Are you creating high value content for your business?

We all know the power of an incredible lead magnet. We want our audience to type their emails in so fast that they risk spraining something. But no one seems to know how to write that holy grail high value content

I get the same questions every time I tell someone I’m a content writer; whether it’s in a Facebook group or a networking event.

What is something people are signing up for? Should I do a quiz? An e-book? A video or webinar?

Here’s the thing: that answer is different for everyone. But it’s surprisingly easy.

How to Create High Value Content for Your Business

The most essential piece of this is to know your ideal audience. If you do not have a highly detailed, clear picture of your audience or customer in your mind, then stop here.

We’re not talking about your ideal customer, if you run a business. We’re talking about audience, because that’s who your content is for.

Your ideal audience and your ideal customer are in different places on the same journey.

For more on that, check out this amazing post by Lacy Boggs of The Content Direction Agency.

Once you know who your ideal audience is, you will be able to create high value content that resonates, converts, and keeps ’em coming back for more.

1.      Determine Your Audience

This is the most essential piece of the puzzle. If you want to produce high-value content, you need to know who is going to value it.

We’re not talking about your ideal customer, if you run a business. We’re talking about audience, because that’s who your content is for.

Your ideal audience and your ideal customer are in different places on the same journey.

For more on that, check out this amazing post by Lacy Boggs of The Content Direction Agency.

If you haven’t created your ideal audience profile yet, check out this incredibly in-depth guide by Regina of By Regina.

2.      Meet Them Where They Are

Whether you’re creating an opt-in, email sequence, or blog post; this remains the same. You must know who you are writing for and where they are in their journey with you.

If you are writing an opt-in lead magnet, your ideal audience is likely to be just starting out. They don’t know who you are or what you do, so you have this chance to make a great impression.

Blog posts are for audience who have already opted-in to your knowledge. This is a good space to remind people that there’s a human behind the business.

3.      Find Their Pain Points

The reason your audience reads your blog and browses your website is the same no matter where they are in their journey: they need some help, and they hope you have the answers.

Those answers are the holy grail of high-value content.

You know where they are at on their journey with you. What are they struggling with that is directly and indirectly related to your business or services? Keep in mind where they are on their journey with you, and where your content will be. Are they returning customers, looking for you to add more value? Are they just testing the waters to see if your business has the answers they need?

4.      Solve Their Problems

• What are they struggling with directly related to your business or services? If you’re, say, a content and copywriter; you might write up a lovely little blog post about how they can create high-value content. That’s just a totally random example, I swear.
• What are they struggling with indirectly related to your business or services? Depending on your niche, this can be any number of things like: holiday shopping, time management, or parenting. For example, if you have a home organization business you might create a holiday decorations box checklist so your clients can easily see what items are in each box.

Every piece of high-value content has something in common: it has a call to action for the audience. It empowers them and gives them the skills or actions they need to be successful.

People like success. They will remember that your business helped them.

5.      Determine Your Media

One more time for the people in the back: Know. Your. Audience.

Younger people prefer video over most other content.

Busy moms (like me!) prefer easily-scannable text based documents that are mobile phone optimized.

Social media sharers prefer blog posts that have images approximately every 100 words.

Know. Your. Audience.

Don’t create amazing, problem-solving content for just the right people if you won’t put it into the correct format for your audience.

Still Not Sold on HighValue Content?

High value content matters.

Here’s an example: there are two cable service options that are the same price. Both of them give you 50 channels. Cable A gives you 50 random channels, some of which you like. Cable B gives you 50 channels, most of which are directly tailored to you. There are even a few premium channels that are exactly what you have been looking for.

Which company would you choose?

It’s the same with businesses. You may have a business that is like a hundred others in your area. You may even be the same price as all those other businesses. But what sets you apart is your ability to provide value to your customers.

By giving your potential customers high value content, before they’ve even paid to work with you, shows them that you are serious about what you do. Moreover, it shows that you are serious about being the best and answering their questions before they’ve even asked.

Bonus! High Value Content Blog Post Framework

I thought I would provide a super simple framework to create high-value blog posts quickly and efficiently. After you’ve completed the above steps, do some keyword research to decide what your ideal audience would be searching for. Use those keywords throughout your post in an organic, strategic manner.

(Use this space for a graphic)

Body Content: Use this space to tell an engaging story or otherwise explain the purpose of the post.

Subheading: Keyword goes here! Address the problem

Use this body content to address your reader and their pain points.

(Insert a Pinterest-optimized graphic here)

Subheading: Alternate keyword! Provide a solution.

Give your readers actionable steps toward solving their problems. If that isn’t possible, provide a list of resources.

(Image)

Subheading: Call to action

This body space is perfect for a quick recap in the form of a bulleted list or an infographic.