TONY SHAP CONSULTINGBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT TO AMERICA’S FASTEST-GROWING

COMPANIES

CONTENT MARKETING

G U I DE

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YOU HAVE TO BE ON YOUR TOES IF YOU WANT TO BEAT OUT THE

• If you’re in the business world, you know that things are constantly changing.

• The reason I’m sharing this is because even in the dog-eat-dog activity going on out there, you can leave the others so far in the dust that they’ll never even have a chance to nip at your heels.

THE COMPETITION, WHICH CAN BE PRETTY CUTTHROAT

• Whether you sell products or services, there are plenty of other businesses who are trying to beat you out for that top position.

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THANKS, BUT NO THANKS. I’VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS AND I’VE GOT IT ALL UNDER

CONTROL

• There are plenty of tried and true methods (Flyers, cold calling, a barrage of weekly ads) that people have used for years, and they’ve proven their effectiveness.

• As great as these activities have been

IT’S TIME TO ANDLAY THEM TO

REST GET UPDATED

YOU MAY GET RESPONSES, BUT YOU’LL ACTUALLY BE MISSING OUT ON THE MAJORITY OF CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE LEFT THE DARK AGES BEHIND AND ENTERED THE ERA OF TECHNOLOGY

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Thanks to all of the nifty electronic devices available these days, customers have gotten pickier about who they turn to for their needs

• People don’t generally flip through a phone book to find a company any more.

• Instead, people hop online via computer or smartphone and do a search for what they need.

• They get a listing of potential businesses for easy comparison, and they can easily narrow their search by what they like.

PEOPLE WANT YOU TO CARE ABOUT THEM IN RETURN FOR COMING TO YOU

IF YOU DON’T OBLIGE THEM, ANOTHER COMPANY WILL

• Technology has made our world much smaller, and relationships have taken on a whole new meaning.

• The one who gets the business will be the one who makes an excellent and fast first impression.

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SO WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU PROPOSING? I’M PROPOSING THAT YOU GET IN ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF TODAY’S TRENDS BY FOCUSING

ON

INBOUND (OR CONTENT) MARKETING

• When your company meets people at their level and engages them with personal answers to their business needs, they’ll cling to you like a dog to his favorite human companion.

• Even though we’re a tech-savvy world, word of mouth is still a great way to get new business, so earn your awesome reputation and you’ll be exponentially increasing sales.

• And the sooner you start down that path, the sooner you’ll be nabbing those customers who haven’t committed yet.

YOU’LL EARN THEIR TRUST AND THEY’LL BE SINGING YOUR PRAISES TO EVERYONE THEY KNOW

When you do, they’ll commit to you and remain as long as you take care of them

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GOT ITBUT WHAT’S CONTENT MARKETING, AND HOW DO I

DO IT? THAT IS WHY YOU HAVE THIS INFORMATION IN FRONT OF

YOU

• Content marketing is what I live and breathe, and I love helping businesses learn how to use it effectively to outshine the competition.

SO, PULL UP A COMFY CHAIR AND GRAB YOUR FAVORITE SNACKS, WHILE I SHOW YOU HOW TO TAKE YOUR BUSINESS TO THE TOP OF THE CLASS

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WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT CONTENT MARKETING?CHAPTER 1Before you put inbound marketing into practice, you should know the benefits you

can expect to receive by choosing this over traditional outbound marketing.

• Let’s use real estate as a backdrop while we compare long-term inbound marketing to running a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign.

• PPC is an awful lot like leasing a house. Each month you fork over the rent money, but you’re never any closer to owning the house and have nothing to show for that money.

WITH PPC, EACH MONTH YOU FORK OVER THAT MONEY, BUT THERE’S NO RETURN

It’s pointless to keep investing, don’t get trapped into thinking next month will be different, because it won’t.

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WHEN IT COMES TO INBOUND MARKETING, IT’S A LOT LIKE PURCHASING YOUR DREAM HOME

• Content marketing is the same kind of investment, because by creating content that works and putting it out on places like social media, blogs, or even your company website, you’re going to fill the top of your sales funnel with great possibilities.

