In this series, I talk about why having quality content matters even in a world that is overly saturated with information, maybe especially in a world that is overly saturated with information. With so much free information, just a Google search away, how do you stand out from your competition? The answer—valuable, original content.

Reason #13: Content Sells

Yeah, this is another reason content matters that probably comes as no surprise, especially coming from me. Wow. Look! It’s a content marketer telling us that content sells.

What’s next? You’re going to tell us that you’ve found some magic snake oil that cures arthritis.

Don’t get me wrong. If your company has been running in the red for months or years, redoing the content on your website is not likely to resurrect your business or fill your kid’s college fund. Sorry. It’s not a miracle worker.

For one thing, successful content requires time and consistency.

Here’s how things usually go. You start publishing a blog article 2X per month. You promote that article on social media. You share it on your personal pages as well as your business page and ask your closest friends to do the same. You might even buy a couple of Facebook ads to promote your brand new, glittery blog—not a bad investment.

Your “Incredibly Easy 5-Step Process To Take Control of Your Finances” speaks to some folks who see your link. They are now paying attention. They poke around on your website. They sign up for your newsletter and get a great little eBook or eGuide for their trouble. They become super fans who watch for anything you offer because they know you put out quality content that actually benefits them.

And voilà! You build your audience from there.

So, what if business is already booming? Will you see a decent ROI if you invest in content?

Short answer: Yes, if you invest strategically.

Long answer: Great content will absolutely add fuel to your fire. Suppose you’ve already convinced a whole lot of people that your product or service is the next best thing since Charles Getz or G. Frederick Smith or Marshall Reineke (according to Wikipedia there’s some dispute about this) invented whip cream, even though your website content isn’t doing much of the convincing.

Well, just imagine what would happen if you created targeted content that really speaks to the value and benefits you’re providing. The better you can talk about the stuff you’re selling in terms your customers really get, the more you’ll sell.

Here is a quick reference list for the ways content sells:

Directly (i.e., sell your content):

• Offer eBook or eGuide: Create an eGuide with a helpful template or key tips and make it available to buy on your website.
• Sell a webinar or video series: Bonus: interested prospects, who may not be ready (yet) to purchase your highest ticket offering, get a taste of how you work when they engage with your lower-priced content (video counts as content too!).
• Write a book: Do you have an incredible business story and a signature system? Create a book. Self-publish that sucker. And you have a passive income stream (if you promote it, of course).

Indirectly (i.e., use content to sell other stuff):

• Drive traffic to your website: Publish your blog on your website and post excerpts on social media, links in your email newsletter, or swap links with a friend to reach a bigger audience.
• Guest blogging: Find guest blogging opportunities and reach a bigger audience. Think about complementary industries, services, and products.
• Sales page: Create a sales page for your most popular product.

If you’re a writer at heart and love to create content, that’s excellent! But if you’re writing for your business, I know you’re not just writing for self-gratification. Is your content selling for you? Contact me and we’ll make sure you get a return on that investment!