Content Strategy: What Do Customers Want To Know?

Have you ever wished you could read your prospects' minds? Here's an insight—

Your prospects are wondering:

Why should I get to know you?
What do you and your business stand for?
Why would I accept your meeting invitation or connection request?
What value do you bring to my network?
What do you excel at?
Who have you worked with before?
What results do you produce?
Will I like working with you?
Why should I trust you?
How will you make my job and/or my life easier?

These are some of the critical questions you must answer now before you actually meet someone—especially potential customers. Buyers are researching answers to their problems and most don’t want to engage a company or sales rep before they know the answers to these questions.

So how do you answer these questions before a chance to sit down and talk with a customer?

You’ve got to build a strong brand content strategy that speaks authentically and directly to your target audience.

And the exciting thing is that this is possible at any scale. In Enterprise or MidMarket companies, marketing may take on this task but sales executives, small business, and solo entrepreneurs with teams of Me, Myself and I can also leverage the internet and social media through executing solid strategy to find new customers, generate and nurture new leads, earn new business and build advocates.

It takes thought and planning to build the strategy and then consistency in execution (see more posts about audience development and social media strategy to decide which communication methods and channels are best for you).

Build Your Brand Content Strategy in 7 Steps

Segment your target customers into categories—with who do you want to do business?
Review the characteristics of your audience in your target groups—who do you want to talk to or influence?
Describe the problems and challenges of your target audience—why do these businesses need your help?
Define 3-5 core messages—what important opinions or expertise will you share that makes you valuable?
Build your authentic digital personality—who are you really and what makes you special?
Exercise your authentic voice—why are you valuable, who should listen to you, and what's it like to do business with you?
Be consistent in your messages, voice, and your target audience—when, where, how, and why do you show up?

That’s not so bad, right? Think of this as just 7 steps to out-pacing your competition (most won’t have a strategy—they’re just free-styling all willy-nilly or are not working on their digital brand and strategy at all—smell the opportunity in the air)!

Start with an outline or with your concrete target customer and one or two specific messages.

Building your authentic digital personality

Now, about our personality and voice—well, you’ll just have to read all about us to get a feel for our special sauce—can’t copy it, it’s one of a kind, as should be your personality and voice. Everyone should develop their own brand personality, including CEO’s, entrepreneurs and sales people. Even brands have brand personalities—the best ones include personality in their brand by injecting humor, empathy, collaboration, authenticity, transparency and responsiveness.