storytelling

Content marketing isn’t all about social media and blogging. Great content can come in a variety of forms. eBooks, in fact, can be incredibly valuable for your clients. They allow you to showcase your authority on a subject in more depth than regular blog and are great for generating leads. So, eBooks should play a major role in your content marketing strategy.

The only downside to eBooks? They take a lot of work to create. But, what if you could repurpose your existing content and turn it into an eBook in less time? Well, you can.

Every content marketer is sitting on valuable content that’s already been produced and can be repurposed. Take that content, dust it off, and turn it into an impressive eBook. Here are some types of content that can easily be turned into an eBook:

Blog posts and articles

This one’s sort of obvious, but so many content marketers don’t take advantage of their old blog posts and articles. There’s a super high chance that you have a blog full of articles on similar topics. These can be packaged into a useful guide or eBook for your audience.

Surveys, research, and reports

Data can help you sell your business to potential new customers. Anything that contains data is a goldmine for an eBook. Whether it’s research on your products, customer surveys, or annual reports, you’ll want to share it with your audience.

Presentations

Presentations go hand in hand with authority and expertise, and they’re meant to communicate a subject thoroughly to an audience. Don’t let valuable communication pieces like presentations go to waste. Presentations are usually super easy to turn into eBooks because they tend to follow an informative narrative and feature engaging data.

Niche content

Some subjects may be too broad for eBooks, but niche subjects (and existing content) are perfect for eBooks. Maybe you have reports, fact sheets, graphics or more—these items make great eBooks.

Promote your new eBook  

If you’re looking for a way to reuse your original article or blog post, use it to promote your eBook! Give the original piece new life by sharing it on social media again to let your audience know you’re working on new content for them.

There are always new opportunities to make the most of your content. Need help with your content? Let’s talk about how we can tell your story!

Letting someone else create the content for your company that you’ve worked so hard to establish can leave business owners a little uneasy. But, writing content that has a true impact on your target audience is a job for someone who has the time and knowledge to create a great content strategy.

Words are actionable and emotional, and can help you develop and maintain a relationship with your customer. As a content agency, we understand that writing content for each individual company is a process. We’re in the business of learning about your business and creating a personalized strategy that ensures you have high-quality content on your website, in your email communications and on social media that will help you generate qualified sales leads.

So, what can you expect when you decide to work with a content agency?

What makes content good?

Good content fuels your marketing and advertising campaigns and a narrative that strikes interest, desire, and action among your target audience. Good content should change the way customers and clients see and interact with your business. Content can elevate your company to a standard of power and leadership in your industry. People will see you as a pro in your industry.

Who writes this content?

There’s a mix of people who help our agency produce great content for clients. We handpick the editors and writers that we work with based on their expertise and the individual client’s needs.

What’s the process? 

Content production is just that…a process. And, we love when clients contribute to this process. You probably have great anecdotal stories about how customers use your product, and we would love to tell this tale for you! Anything that humanizes your company can really inspire us to take your content to greater heights.

As writers, we love your insight. We can’t properly tell your company’s story without your help. But, the point of using an agency is that you don’t have to write the content yourself. We can take your content where it needs to go.

How does the approval process work?

The best way to edit your new content marketing strategy is to put yourself in the position of a prospective lead. Make sure everything makes sense and that everything rings true. Instead of asking yourself, “Is that how I would have said it?,” ask yourself if a customer would appreciate this information.

The first content you receive will be a draft, and we welcome your feedback. We’ll make revisions before it goes live on your site or is distributed.

Summed up?

Working with a content agency is easy! You’re in the hands of experts, and you’re going to get the best content for your marketing strategy. So, our advice? Sit back and relax.

Every company needs to be producing great content. But, great content can be variable. You may not have the time and effort necessary to create top-notch content only to have it fall on deaf ears. If the content you produce doesn’t resonate with your audience, it won’t entice them to act on it.

We’ve all heard the spiel about how great content must deliver valuable information and offer a compelling story, actionability is equally important. Content must persuade your audience to engage with your business.

