One of the biggest mistakes business owners make when creating content for their websites or marketing materials is forgetting who they’re writing for. Even the best writers are sometimes guilty of writing for themselves rather than for their ideal clients.
If you’re in the same boat, finding yourself writing about all the things that make you and your company great, but not seeing any clicks or conversions, try these tips for making sure your content will connect with your ideal clients–because content that connects is what gets you those clicks and conversions!
1. Know your audience!
It seems simple, but if you aren’t clear on who you are writing for, you’re never going to get them to your website or through your doors.
If you haven’t already pinpointed your target market, take a few minutes to write out a detailed description of what your ideal client looks like. Be as specific as possible and don’t leave anything out.
Who are they? Where do they live? How old are they? What do they do for work? Are they married? Do they have children? What do they do for fun? Where do they vacation? Where do they shop? The list goes on and on. Think of all the ways you can define your ideal client and the life they live and list it all out so you can refer to it whenever you’re writing content.
2. Solve their problems.
Once you know who you are writing for, it’s time to figure out why they would want to hire you (or buy your products).
Whatever service or product you offer, it has to meet a strong *need* for your customers. The best way to connect with your ideal client is to help them see you have the solutions to their problems.
Take some time to map out the problems–sometimes called “pain points”–that your customers deal with in their daily lives. Now that you know clearly who your ideal client is, this exercise shouldn’t take much time.
What do they struggle with? What do they desire that they don’t yet have? How could their lives be easier or more enjoyable? Once you’re clear on what problems your ideal customers have, consider how your product or service can solve those problems.
Write your content with this problem/solution narrative in mind and watch how quickly your ideal clients start to respond.
3. Be true to YOU.
When running a business, we often look to mentors or other business owners who are doing the things we want to be doing or who have the success we want to have for guidance and ideas on how we should be doing things. While we’re all for having mentors and learning from the examples around us, the worst thing you could do for your business is try to do things exactly like someone else just because it has worked for them.
Your ideal clients are going to want to work with (or shop with) YOU. So don’t try to be someone else. I hate to use a buzzword here, but be AUTHENTIC. Trust that you (and your product or service) are exactly what your ideal client wants and needs.
Write your content in YOUR voice–not the voice of that million-dollar saleswoman you follow on Instagram or the photographer who inspired you to start your own business or the coach that is helping you reach your goals. Let their words and guidance inspire you, but don’t let them override who you are and what you want your business to be.
Use your own voice consistently to connect to your clients in a way that feels good to you and you’ll see positive results.
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Does your content need a revamp? These tips should help you make some changes that can grow engagement, reach new clients and connect with current clients in new ways. If you use some of these tips to freshen up your content, we’d love to hear about your results! Comment below and share some changes you made.
If you’re still having trouble reaching your ideal clients or don’t have the time to review and rewrite your web or marketing content, contact us for information about our content services. We’d love to help you get the engagement and conversions that you need to grow your business!
Ami Youngs Coaching 