“The quest for certainty blocks the search for meaning. Uncertainty is the very condition to impel man to unfold his powers.” – Erich Fromm, social psychologist
It can be easy to get caught in a panic-fueled cycle when you don’t know what’s coming next – but we’ve all dealt with unknowns before.
You CAN get through this – because you have the power.
And right now there is an opportunity to focus on the power of your online presence, which starts with well-written, informative and creative content. In this guide, you’ll learn how to create timely content that will stick with your audience long after the stay-at-home orders have been lifted.
Before making any changes in your business, read these points
Nothing good comes from being reactive – that’s a defensive trait that eventually gets you nowhere. Before you make big changes in your business, run through these steps:
- Calmly assess what you’ve got going on and see if it’s working for you. Don’t immediately pull your ads down, cancel contracts or go into a reactive mode. Assess each piece of your business carefully, and give yourself time to think through decisions.
- Take stock of your digital assets. Remember, tons of people are online right now – it’s an excellent time to hone your content strategy. Review your blog posts, videos, downloadables, eBooks, courses, or other creative assets to see what can drive sales in the current environment.
- Figure out what content you can repackage. Before you throw out your content calendar for the month, look at your current content to see if you can repurpose any of it. Can you turn a blog post into a video? Or do a Facebook Live on information from a downloadable? Think of all the ways you can maximise your existing content.
- What actually needs to change? At this point, face-to-face events and meetings are off the table. But many events, including meetings and networking get-togethers, can happen online. Everything from gym classes to conferences can happen online thanks to Zoom and similar tools.
- Look at the things that you can cut out. Remove unnecessary expenses, content that isn’t serving you well or useless tasks that don’t require your attention. Now is the time to trim back anything that isn’t necessary.
- “Hang up” with positive people: give yourself a boost each day by texting, talking, emailing or video chatting with people who support you. Seek out others who are positive and uplifting.
Now that you’ve assessed your situation, it’s time to put creative content to work.
Cutting through the noise with creative and connected content
It’s always important to create content that your audience wants. But it’s more critical now than ever to not appear tone-deaf, uninformed or insensitive, and it’s crucial to keep communicating.
For example, many companies in the travel and tourism industry have nearly zero demand for their services at the moment, but they’re still communicating. They’re sharing important updates, sending encouraging messages, and taking care of their customers. Now is not the time to disappear, even if you’re in flight mode. Instead, it’s time to:
- Talk about things that are relevant in your industry with a focus on today’s environment
- Check in with clients to make sure you’re meeting their needs and getting feedback
- Review your messaging to make sure it’s in-line with your mission and goals
- Give emotional support to your audience by being supportive, vulnerable, open and caring
- Pay attention to other brands in your space to see what they’re doing
Approach your content with these tips in mind, and you’ll build a deep and lasting connection with your audience during this crisis.
The content that you need right now
Remember, content is what puts your brand on the map in an online world. If you “go dark” on your blog or social media, you’re bound to be forgotten.
Instead of twiddling your thumbs in quarantine, create these five pieces of content now:
- Educational and supportive emails to your customers: many brands have sent out touching emails filled with supportive messages during this crisis. You can throw in some humour to keep things light, and offer something special at the end of the email (like a discount or a freebie) to keep people engaged.
- A helpful downloadable: downloadable PDFs, videos and eBooks are perfect for a time like this. Make sure that what you’re offering is packed with value, whether it’s a free or paid item.
- Updates for your team: it’s so important to keep your team members in the loop – especially if your business is being impacted by this crisis. Help and reassure your team through emails and supportive messages. Encourage brainstorming as you try to find creative ways to connect with your audience.
- Regular client check-ins and communications: in addition to an email blast, check in individually with clients to see how you can help them. There are so many ways to add value for your clients beyond your core products. Have open conversations to see how you can help.
- A list of shareable content from others: as always, be on the lookout for helpful content from others that is relevant to your audience. There is an immense amount of useful information out there that deserves to be shared.
Conclusion
If you missed our “14 Days to Overhaul your Content” live series in our Facebook group – you can get the replays in the Content Writing Tips Group now.
Facebook group: Content Writing Tips with Liz Campbell
Next steps to content writing success
If your content is boring, not getting cut-through, too salesy or non-existent due to:
✔No plan or strategy
✔Lack of content writing experience or skills
✔You simply don’t know what to write about
✔You’re just not standing out in the current climate …
I’ve got a solution to help – a hub of information, templates and trainings to take you from NOW to WOW in 4 short weeks.
The Wow School Global Wow Words content planning and writing course where you will learn how to:
💥Map our your content in a strategic manner (TRAINING)
💥Plan your social, blog and other content in just 10 mins a week (PLANNER)
💥Write posts in just 10 mins a day (TEMPLATES)
💥Build your online presence and profile and take your business online (STRATEGIES)
💥Learn the easiest ways to promote your content to get leads (TACTICS AND TEMPLATE
💥Learn and understand your target market – and how to write for them (TEMPLATE)
💥Re-write your message and reposition your business online (TEMPLATE)
💥Identify your WOW Words to really attract your ideal clients (TEMPLATE)
💥6x LIVE writing sessions with Liz
💥Weekly Facebook live trainings
It’s time to stop and get back to basics, and it’s time to make your content really work for you.
You can sign up for the course on this info page.
