Good content that’s unique to your business only happens with a solid foundation for your content
What you create is one of a kind. And that includes your business itself. You’re not like everybody else.
Sure, you might have a similar business model or share some of the same audience, but that doesn’t mean your needs are exactly the same.
This is especially true when you’re thinking about moving part of your business online, or improving what’s already there. Your solutions depend on your budget, the level of success you’ve had so far, whether you’re a one-person operation or have a few other people on your team, and your personal preferences.
The online tools you use, the social media platforms you choose, and the kind of content you provide are all based on what you sell and the people for whom you create it.
That said, there is one thing all creatives have in common that gives you an advantage.
The heart of every creative niche business is its fans
If you’ve moved beyond the hobby stage, you have fans. Your business exists because there are people who love your work. These are the people who become repeat buyers, and they’re the key to continued success.
That’s why it’s absolutely vital to make sure you show up in front of them regularly.
Stay in front of your fans with content built on a solid foundation
A cohesive plan that layers on content, bit by bit, is what will keep you in front of your audience. It’s the process that allows frequent sharing and engagement to happen, so that instead of a single blip on the radar you’re like a heartbeat, regular and consistent, and alive to folks who might otherwise forget you exist.
Tailor your tactics and tools to your uniqueness, and focus your big-picture strategy on building an audience and fan base. Integrate your personal appearances with your online presence in order to build both.
Put in place a structure that will help you organize your efforts, so you don’t have to guess about the next step you need to take. Having a smart strategy so you know the next step and then following through are the two most valuable things you can do to make digital marketing efforts pay off.
Consistent content, delivered regularly over time, promotes your business better than a big, one-time campaign
This layering approach is what makes marketing online just as effective for small businesses as for huge corporations. It’s even part of the main advantage small creative businesses have over larger operations when it comes to building a devoted following.
If you’re an artist, designer, or a small artisanal maker business, like a jewelry maker, quilter, or potter, and you want to take the DIY approach, you can add a blog post every week, spend a few minutes on social media each day, and send out a weekly email without becoming hopelessly overwhelmed.
Or, maybe you keep the personal engagement on social media and hire out the rest. With a good foundation in place you can pick and choose who does the ongoing tasks.
Start with a good foundation
Here’s the thing that can stop you: if you don’t have a solid foundation, it’s impossible to layer the content properly and hard to get someone else to help in any kind of meaningful way.
The elements of a solid foundation are:
- A place for readers to access your content.
- A way to tell them it exists.
- Systems in place to follow up with engagement.
Social media is a part of that ecosystem, but it’s not enough on its own. You need more. You need a planned strategy if you want real results.
If you found this article useful, and want to know more, start with How to build a better creative business with content marketing.
Leave a Reply