume, that somehow drives your message.
But how does it work?
How do you write an article that isn’t an ad, that somehow leads people to buy your stuff?
It’s pretty easy to get started. Even if you hate typing, you could stick a camera or microphone to your face and move on.
However, will it work?
But will people ignore you?
Maybe even offend you?
Or listen to what you have to say… but then do nothing else?
Content marketing is like just another aspect of your business:
Get it wrong and at best it will be a huge waste of time, money and energy.
And there are two ways to go wrong:
The content leaves…
Y…
… well, the other part.
Luckily, I have a formula that will help you. I was originally going to call this THE content marketing formula, but… uh. There is more than one way to hook a cat.
Step 1) Bait the hook
When I started with content marketing, writing articles and such, I wrote about anything that came to mind.
For the most part, it was informative – it clearly revealed misconceptions about hypnosis, what it is (and isn’t), and what it can (and can’t) do.
That kept me busy for a long, long time.
However, some problems:
For one thing, my writing was pretty embarrassing back then. I guess that’s not a problem: if you do everything right, you can probably write very strangely and still get it right.
I figured that out with practice.
The second problem: people were not reading my articles. Traffic was practically zero.
Third, those few who did read did not act on it. They simply moved on to the next thing to get his attention.
It was frustrating to spend so much time for so little response. Good thing I didn’t rely on my content marketing to pay the bills, otherwise I would have gone insane.
It didn’t work because direct information is not content. Not really, which is why people don’t read textbooks for fun.
People may be curious about what you offer…
But if you really want to get their attention, start with their pain.
Your offer must solve some problem in his life. That problem doesn’t have to be dramatic: if you’re selling, I don’t know, fancy dishes, the problem might be not impressing their friends as much as they’d like to over dinner.
(If this wasn’t a real concern, no one would buy anything but the cheapest plates…)
People cannot ignore their own bread. Talk about it up front and they’ll pay attention to you, especially if you blurt out that you have a solution.
Step 2) Paint the image
Now they are thinking about their problem.
It’s time to tell a story, preferably a personal one.
Why?
Because stories are the ultimate content.
They are informative, entertaining and persuasive.
They are relatable: when you talk about having the problem, your audience will know that you have their problems.
And they are addictive. Why else do people spend billions listening to stories through books, movies, games…
I doubt there is a successful motivational speaker, coach, or leader who doesn’t often tell stories.
But what is a story, really?
All stories, from the simplest anecdote to The Lord of the Rings, present an emotional transformation. If none of the characters change how they feel, it doesn’t feel like a story. It is more like a list of facts.
Your stories also present transformation:
Someone (ideally you) struggled with the same problem as your hearing.
You have tried what you are offering.
Then your life changed for the better.
It’s hardly Shakespeare, but it still works. You hear this formula dozens of times a week, but you don’t notice it until you stop and pay attention.
This is where it gets good:
When I started including emotional transformations in my articles, things changed. People came up to me to tell me how much they liked my articles.
Traffic to my pink items…and it stayed there.
Even better, I started making sales.
If your content feels flat and uninspiring like mine used to be, you’re probably missing this spark.
Step 3) Dive into the logic
There is a discussion that comes and goes. Many people believe that they (and others) make decisions based on logic and reason.
Others counter by saying that people make decisions based on emotion and instinct.
They are more accurate, but it is not the complete picture. Sure, we use emotions to guide our quick decisions…and even big ones. But when we can, we use logic to check them.
For example, you may decide that a house “feels good”…but before you buy it, you compare it to your requirements. Do you have enough bedrooms or too many termites, that sort of thing? If it fails, no matter how “right” it feels, it rejects it. Logic overrides emotion.
Just like with your marketing. Not only do you want to get their emotions on board, but you also want logic to back up your choice.
People hate dry, boring facts… but you have enough emotional drive from the first two steps to get away with it. If your audience has read this far, they are likely to keep reading. So here’s your chance to add some crunch to your content.
Step 4) Make the call
At this point, you’ve done nothing but entertain them. If they stopped reading, they would still get a lot from your content.
And that’s fine: Those who are still reading can share your content, activate your other content, and yes, maybe even make a purchase.
So this is your chance to order it.
Remind them what they will gain from using your solution.
Tell them what the next step is, like “call me at this number” or “follow this link.”
So make it easy for them to do just that.