IT’S AN INVESTMENT THAT

PAYS OFF, BECAUSE

YOUR HARD-EARNED MONEY IS BEING INVESTED IN SOMETHING THAT’S YOURS

YOU’RE BUILDING LONG-TERM EQUITY BY PUTTING OUT CONTENT THAT STAYS THERE

• This is the kind of thing that draws potential clients in and builds trust and loyalty.

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STOP WATCHING YOUR FUNDS SPIRAL DOWN THE DRAIN WITH PPC CAMPAIGNS THAT LEAVE YOU WITH LITTLE MORE THAN A THINNER WALLET

INSTEAD, START PERSONALLY ENGAGING WITH YOUR AUDIENCE BY OFFERING VALUABLE

SWITCH FROM PPC CAMPAIGNS TO AN INBOUND MARKETING STRATEGY

NEW CONTENT ON A REGULAR BASIS

• You will have to take the time to create the content to put out there

• But it’s an investment that will bring great returns, kind of like cash back rewards on your credit card.

• You write content and put it out in cyberspaceIT BRINGS IN NEW CUSTOMERS AND A RETURN FOR YOUR

EFFORT

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CREATING CONTENT, PART ONECHAPTER 2LET’S TALK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN TAKE THOSE FIRST STEPS

• If you can’t get their attention, and you’re not addressing what your potential customers are looking for, no emotion-tugging soliloquy will bring them to your door.

THE KEY HERE IS WRITING SOMETHING THAT’S RELEVANT

BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU WRITE, AND TRY TO THINK LIKE A CUSTOMER

• And valuable content is not a bunch of variations on the same sales pitch. That’ll get you voted off the island, with no hope of coming back for a second try.

• If you start off on the wrong foot, it’s difficult to fix your pace and undo the damage.

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SO ARE YOU SAYING TO NIX THE SALES PITCH COMPLETELY?

• Do you know how a sales pitch generally scores? It’s a numbers game.

You come up with a pitch that sounds good, and then you throw it to everyone.

• You may get a few nibbles, but those nibbles don’t guarantee anything, because there’s no loyalty.

• If you don’t actually manage to reel them in, in all likelihood you’ll never see them again and those who didn’t like the pitch will brand you an impersonal salesman and ignore any future attempts.

• Remember, people want relational.

• They already know they want to buy from someone—they don’t need you to remind them.

RATHER, THEY NEED YOU TO SHOW THEM WHY YOU’RE THE BEST PICK

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HOW DO I DO THAT?

• You want to earn your customer’s confidence with each play you make, getting closer to scoring the sale.

• They’ll grow to trust you when you use engaging storytelling and give them valuable content that’s relevant to their business.

• Play by play, the relationship will grow, and before you know it, you’ve gently walked them straight to the end zone for a touchdown.

WHEN YOU HELP YOUR CLIENTS SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS, THEY’LL HAVE FAITH IN YOU AND VIEW YOU AS A FRIEND TO WHOM THEY’RE LOYAL.

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CREATING CONTENT, PART TWOCHAPTER 3• There are two important points to remember.

GET THOSE CREATIVE JUICES FLOWING.

• It really has to stand out, like a bad hair day.

• It should set the tone for what you’re writing.

• Your headline should also whet their appetite and make them want to read what you have to say.

CREATING A HEADLINE FOR YOUR PIECE1

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• They both have some interest, but people like something that gets them intrigued.

• They’ll be sucked right into the storyline, where your engaging storytelling will score some first downs and top it off by finding a great photo that’s relevant to your business.

• You’ve heard a picture’s worth a thousand words, so why not add to your content with an image that’ll help in the attention-getting department.

Which of these two headlines would have a better chance of getting you to read the accompanying article

Shark Spotted At Johnson BeachWoman Barely Escapes A Great White

Shark Attack

CASE IN POINT

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LOTS OF BUSINESSES DO GREAT UP TO THIS POINT, AND THEN FALL FLAT. YOU DON’T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN

• Like your headline and content, your CTA has to be unique and engaging.

• Scrap any ideas of offering a glorified “Submit” button. Those things went out with the dinosaurs.

