The ‘information revolution’, so keenly anticipated in the 1990s, has reached saturation point. Search engine searches are becoming far less relevant as people seek to make sense of information, to discover new useful insights, and to be inspired and entertained.
The practice of curating content for an online audience is accelerating. People whose opinions others respect are building significant followings through curating and sharing information with their online ‘tribe’. Social share buttons means that anyone with a Facebook account can share a link from an online paper, blog or website with one click.
Content marketing to serve your tribe
If ‘marketing’ still feels like a dirty word, then take heart – content marketing is all about serving your tribe with information that is useful and helpful, engaging and inspiring.
Think about someone getting into yoga for the first time – they may well feel intimidated, uncomfortable, and a bit silly. To offer them a yoga retreat right now would likely fall on deaf ears, there are too many hurdles to overcome until they get there.
Keeping in contact with the new client through regular email newsletters, Facebook updates, blog posts and articles is the reassurance they may need to keep turning up to class when they feel out of their depth. A well-timed in-depth article or video, your ‘recommended reading’ list on your website, or website links to synergistic businesses acts as a taster of things to come, keeping their appetite whetted when they feel that progress is slow, and allowing them to dive deeper when they are ready.
The business of relationships
As keen as I am on Twitter, Facebook and emails, nothing beats face-to-face interaction. Becoming the go-to source for your sector allows you to reach more people and maintain more relationships in between your face-to-face interactions.
Curating news on your sector is part of your job. People expect that professionals continually educate themself. Sharing information online gives people confidence in their decision to give you their patronage.
As a healer or conscious business entrepreneur, you are a purveyor of meaning. Your work has the capacity to transform lives and this doesn’t end when your client leaves your presence. Sourcing and producing content that is inspiring, engaging, relevant and useful helps you imbue your service with meaning and turns mere consumption into lasting experiences.
And, the search engines
Search is constantly evolving to keep up with people’s need for valuable information, most recently by returning results influenced by the searcher’s social media networks. Whether you are writing a short synopsis of someone else’s content and linking to the original item from your website, or posting a new video, podcast or article, your search engine ranking will benefit as a result.
Don’t worry about driving web traffic to another website. If someone continually curates great information, then I’m coming back for more.
Where to find content
Every morning, Yoga Reachers open Facebook, Twitter, check their email and scan their RSS feeds. We are seeking to share – so we’re not only looking for ourselves, but anticipating what our audience is interested in. RSS feeds are a great source of content, allowing you to aggregate all your favourite websites’ most recent updates on one web page.
Creating great content
Curating great content relevant to your audience will help you create great content. Approach all discussion with ‘Yes, and?’ What’s missing from the piece? Or ‘yes, but?’ Perhaps you don’t agree – some robust discussion is far more interesting than another ‘me too’ cheer squad.
Too often we only hear from businesses in the lead-up to Christmas, Mother’s Day, and other holidays. Client communications that are all about pragmatic opening times and periodic discounts and specials will not grow an audience or provoke a discussion. Inspiring your clients and prospective clients with insights and ideas will provoke respect and loyalty, but it goes far beyond that.
Tapping into the internet to curate inspiring, provocative content and contribute quality analysis to the discussion has the power to affect change on a global, as well as personal level so that the individual, armed with information, makes better choices.
Do you need help creating compelling content? That’s what I do best. Get in touch.
