How to write content that sells. Part 4
All the content strategies we’ve talked about before are designed to create one-time interest. This means that your customers will no longer be interested in you if you fulfill their needs.
But, it’s just the opposite if you offer a product that your target audience considers their specialty or hobby.
In such cases, your community content strategy should be:
- to build a professional community,
- constantly communicate with your audience,
- sell through the relationships you’ve built with your customers.
This community content strategy can be called “useful,” which we critiqued in How to write content that sells: Part 1
But in this particular case, it’s spot on. Because if your product is a person’s hobby, it makes sense to read your content over and over again.
What are the community content strategy formats?
1. Useful and entertaining social media posts
The most convenient way to stay in touch with your customer is to sign them up to your social networks and post interesting content on your topic.
It’s important to integrate the product into the content: You can talk about the product directly, you can talk about the product natively, you can do both. The main thing is that subscribers understand that this isn’t just a source of fun. But of your particular company with your product.
Social media posts are also a tool for expert content strategy. Learn the difference: How to write content that sells: Part 2.
2. Blog articles
They serve as a knowledge base for experts. Readers will come to the blog via search and/or advertising, and you need to make sure that they’ll come back for more:
- internal linking – so that a person goes from one article to another.
- offer the reader to subscribe to you on social media or via e-mail.
3. Email newsletters
If spam emails from any online stores are annoying, newsletters about your field/hobby are read with pleasure.
Like with social media posts, useful content should be mixed with the native and direct promotion of your product.
More on how to create a cool newsletter: 5 Worst Tips To Lose A Client
4. Conversation starters (AMAs, webinars, live sessions etc.)
Some topics are better addressed with audiovisual content. If you choose right for your community content strategy, they’ll be hungry for more.
This is also relevant for demand generation content strategy, which we covered in How to write content that sells: Part 3.
Final thoughts on community content strategy
1. Creating insightful branded media on a broad topic isn’t a panacea in content marketing. Most of the time, it’s unnecessary.
2. If you have a clear product that the target audience is already looking for, you should use a product content strategy. Focus on demonstrating features and handling objections.
3. if credibility is important to customers, use an expert content strategy. Build a reputation as someone who’s been around forever.
4. If you have a new, unique or non-obvious product, define pain points and lead through them to the product.
5. If your product is for professionals, create a community of interest. Warm up your audience there, and sell to loyal subscribers.
Don’t expect your audience to be so pleased with usefulness that they’ll search for what you’re selling. Place your offers proudly. In articles, posts, videos, webinars, and newsletters. No one is going to chop up great content if there are ads.