So, what makes content actionable, and how do you write actionable content?

Elements of actionable content

Before you can create a strategy, you have to understand what makes content actionable. Here are some common elements of actionable content:

• It’s relevant to your target audience.
• It’s valuable.
• It’s trustworthy and builds a relationship with your customers.
• It aligns with your marketing strategy.
• It engages your audience.
• It communicates clearly and effectively.

Have an obvious goal in mind

Before you spend time creating content just to have something to add to your website, make sure you know why you’re writing it. Once you have a goal in mind, make it obvious to your audience and stick to only that goal. Explain what your audience will walk away with after reading your content.

Answer all pertinent questions  

As important as it is to outline clear goals with your content, it’s equally important to ensure that you’ve covered and fully answered any questions your audience might have had beforehand. Focus on user intent, and put yourself in the shoes of your average reader.

Include images  

Images make it easier for readers to digest the important information without having to read a long block of text. This is ideal because of our audience’s busy schedules and shorter attention spans. Visual content is surprisingly effective and is changing the way we approach content marketing.

Engagement, engagement, engagement 

Engagement is the most important aspect of creating valuable content. You want your audience to be participants, not just bystanders. Unfortunately, creating engaging content is easier said than done, and it’s one of the top obstacles that content marketers face.

So, how do you engage your readers? Adding interactive infographics, videos, gifs, and memes are all great possibilities of creating actionable content. Throw in some statistics about your topic to really back up your content. Engaging content should leave your readers feeling like they really learned something interesting.

Have a clear call-to-action  

Creating calls-to-action sounds incredibly easy, but it can actually be extremely difficult to create the perfect CTA. A CTA should evoke a sense of urgency because if they don’t go ahead and complete the action now, they probably never will.

So, how do you create a clear and urgent CTA?

• Keep it short and sweet
• Cover all of the benefits
• Keep readers curious
• Create a CTA button, increases conversions by 62%
• Use persuasive words

Although actionability isn’t talked about as often as other content strategies, it’s so important and essential for maximizing your conversion rate.

Need help creating actionable content? Let’s talk!

It won’t shock you—or maybe it will—that blogging definitely benefits your business. But, what may actually come as a shock is the amount of time and effort blogging truly takes. If you’re on the fence about blogging but can’t make the time commitment, it may be time to hire out your content writing.

Having a well-maintained and current blog positions you as an expert in your industry. It’s a great way to educate potential clients and solve their problems, and it sets you up to be discovered in more ways online. But, creating thoughtful, powerful content is as time-consuming as it is beneficial.

Here are some reasons why hiring out your content writing makes sense:

1. There’s never enough time

Running your own business takes a lot of work and time. A well-written, detailed blog post often takes, at the very minimum, a few hours to write. Juggling your client and customer commitments is enough without having to create a content strategy and write blogs. A good blog copywriter will save you so much time and stress.

2. Writing isn’t your favorite

Writing isn’t everyone’s preferred method of communicating. Some people dread writing to the point where it will never get done or the quality will suffer because of your lack of passion for writing. If blogging isn’t in your wheelhouse, there are plenty of people—like us—who would love to take it over. It’s definitely OK to utilize someone else’s passion for writing to enhance your business’s presence online.

3. You need an outside perspective

When you’re so close to a topic, it can be hard to write about it in terms that are easy to understand by your targeted clients. If you need a set of fresh eyes to bring an outside perspective to your topics and writing, a copywriter is a worthwhile investment.

4. You need a committed marketing strategy

The best time to hire a blogger is when you’re looking to create a sustainable strategy that results in more leads over time. Businesses that blog see 97% more hits to their website than businesses without a blog.  It may take your blog awhile to build momentum, but once it’s had time to kick in, having a blog can really drive business to your website.

A blog can help you make a lasting connection with your customers and audience. Hiring out your content writing to a skilled copywriter gives your blog the strong foundation it needs to increase your web traffic and overall business. Need some help with your content? Let’s talk.

