The client was frustrated.
“I wrote a blog and nothing happened!”
They had been excited to share content but were underwhelmed when they didn’t immediately see results.
As a professional blogger, my instinct is to worry that my content wasn’t good enough. Perhaps I let some grammatical errors slip through or the angles weren’t strong enough.
But a conversation with a friend who is a talented writer but also a Creative Director who works at a much grander scale than I do (yes, Jen, you), helped me understand why the client wasn’t getting the outcome they were hoping for.
“You don’t work out for a week and drop a dress size,” she explained.
Content, like getting in shape, requires a marathon-level of effort. Unless you have some kind of lucky fluke, it’s not a sprint to the finish line.
Marketing isn’t an exact science but most thought leaders talk about the ‘Rule of 7’ and how most people need to encounter you or your brand seven times before they take action and make a purchase. You may need even more touch points if what you sell sits at a high price point or has a lot of competition in the market.
So it’s a long game. And it’s made even harder by the fact that publishing content on your website and sharing it on social media doesn’t mean every person in your network will see it.
With all this in mind, here are some tips to get more from every ‘workout’:
Run a long race
Don’t publish one blog per week for a month and then give up.
You need to commit for at least six months or ideally a year before you can get an idea of whether your content strategy is working.
Distribute distribute distribute
Posting blogs on your website is great for SEO and to educate the audience that finds you online.
However, you need to share your content on social media and via email. Even if your links don’t get clicked on, posting on these platforms regularly gives your brand visibility while building your credibility as an expert in your field.
If you’re feeling nervous about how your content will be received, get some help from a professional blogger to make sure it reads well.
Don’t forget your old content
You probably have a few blogs on your site that have been gathering virtual dust. It won’t take long to update them (or get some help to do so) and change the date to the current year.
Not every update you put out on social is seen by every person. You have the chance to reach people who might have missed you last time.
Re-hashing is a really cost-effective way to stretch your content budget further.
Give your content ‘legs’
Hiring a professional blogger takes up some budget and you may only be able to publish once every two weeks.
The problem is that social media is a hungry beast. It wants to see you sharing content as much as possible and it will reward you by sharing it with more people. Ask your writer to also create some short excerpts that you can schedule to your LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter feed. This gives you the presence without the extra effort.
And don’t forget about things like videos and infographics. Turn one concept into three or four pieces of content and keep sharing.
Review your progress
Once you have run your marathon, if you’re not getting results, you have a couple of options. One is to take off your shoes forever. The other is to get some professional help. An expert may be able to fine-tune your strategy so you get better outcomes.
Just do it
Finally, I want to say that you have to be in it to win it.
Not creating content because you’re scared about losing money is the safe strategy but it sure as heck won’t win you any more clients. The reason so many companies blog is that it does work, especially when it’s done consistently. You’ll be surprised how many people come out of the woodwork saying they read your stuff.
Results have the potential to compound when you follow a schedule and keep getting your message out there.
Want help from a professional blogger? Get in touch with a freelance copywriter today.
