Content is king, right?
It is common thinking that content can keep you front and center in the minds of your prospects and clients alike, can provide you with credibility and recognition, and in the best of all worlds, even help you to win new business.
All of this is true, but only if you select the right words for the right communications vehicle and with the right readers in mind. The cliché of throw enough stuff against the wall and something will stick has its share of followers and I'm here to tell you that it is absolutely the wrong approach.
Words are powerful. Words can help you to win recognition and credibility and it's in your best interest to be strategic and cautious when throwing words against the wall.
Here are some things you must consider when crafting your content:
* Who is the audience for whom you are writing? Are they clients, prospects, networking contacts or a combination of all three?
* How will the content be used? Are you sending it out to your newsletter list, posting it on your website, email or snail mailing it to your database or some segment thereof? Will it appear in a publication? How your content will be used will help to drive the style in which it is written.
* Will this be a stand -lone piece or is it part of an ongoing sales and marketing effort?
* What's the story behind the content? Storytelling is the foundation for good content creation.
* What is the goal of the content? Are you writing for visibility or are you creating something that is designed to generate a direct response?
It's not enough to be a good writer. That's just the start. You must create content that is compelling, generates attention and can be a tool that will help you to turn the reader's interest into action.
So yes, content is king, but it can also be the court jester where laughs abound but nothing of any consequence evolves.