I recently had the pleasure of being a guest on Christian Costa's podcast, Sales and Marketing Nation. Since the interview is fairly long (about 40 minutes), I thought I'd do a quick recap of the topics we discussed so you can get the gist if don't have time to listen in.
I've pulled out a few of the best questions I was asked as well as their responses.
The subject: Content Marketing.
Q: Can content marketing really work for those small businesses and entrepreneurs who are strapped for time and financial resources?
A: Definitely. While it seems like a huge commitment, if you can set aside 30 minutes to an hour each week to produce quality content and interact with your audience, it can go a long way. I've seen so many small businesses and non-profits use these free resources to grow and expand their reach. I learned this with my own online jewelry business; I used social media (and no paid advertising) to connect with customers all over the globe.
Q: When it comes to paid advertising on social media, is it the right thing to do if you're just getting started?
A: No. You'll want to build up your platforms and actually have some great content there for people to see before you launch any paid campaigns. Much like you wouldn't want to invite customers into your store if your products weren't in yet, you shouldn't reach out to social media audiences until you have everything finished on your website and you have some decent content (blog posts, case studies, etc.) for them to explore.
Q: When someone has everything up and running and is ready to start branching out a bit more, how do they get started?
A: If you're in a specific industry, you probably have a few go-to blogs or influencers that you follow on a regular basis. The next step is to just reach out and introduce yourself and say, "Hey, I'd love to partner with you for a giveaway or a guest blog." You can think about what strategy you want to take...but just stick out your "Internet hand" and say, "Hey, this is who I am, this is what I do, would you like to work together?" You might be surprised to get more "Yes" answers than you think.
Q: What's one book you recommend for listeners?
A: I'm a big fan of Gary Vaynerchuk's Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook. While it's more social media focused, it really drives home that message of "It's not all about you." And with content marketing, you need to consistently provide quality material and THEN make your ask, so you've provided something in exchange for that request.
Listen to the Full Episode
You can listen to the full version of this podcast here and hear all the other questions I didn't cover in this space.