Welcome to the editorial calendar!
The other day, while in conversation with a small business owner, the subject of making meaningful connecting with clients outside of face-to-face came up. Clearly super important, and equally clearly super frustrating for her. Where to start? What to do? What to write about?
Equally super important from my point of view was that the material to be written wasn't just sell! sell! sell! buy! buy! buy! (such a turnoff and delete without reading for many) but meaningful, interesting and relevant. Maybe even so valuable they would read it, connect with the business, or even share it.
Seem impossible? I don't think so.
Here's an example. A spa whose outreach focuses only on sales with clients only as buyers: the product of the month, the latest promotion, buy now get a discount.
One-way outreach. In my view, not terribly interesting, doesn't connect with me in any meaningful way, and is way too easy to delete.
But not too hard to rectify. What connects spa clients to the spa.
A shared interest in skin care.
So how to move from heavy handed sales to relevant content? Move to the connection point. Share information, educate. Highlight client stories and successes. Provide tips.
Plot these stories on your editorial or content calendar - literally an actual calendar as a framework or foundation for your upcoming outreach.
So, it's September, and using the spa example, this might mean giving tips on top ways to protect skin as the temperature changes from summer to fall, or the skincare benefits of eating apples, or connecting with already on the books holidays - celebrate Grandparents Day on Sept 10 with reflections on skin care 'back in the day' vs now. Consider photographs as content.
Equally super important from my point of view was that the material to be written wasn't just sell! sell! sell! buy! buy! buy! (such a turnoff and delete without reading for many) but meaningful, interesting and relevant. Maybe even so valuable they would read it, connect with the business, or even share it.
Seem impossible? I don't think so.
Here's an example. A spa whose outreach focuses only on sales with clients only as buyers: the product of the month, the latest promotion, buy now get a discount.
One-way outreach. In my view, not terribly interesting, doesn't connect with me in any meaningful way, and is way too easy to delete.
But not too hard to rectify. What connects spa clients to the spa.
A shared interest in skin care.
So how to move from heavy handed sales to relevant content? Move to the connection point. Share information, educate. Highlight client stories and successes. Provide tips.
Plot these stories on your editorial or content calendar - literally an actual calendar as a framework or foundation for your upcoming outreach.
So, it's September, and using the spa example, this might mean giving tips on top ways to protect skin as the temperature changes from summer to fall, or the skincare benefits of eating apples, or connecting with already on the books holidays - celebrate Grandparents Day on Sept 10 with reflections on skin care 'back in the day' vs now. Consider photographs as content.
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