1. Create for 1 as if you are creating for 10 million (bring the energy)
Just like every successful singer, performer, or athlete they put the work in when no one was watching. They approached every moment they had to perform as if they were performing for the whole world, and yet they only had a few people paying attention. Through persistence, perfection of their craft, and a desire / obsession they eventually became a magnet that crowds of people were drawn to. Here’s the thing though, they didn’t do it for the fans and the crowds, they did it because they loved it and the crowds, money, and fame were all cherries on top. Simply put, they did it because they loved it.
This right here is exactly how you need to approach your content marketing. Forget the likes, forget the shares, and forget the publicity. Market your business because you LOVE your product or service and want to share the value.
Why is this so important? The importance lies in the habitual behavior….Catering to likes and shares only causes you to act unnaturally and eventually turn you into a depressed, accolade hungry, and frustrated business owner.
Don’t be that….
Jump into content marketing being yourself, loving the process, and with the idea of sharing value expecting nothing in return. BRING THE ENERGY NO MATTER WHO IS WATCHING!
2. Content Marketing is a long term game
Now, that we have established that you need to content market because of a desire, this next part will be easier for you to digest…..ehem…..YOU WILL MOST LIKELY NOT BECOME A CONTENT LEADER IN YOUR INDUSTRY WITHIN THE NEXT 3 YEARS.
Let that sink in…..
Now, there are a few exceptions of overnight successes, of course, but those are rare. You need to understand that this is a process and it’s going to take a lot of time and dedication.
Please do not be like every other small business and get hyped about creating content and posting on social media for like 2 months (or less) and give up. Business owners don’t see immediate results so they get discouraged and quit. They think “It’s not worth the money or the time we spend”…but really that decision right there is an opportunity cost….and it could be a BIG ONE.
Content marketing is all about building BRAND and establishing your BRAND as a go to information source. That takes time and it is the only organic way for you to see the results you want to see EVENTUALLY.
3. You have to engage too (reach out and comment on other content)
Coming up with ideas, creating the content, and posting that content is super fun! However, that’s just the starting point. How do you expect anyone to come across your content and see you as a genuine person if you don’t make yourself part of the conversation?
There are millions and millions of people out there creating content and the algorithms can only do so much.
You must actively engage on other people’s posts. Don’t be spammy and annoying, but genuinely contribute to the conversation they are having and add value. It’s networking 101….it’s outreach.
Yes, this will be time consuming, but didn’t we eliminate the concern about time already?
4. You are going to feel like a failure....alot
We talked about this already, but no matter how motivated you are and no matter how positive you are..we are always going to hit bumps in the road. You are going to word something incorrectly, you are going to miss out on an opportunity, you are going to spend hours / days / months creating a piece of content that you think is AMAZING and find out that it didn’t catch at all.
These feelings are always going to be at the ready to stick their ugly heads out, but you must remember step #1 and #2….don’t forget them. Remind yourself regularly just as we are reminding you here in step #4.
Oh, and that piece of content you spent months on…yea, 5 years from now when you have thousands of followers…it will blow up. PLAY THE LONG GAME!
5. There will be a breakout if you keep grinding
Stay the course, create the content, and always remember that you are one solid piece of content away from going viral.
Keep the faith, love the process, and grind grind grind!