3 Essential Types Of Content You Have To Post

Content is becoming more important than ever in building a business and attracting potential clients. In 2023 content will become even more important.

60%+ of the buying journey is done digitally, this means your potential clients are browsing, looking and importantly DISCOVERING through social channels.

LinkedIn is one of those spaces.

Most of your clients aren't looking for you, in fact only around 3% of your addressable market are actively looking to buy.

That doesn't mean 97% aren't but they aren't actively looking right now.

Content helps you attract and convert the 97% and helps you build trust with the 3% actively looking.

The more pieces of content your target audience consume from you, the more aware they are of you, the more they can relate to you and critically the more they believe in you and your solutions.

Simply put, content builds relationships and trust at scale.

It's important to point out here that just posting ads and promotions for your business just won't cut it. If you are a salesperson reading this, you should know that the right content (not marketing propaganda) can also reduce friction in the sales process.

Human beings are flooded with marketing messages so we have developed a filtering mechanism to avoid content which looks and smells of promotion.

Even big brands are aware of this, they know that out and out promotion gets ignored, so their marketing or promotional message is being weaved into their content in some less so obvious ways.

So, here are three types of content you need to put out on LinkedIn 2023 if you want to attract, nurture and convert clients using content.

But remember, your audience does not owe you a living, this means that the success of your content is determined by whether your target audience finds it valuable.

If they find it valuable, they will like, comment and share, if they don't, they won't.

Engaging content will attract a crowd. I've tracked my follower count and when one of my posts does well, my following grows too.

Your content should act like a magnet.

So, let's get into it...

Make It Actionable

Actionable content is awesome at getting your audience engaged. Practical things which your target audience can do is a great way to build trust and prove your value to your ideal clients.

Actionable content should be tactical, easy to use and relates directly to the pains, frustrations, goals and dreams of your ideal client.

It needs to be specific.

The best content makes the complex simple and make information actionable.

That is the test...

Does this post turn information into something people can do?

For example, in my content challenges, I give people exact templates they can use to create posts, they can almost fill in the blanks.

It might sound silly doing fill in the blanks, but it makes it easier for people to take action.

Posts which give people something to do, create massive goodwill for you.

It's important that actionable content relates back to the pains, frustrations, goals and dreams - otherwise it won't be valuable for your audience.

You want to attract people who need your help. That's why you should wrap your content around those challenges.

But it must be something people can DO.

Right now, as you are thinking about this, you are probably stuck, you have no idea what actionable content you can create.

This happens to everyone because....

1. You haven't written down your content topics and then broken them down.
2. You are thinking to high a level. You need simple easy ideas, very tactical.

For example, I could put a post's like these:

• How to get more comments on your posts
• How to find active people on LinkedIn
• How to write the perfect headline to increase your connection acceptance rate.

Make It Educational

I call these types of posts light bulb moments. They illuminate your audience and help them understand something better. These can be helpful for your audience to understand their situation better and position you as an authority.

It's important you understand what you want to be an authority in and who you want to be recognised as an authority with. We can mentally screw ourselves over here and inadvertently create content for the wrong people.

I was talking to a sales trainer a few weeks back who was picking up no business. Their focus was sales training for small businesses owners. They were getting no bites on their content from their ideal clients and no inbound enquiries. So, I decided to work through all of their activity on LinkedIn.

What I saw was not uncommon, lots of people make this mistake.

I saw...

• Whitepapers on the state of sales
• Insights on the sales industry
• Interactions with sales leaders
• Big thought leadership pieces about sales strategy.

All totally the wrong content.

Why?

1. Small business owners don't care about the sales industry, they care about sales in their business.
2. If small business owners needed thought leadership on sales, they probably don't have a sales problem.

Small Business Owners just want to make sales, they want to understand how to make it easier, how to do it faster and how to do it better - that's it.

What happens is we start to create content that we think is valuable (and it is) but your ideal client isn't and doesn't want to be a sales trainer. They just want to make more sales.

Content for a sales trainer and content for a small business owner who wants to solve their sales problem is not the same.

If you help people understand their pains, frustrations, goals and dreams better, they will love you.

If you can articulate the pain a prospect is feeling accurately, they will almost always buy what you are offering.

Simple ideas, explained will be really valuable...

Things like...

• 3 myths about selling small business owners have
• Why your prospects aren't converting
• How to organise a sales proposal

All simple, easy to do in one post. You don't need to give big long explanations, if people are curious, they can reach out or comment to ask a question.

That's one of the big reasons you're not getting the volume of comments, you've answered things so well, there is no need for people to ask you.

I've committed this sin many times (and still do). I give people a six-course meal, instead of a little snack.

You might think, why is that a problem?

Well, if I have given snackable content, my content ideas would go further, but also, if you give people too much, they tend to appreciate it and move on, what you want is people coming back for a snack a couple of times per week.

The magic of content isn't about one post, it's about people learning and getting to know you over multiple posts. Trust levels off of one post is minimal, but off of 10 or 20 it's incredibly high.

I've had clients drop £200k projects with me off of the back of my content, just because "I've been following your posts for a while now"

Aim to set off a little lightbulb once of twice per week.

Picture Painting and Storytelling

It's not just about proving how smart you are or how amazing your services are. It's about being remembered. This type of content is underused by many and mis-used by some.

It's using storytelling to build a connection with your audience and making you more memorable - one of the fundamentals of building a personal brand.

Human beings process information in pictures.

Some of the strongest memories we have are wrapped up with emotion.

We don't think in words, we think in pictures.

Our memories are a collection of pictures and feelings.

• Actionable content stores the feeling of "wow I'm gonna try this" and associates it with us.
• Educational content stores the feeling of "wow, I never realised that" and associates it with us.
• Picture Painting and Storytelling can help us build an even deeper connection.

How?

Every post you write, ask yourself what pictures do you want to create in the minds of your audience?

Instead of just presenting information, tap into the feelings your audience may have about their pains, frustrations, goals and dreams.

Version A

Fed up of getting no engagement on your content?

You've spent hours creating posts and now feel like you are wasting of time?

Here are 5 easy content templates you can be confident will get you the right attention and attract your ideal clients.

Version B

5 Ways to get more engagement on your content

Content is hard to put together, here are some steps you can follow

Both versions have value, but one speaks to a persons frustrations but one is directed to a person, is loaded with feeling and creates pictures of wasting time and working hard for no result.

If you can create a picture in the mind of your audience, touch their feelings and emotions, you'll make a huge impact.

You can do this like I did above or you can share stories from your experience.

Do the test, does the pictures and story you've told connect to the pains, frustrations, goals and dreams of your target audience.

As you do this, you'll have people message you and say things like "you described my situation" or "i'm in exactly the same boat".

You've painted the picture, described their situation and talked to how they feel - that's true resonance.

You can also tell your own story using this picture painting and storytelling method, this allows people to bond with you and learn more about your journey - humans connect with humans.

I'm 100% confident if you factor these three types of content, you'll see massive change in your content, engagement and your following.

So, in 2023, make the decision to get good at this.

You won't regret it.

PS - I'm starting a content challenge on 5th January, you'll create 5-types of content that will build your personal brand and attract your ideal clients - sign up here