5 tips to transform your content and attract your soul clients

Back in the day, branding consisted of a business name with a custom sign and possibly a logo. The purpose was simple: to let potential customers know what goods or services you had to offer. There wasn't much competition and there wasn't much need for more than one of the same type business in a particular town.

Originality sells

Times sure have changed! There are so many choices out there and it can get a bit tedious when deciding who to work with or purchase from. In order to stand out from all the woo-woo providers, it is imperative that you distinguish yourself and your business. No matter what niche or industry you're in, that can be a challenge. That's where branding comes in.

What is branding anyway?

Branding is the way an entrepreneur or business builds their reputation. It is the process of building awareness and creating customer loyalty. In more simpler terms, it is about making sure your business is visible and expressing why someone should choose you and your business over another. (Read more about branding here)

Shine brightly

The quickest way to shine and stand out from your competition is to resonate with your ideal customer. In order to do that, you need to be on point and consistent with your brand strategy, messaging and visual identity. You also have to communicate clearly and develop a nurturing relationship with your soul clients. That's where original content creation comes in.

Here's 5 tips to transform your content and attract your soul clients:

In it for the long term

Creating content delivers long-term value and it's one of the best ways to invest in your personal or business brand. All you need is your time!

The reason it delivers such value is because it's the cheapest way to demonstrate your expertise (aka what you're good at and love to do!). What better way to create a strong connection with your potential clients than to share your knowledge in an article or blog? I mean, there's only so much room on the home page of your website, right?

Every piece you write adds to your brand voice, your brand message, and your overall brand foundation. Creating original content forces you to establish your unique point of view and paves the way to your ideal client. By the time prospective clients get to you, they're already interested!

Cut to the chase

Less is more. If you have a lot of ideas running around, it's better to have shorter articles than one long-winded one. You don't have to explain everything all at once. You can build on an idea, point of view, or topic in your particular niche over time in multiple articles - all with your own personal twist. Make sure you are speaking to topics that are relevant to your business, services and brand.

Pass the time with a heart-felt story

To increase your engagement...get personal. People are driven by their emotions, so for every article you write, tap into an emotion and tell a story which connects with your ideal clients. People buy from people and as a transformational business, this is an amazing way to build credibility and get noticed.

Take the scenic route

It's one thing to write original content, but it's quite another to hit the road without adding engaging and relevant imagery to your articles or blog posts.

The truth is, the message is not enough. Not in this day and age where people have the attention span of a toddler and there's so many flashy new things to catch their attention. Not only do they have a very short attention span, but your audience most likely will be lazy and want information fast. They want to be able to get to the juicy details quick and find what is of value to them.

Inspiring images are what lure them in and provide support for your content, taking it from a jumble of words on the screen, to an exciting story they have to read (or at least skim).

Be sure that the image is relevant to your content. Don't just throw up a pretty scenic image or magical quote. Every image used needs to add something to the article. And don't go crazy with images either or you'll end up with it looking more like a photo gallery.

A good rule of thumb is one main image at the top of the blog and depending on the length of the article, maybe one or two smaller images sprinkled throughout the copy.

Make sure to take breaks

The reader needs to take a break every now and then. You can use imagery to separate points, call out some important text in a large, bold font or add sub-headlines to make it easier for the reader to digest (sort of like I did in this article - wink, wink, nod, nod).

No bedazzling required

Creating original content is one of the best ways to build a brand over time and the images you use in your articles tell a story, just as much as the words do. You should think of images the same way you think of the overall concept of the article. With imagery your content will be more unique and your story will be much stronger.

Increasing business awareness takes time, effort and a lot of experimentation. You won't see magical results immediately - very few pieces of content go viral. Creating and shaping your authentic brand voice takes time but it's so worth it!

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