Good books don’t give up all their secrets at once. Stephen King said that, and we agree. In fact, we say the exact same thing about the clients and brands we help build – especially our hoteliers.

It’s no secret that hotel guests value complimentary meals and drinks over most of the other usual perks. It’s hard to find a guest today who doesn’t know your hotel’s well-advertised free breakfast, not to mention your happy hour fare.

But have you considered offering something more unique? More guest-specific? More insider-esque?

See, there is power in spilling your more special secrets seemingly one guest at a time. Giving out off-the-menu perks, special rates, and even tiny freebies cultivates a generous, highly personalized, and attentive atmosphere. Guests on the receiving end of your front desk’s random acts of kindness will feel it, and you’ll feel their loyalty grow in direct response. Same goes for hyper-targeted email and social media campaigns.

There are a few simple ways to achieve this boutique, almost small-town vibe that’s trending among frequent travelers. Here are some of our favorites:

• Work your analytics to discover more than the basics about your guests. Check out their social media to learn their likes and dislikes, from hobbies to fitness profiles and family life. You never know the trends you can foresee by simply studying your client base more closely.
• While we’re talking about social media, make sure to build real relationships with them through engaged conversations. Think real-time responses and real-time service. It also doesn’t hurt to have some Instagram-able scenes scattered throughout your property so brand ambassadors can spread the word. It works.
• Forget about the usual perks: room upgrades, discounted drinks, and happy hour freebies. Those are expected at this point, and don’t help you stand out. Instead, consider partnering with an area restaurant that really matches your guests’ aesthetic, from steak houses that can handle large groups, to fun spots for families, and healthy options for those travelers who don’t want to gain the dreaded travel ten!
• In-room perks are the new black. Women tend to love the spa treatments, and male guests are typically drawn to the minibar. Consider offering free, personalized room service on your traditionally low-occupancy days.

One final tip: Loosen up your hotel’s loyalty program, which tend to keep guests at one hotel brand where they’re most invested.

If you’re a hotelier interested in fresh branding concepts to set you apart from the rest of hotel row, give us a call. We’ve always got a suite deal for you at The Found Gen.

Millennials are all aboard the social media and content marketing train, so it makes sense that a lot of businesses target this demographic. But, what about baby boomers? 

Although baby boomers weren’t born in the middle of the digital era, they still use Google to seek out services and products. Plus, they usually have more money to spend than younger generations. It’s extremely smart to reach out to baby boomers through your content marketing—but, you can’t use the same methods for targeting millennials and Gen Xers.

Here are some tips for creating a content marketing strategy that will help you reach baby boomers:

1. Use a clean, clear format

Formatting is a huge factor that needs to be considered. A lot of older baby boomers may have difficulty reading small fonts and finding what they need in a cluttered layout. It’s important to use modern fonts and clean layout with a lot of white space when you present your content so your audience can read and navigate through the content easily.

2. Tailor your language and tone

Language has been, and always will be, relevant to get your message to the desired audience. So, what may be common terms for millennials could mean something totally different or make zero sense to a baby boomer. Make sure your language is skewed to the audience you’re writing to. The best way to do this is to spend time listening to your audience. You’ll get a great sense of how they communicate, and you’ll be able to write the content specifically for them.

3. Write concise, relevant headlines

Writing good, truthful headlines is essential for any kind of writing you do but it’s especially important when it comes to writing for baby boomers. For example, clickbait will not resonate with baby boomers. Instead, use a thought-provoking headline that offers clear value and accurately describes what information is being presented. By keeping your headlines straightforward and honest, you’re inviting your readers to learn something from the content.

4. Promote, promote, promote

Once your content is created, it’s just as important that you promote it wisely. And, you can easily reach baby boomers on social media, just like younger generations. Facebook’s demographics are skewed toward the older demographic, while Snapchat is used more frequently by younger demographics. Make sure you promote your content on the platform where you know your audience is looking.

Tailoring your content to your specific target audience is always important. You need to have a well-thought-out content marketing strategy to catch your audience’s attention. Need some help with your content strategy? Let’s talk.