6 Ways to Create Content and Build Thought Leadership
In this digital era, creating quality content is essential your company’s growth. It conveys your skills and establishes you as an expert in your field. Here are effective ways to improve your content.
Key takeaways:
Did you know that 81% of customers will only buy a product or service after conducting online research? Customers will read your content to determine whether you’re an expert in your field and can fulfill their needs. Make sure your content outshines your competitors’.
However, improving your content while focusing on operating your business can be difficult. This article discusses how to create content that will set you apart from the competition.
1. Identify and understand your audience
Before you can create content that will attract more customers and possibly lead them to choose your business, you need to know the people you’re reaching.
Ask these questions:
Providing answers will help you create content to suit your primary audience. However, boosting your content doesn’t end with just knowing your audience. You have to continuously learn about your potential customers and take note when their interests change.
One of the ways you can do this is by conducting customer reviews or surveys.
2. Establish your social media presence
According to research by Datareportal in January 2022 on the growth of social media, 4.62 billion people are currently on social media globally, and in the past 12 months, 424 million new users joined. Think of all the people you can reach by posting content on Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms.
If your aim is to build your brand’s authority, establishing your presence on social media is a powerful tool. People spend an average of 147 minutes on social media per day. Being active on social media and providing worthwhile content provides valuable opportunities to interact with your audience.
You can also promote your brand by commenting on content related to your business on other social media accounts. Remember that consistently creating and posting content will provide valuable exposure. To facilitate consistency, draft a plan for social media activity – and stick to it.
3. Prioritize quality
When it comes to improving thought leadership, always put quality above quantity. Low-quality content negatively impacts your goal of attracting customers and building leads.
Content must be easy to read and understand. Make sure the material is devoid of grammatical, spelling, or typographical errors. For blogs and articles, you can use editing tools like Grammarly, which have been designed to identify and correct errors in writing.
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Your content should add value to prospects’ lives. Whether it’s a video, infographic, or blog post, include actionable steps to make it practical. For example, if you’re writing a self-help article, describe how to follow its advice.
If your content needs considerable study or contains complex steps, you’ll lose your audience, so always ensure that what you’re putting out there is your best work.
4. Focus on creating content in your niche
If your content adds value to your audiences’ lives, they’re more likely to trust your brand. Also, make sure your content is simple to read and understand. Your audience should be able to scan your material and understand what you’re trying to communicate.
Note topics specific to your niche and expand on them. Select a few themes to cover and subdivide them into various topics. You want to be known for a specific area of expertise; concentrate on that.
For example, if you’re in real estate, choose themes pertaining to your field. Creating unrelated content will only confuse your audience.
Feel free to mix and match content formats, such as videos, infographics, and blogging. This diversifies your content and will also attract a larger audience. This is because, while blogs appear to be the most common format, there may be people in your audience who prefer pictorial storytelling.
5. Study your competitors
Competing executives in your industry also create content. You can use this to your advantage by analyzing what they’re doing and how they’re doing it.
If they’re successful, take lessons from them. For example, if you own a fast-food restaurant, you’ll want to analyze material published by top fast-food chains like Starbucks and McDonald’s. Keep in mind that the aim is not to copy, but to improve on their concepts to uniquely build your authority in your particular niche.
Study your competitors to identify the gaps in their content and fill them in your own storytelling.
6. Create informative content
Your audience’s time is valuable. Ensure that every blog, video, or image contains useful information. Include facts that reinforce to your audience your expertise in your field. Here are some materials you can include to create more educational material:
Include links to the sources of your facts and figures. This allows your audience to confirm your points and further educate themselves.
What’s next after creating great content?
Once you’ve put your content marketing and thought leadership playbook in motion, you’re likely to receive inquiries about your business. Is your sales team ready to handle such requests? How can your sales team mobilize your content to reach more customers?
MetaGrowth Ventures will train your sales team to use content to get leads and make conversions. We guide every step, from hiring to building a world-class sales team to ramp up profits. Get in touch to find out how we can optimize your sales team.