• Instead, use the CTA as your closing chance to offer value that causes the customer to pick you over your competitor.

THE EVER-IMPORTANT CTA (A.K.A. CALL-TO-ACTION) 2

FUN

DARINGAWESOM

E

BE

• Some great basics are “Click For Your FREE Quote!” or even better, “Get A FREE Gift With Your Estimate.”

• The stars are the limit, so think big and come up with something that’ll knock their socks off

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THE TRUST FACTORCHAPTER 4WHEN IT COMES TO INBOUND MARKETING, TRUST IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT

• First of all, start your engines properly. Search engines, that is, like Google and whoever else is out there. When you write great content, and I know you can, you’ll score big in search engine results.

• Most people are internet-savvy now And let me tell you, people find it downright creepy when ads for items they searched mysteriously begin popping up everywhere.

• It’s like being watched, and it’s not appreciated.THEY PRACTICE THEIR ANNOYANCE BY DELIBERATELY NOT CLICKING ON

THOSE ADS

SO WRITE UNIQUE, RELEVANT CONTENT

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THE MORE CONSISTENT YOU ARE WITH PUTTING GOOD CONTENT OUT, THE MORE YOU’LL BE REWARDED BY

COMING UP ON THE FIRST PAGE OF SEARCH RESULTS.

• Those are the results people click on, because they respect that you’re being personal and not trying to buy your way into their life.

THAT EARNS MAJOR TRUST

• You don’t hop online and search for doctors by your town, do you? Not likely.

• Make sure you write stuff that helps people looking for someone who can serve their needs.

• Write about how you do what you do, because that’s what the audience is looking for. It’s how they’ll find you.

FOR YOUR ACTUAL CONTENT, TELL A STORY

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• Sit back and think about the kinds of questions customers ask you, whether they’ve used your company before, or they’re currently with you.

COMPILE A FAQ

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT TO WRITE ABOUT?

When others search for those kinds of answers, your company will come up and Bam!

• They see you have answers and have successfully helped others out of similar situations, so they feel like you’re friends and they want your help.

• You’ve now established the beginnings of a relationship, and if you’ve done your job well, the dating will continue.

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GROW YOUR SOCIAL BUTTERFLYCHAPTER 5EVERY BUSINESS ENDEAVOR ULTIMATELY COMES DOWN TO INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE

• Social media has exploded in popularity, and there are a countless number of platforms now in use, these include

• Social media is the number one way to boost your brand and promote your business with great content.

• By getting your company active on social media, you can connect with all your “friends” (today’s generation prefers that term to customers) and share lots of valuable content.

• Another benefit is that they’ll tell all their friends what a good friend you are, and you’ll grow in popularity.

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• Give your customers the red-carpet treatment like the royalty they are.

OFFER SPECIAL DEALS THAT ONLY THEY CAN ACCESS

SOCIAL MEDIA’S NEW FOR ME. DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS?

• Blogging is a great start, but social media will build two-way relationships in a way blogging can’t.

• Those relationships are what give you the advantage over competitors.

WHEN YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE YOUR FRIENDS, THEY WON’T GIVE A SECOND THOUGHT TO ABANDONING YOU FOR A NEW LOVE INTEREST.

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• It starts with a seed, which is putting your content out there for potential customers.

• You have to nurture it with water, weeding and pruning so it will grow strong. To do nurture your content, promote in on social media and water it with engaging storytelling that ties back to what you wrote.

• The more you care for your content marketing, the healthier your seed will grow, until it becomes a large, healthy tree that gives you lots of delicious fruit.

• Farmers patiently wait for their crops to come in and then joyfully reap the harvest. Your company can do likewise and experience the long-term benefits from your marketing approach.

AWESOME CONTENT FOR INBOUND MARKETING IS LIKE A TREE

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TONY SHAPLET ME HELP YOU NURTURE THAT SEED INTO A

TREE

IF IT FEELS LIKE A LOT OF INFORMATION TO DIGEST AND PUT INTO PRACTICE, DON’T LET IT OVERWHELM YOU.

• I can help you get running on the track of success, because I love content marketing.

• It’s my specialty

REACH OUT TO ME