When it comes to converting casual onlookers into paying clients, it’s less about how much content you create, but the quality of content you create. Today we’re chatting about three hacks to creating a sticky content strategy that converts – you know, one that’ll have your readers or listeners coming back for more? Sound like something you need? Well then, let’s jump into it.
Links for This Episode
Podcast Episode Recommendations
- #55: How to Design a Marketing Strategy That Works for YOUR Business
- #51: Keyword Research Too Complicated? Use This Simple Strategy for Business Growth
- #21: CTA for Business Growth? 3 Ways to Use Calls to Action
3 Hacks to a “Sticky” Content Strategy that Converts
Well hey there and welcome to another episode of the Mama Business Podcast. Today I want to talk about content creation from the perspective of creating content that actually increases your business growth.
Because you want business growth without doing all the things? Right?
And this topic comes up today because this past week I took on a new client who has been creating tons of content – on her blog and her social media platforms – but she’s not seeing any results. So, you can imagine that she’s feeling frustrated, confused, and a bit overwhelmed at the idea of continuing on with this type of strategy.
So this topic is super important, because the tendency can be to just create content for the sake of creating content, but if it’s not producing results, then all of that time and effort you put into it is wasted.
And I know you, mama, you have no time to waste.
So, today we are going to focus our efforts on creating sticky content. And no I am not talking about that book that has pages stuck together because, in a moment of weakness, you let your toddler eat a fig bar in the living room. Haha…tell me it’s not just me.
But anyways…hehe.
Sticky content is simply any content that you create that attracts your ideal client, motivates them to get a result, and encourages them to stick around.
So let’s jump into how we actually implement that into the content we create – specifically our long form content, like our blogs, podcasts, or YouTube videos. And, we’re going to do that by asking ourselves three questions in order to create a content strategy that converts.
Question 1: Is this content designed to attract my ideal client?
First and foremost, if your content isn’t attracting your ideal client, then it’s definitely not working for your business, right? So we have to start by asking ourselves whether we are creating content that is designed for that purpose.
Is it a topic that your potential client wants to hear about? Is it something that they’ve been asking about or searching for? If so, then you are on the right track.
The topic itself matters, obviously, but just having a the right topic isn’t enough. We have to take it a step further and consider whether our title draws them in. That means creating clear, yet catchy, titles with keywords in them that our ideal clients won’t hesitate to click on. It’s like when a toddler realizes that there’s a mess on the floor right? It grabs their attention and they are sitting in it before you can get back with a towel to clean it up. We want our titles to be so clear and attention getting that our potential client doesn’t think twice.
Then, once they do click that title, how do we get their attention right away so that they stick around for the entire blog post, podcast episode or video? It comes down to having a clear teaser or hook that helps them understand that they are in the right place and this content is for them.
So, the attraction piece is all about topic, title, and teaser.
Let’s think about it from a movie perspective. A couple weeks ago my husband was gone for a few days which means that my teenage daughter and I watched a different romantic comedy each night. Specifically, we watched rom coms from the late 90s and early 2000s from a list that a friend gave me. The topic was rom coms. So if the movie fit into that category, we were willing to consider it. (That was the topic.)
So, then my daughter worked her way down the list. And you know what? She picked each movie based on the intrigue the title offered. For example, Never Been Kissed ranked way higher than 27 Dresses. I probably don’t have to explain why. Teenagers, right?
All of the movies fit our topic, but the titles were where she said yes.
From that point, the teaser was either us watching the movie trailer to make sure it was a good fit OR just deciding in the first few minutes of the movie whether it was for us. If it held our attention, then it was a go.
Sure, this was my teenager and me picking out movies, but your potential client thinks about it in the same way. They have a topic in mind, they choose from a list of titles of articles or podcast episodes, and then they continue reading or listening because you drew them in with your teaser.
So, no matter what kind of content you are creating, that’s the sticky feeling you want to create for your potential client.
Question 2: Does this content motivate my ideal client to a result?
Once you have the topic, title and teaser in place, you need to have something within your content that motivates them to a result. No matter what they’ve come to you for, they want to “do better”, “be better”, learn and implement something, laugh or just “see things differently”. They might want that in a tactical, step-by-step process or a mindset shift, but ultimately, they come to you and your content because they are looking for a result so you need to give them one.
So, with every piece of content you create, you have to ask yourself – what’s the result they can get from this? That’s the purpose of creating the content. And if you don’t know what that result is…don’t waste your time creating that content.
Just don’t.
In the case of the Mama Business Podcast, I’m serving busy mamas who want to launch and grow a business that doesn’t take over their lives or have them neglecting their families. So, no joke – each and every time I ask myself, “Does this content help them do that?” That’s the result I give in each piece of content – so that my listeners can take steps toward growing that business.
I actually have that very statement pinned to the top of each and every podcast episode outline I create so that I am constantly reminding myself why I’m doing what I’m doing. Because I know without a doubt that when my listener gets a small result from something I’ve shared, they’ll come back again and again to get the next thing to do so they can continue to make progress in their own business.
Now, a little side note here – YOU are not responsible for the result you get them. As a content creator, you are responsible for offering them the opportunity to get a result. They still have to take that opportunity and do the implementing themselves…so keep that in mind as you are creating because I don’t want you to get bogged down in that. Okay?
So, question #1 is “is your content designed to attract your ideal client” and question #2 is “does your content motivate YOUR ideal client to a result”.
Question 3: Will this content encourage them to stick around or come back for more?
Once you have those pieces in place, the final question to ask yourself is “will this content encourage them to stick around or come back for more?”. This is the retention piece and critical if you want to grow a successful business. Because once you’ve attracted your ideal client to your content and offered them the opportunity to get a result, you certainly don’t want to lose them as a potential client in the future. So, how do we encourage them to stick around or come back for more?
Well, this is where those tactical strategies come into play.
Create strong calls to action that get them onto your email list or have them clicking “buy now” for your newest offer. If you’re offering a podcast or a YouTube video, you might ask them to subscribe directly on the platform so they continue to get the value you provide each week. Whatever it is, make sure that they know how to continue the relationship with you. Because the more they engage, the more they get value, and the more likely they are to convert to paying clients.
And if you’d like some additional strategies for how to use those CTAs in your content, you can definitely check out episode 21 all about that exact topic.
No matter what you choose, though – you waste all of your content creating effort if you don’t tell them what to do next. So, make sure to include this piece.
Create Your “Sticky” Content Strategy that Converts
Alrighty, that brings us to the action part of this episode. And we all know that action is where the dreams turn into the reality.
ACTION: For every piece of content you create going forward, I want you to ask yourself the following questions:
- Is this content designed to attract my ideal client?
- Does this content motivate my reader or listener to a result (if they do the thing)?
- Will this keep them coming back for more?
I know from personal experience that I am more likely to accomplish what I set out to do if I am accountable to someone. So, if you need some additional help clarifying how to create sticky content for your own business, grab a Mama Business Strategy Session today and let’s work through it together. Because there’s nothing worse than wasting time and effort and not getting results. Together we can set you and your business up for success. So, grab yours today at sarahbrumley.com/strategy.
No matter what you choose, mama, know that I am cheering you on. Have an amazing day and I’ll chat with you next time.
