How to reach new clients with content marketing

So there are all kinds of people who are looking for your business, right? Let's talk about how to reach potential clients who are just in the early informational stages and exploring options. They want to get a bit more information, and have a question - or five... They have a sense that they'd like to consider whatever service you provide, but they're not clear that you're the right match. They are hungry for answers so they can make an informed decision.

UNDERSTAND YOUR POTENTIAL CLIENT

So online marketing these days is far more focused on the needs of the person who's searching than providing a ton of information about who you are and what you do. If you want to reach those people who are in the search and gather mode, your online presence needs to focus on empowering your potential clients to feel informed and excited in their purchasing decision. How do we do this? By switching the focus from you to their needs using content marketing.

Not 100% clear on who your ideal potential client is? Learn more about defining your client niche here.

I want you to think of an interwoven collection of questions:

1. First, what does your typical potential client they need at this stage in their decision making process? What do they need to know? What are they hungry for? What are they curious about? What kinds of questions are they carrying around with them that they need answers to in order to make this decision?

2. Next, ask yourself: Am I addressing this need? Are those questions, fears and desires actually being answered by my website, marketing materials or social media presence? Will they easily find what they're looking for? Take a look through your website content with fresh eyes and identify the parts that are responding to these needs, and ask yourself both how you can improve what you have, and create new content to meet a broader range of client questions. By using content marketing, you can ensure that their questions are being answered and their fears and desires are being spoken to.

3. Finally, what content format will make the most impact? And this is one that we often miss, right? Would this be best answered in a free webinar, an email series, social media, website FAQs, podcast, or a blog post?

There are a 1,001 ways to go about answering these questions with content marketing - your priority is for it to be easy for that potential client to find what they are looking for. For example, if the question that they are asking is "are doula services covered by insurance", you could write a blog post titled "Yes, doula services are often covered by insurance!" or, "Five steps to get doula care covered by your insurance." You could combine a post with a Facebook live video talking about the steps required and how many families don't realize this option.

NEXT STEPS

Perhaps you already have a ton of great content on your site that feeds your ideal client's questions, fears and desiress. Here's what you need for those potential clients who are already at the buying stage in which they are fairly convinced you're going to be a great fit, but just need a little bit more encouragement. Examples might include testimonials from clients and other local care providers, your scope of practice, safety practices if you are a clinician (i.e. if you are a homebirth midwife, what equipment do you bring with you?), your professional affiliations and memberships, and even your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe (here are my favorite healthy chocolate truffles!) or a blog post about why you love snowboarding. Each of these elements help them get to know you & your practice from a new angle. Your goal is to boost their sense of knowing that you are the right fit for their needs.

Creating new content for your site can sometimes feel challenging, and getting stuck is a pretty normal occcurance.

Here are a few helpful blog posts & resources in case you need help breaking through a stuck place!
Why is writing website content so hard?
Using audio tools for content creation
Building Connection with your Website
How to Get Unstuck When Writing Website Content