And we often forget the most important: to communicate effectively, our business must be strong. If we are wobbly in our activity, our content will be just as wobbly. That too, I did.
So before thinking about “content strategy”, there are a few foundations to have for a relevant digital communication !
When we don’t know what we want to tell, our message gets across badly. Hence the importance of being aligned with your business. And have a solid foundation. This is what we will see together in this article (or in the episode of podcast if you prefer the audio version).
Your digital communication and your business are linked
I can’t talk about digital communication, content strategy without talking about your business. From my point of view it is impossible to separate the two.
If you don’t know where you are going with your business, how do you expect people outside your business to guess?
If you don’t know how you want to help your future clients, how do you want them to call on you?
If you don’t know what’s important to you, how do you want to convey it to other people?
That’s why I never start by working on content strategy when I accompany my clients individually or in Morphose, my group coaching. The first step is always to have solid foundations for your digital communication.
Because without sound bases concerning your activity, you can communicate.
But I’m going to make a prediction: you’re going to speak into a vacuum. And you won’t be able to attract customers and sell.
Communicate on the internet (and elsewhere) without knowing where you are going with your business, it’s stirring up air.
And we’re not going to lie to each other, it doesn’t help you to have confidence in yourself and enjoy sharing your message either.
The foundations of relevant and effective digital communication
There is no point in running, you have to start on time.
This is a phrase that my father always repeated to me. And that applies perfectly to communication.
No need to rush headlong and create content without having validated the following prerequisites.
Have a clear view of your business
No need to know exactly where you will be with your business in 5, 10 or 15 years.
On the other hand, having an overall idea of what you want for your professional and personal life is essential to move forward on the right path. Yours.
A vision is give direction to your business.
It does not mean that your path will be linear or that you will never go back. It gives you the direction in which to go.
A vision is not to look pretty.
It’s for help you make decisions. So that you get closer one day after another to your ideal.
Do you want to work 25 hours a week within a year? Do you want to stop selling your time?
Now is the time to make decisions and put actions in place to get there.
It’s not going to fall from the sky overnight.
A vision is for this: know where you want to go and do everything to get there.
And that, only you can know.
Find your unique and differentiating position
No need to specialize (or nestle you as we say in the jargon) to have a unique and differentiating positioning. You are your best difference. Because there is only one person like you.
What do you inject of yourself into your activity to make it unique?
Positioning is an essential foundation for effective digital communication.
‘Cause that’s what’s going help you find what you are going to share in your content.
It’s your positioning that will allow you to connect with the right people.
It gives a framework for your activity.
(And yes, you can be a multi-hat with a red thread that makes sense).
It allows you to be more easily identifiable by your audience.
And you, you are able to explain in one sentence, without stuttering, who you help, how you do it and what result you bring.
Much easier to successfully communicate then, don’t you think?
Know your ideal client perfectly
I know, we harp on this notion all over the place. Not for nothing at the same time.
No customers. no business.
Yes, you need to sell to stay on your own.
So yes, you need customers.
And if you don’t want to work with just anyone, you might as well attract the right people to you through your content creation.
You can do that on one condition: get to know the people you want to help.
And I’m not just talking about socio-demographic characteristics!
Because in the majority of professions, we don’t care at all. Personally, the age and location of my clients are absolutely not an important criterion.
What really matters is: her needs, her desires, her fears, her brakes, her beliefs, what you want/can bring to her, the transformation she is looking for, the emotions she wants to feel.
That’s what knowing your ideal client is all about!
And to get there, there are not 36 solutions: go to meet him.
Get out of your assumptions and validate your assumptions in real life. With people who are focused. Who knows their needs better than your ideal customer himself?
Set a (minimum) offer that resonates
The foundations of a digital communication would not be complete without mentioning your offer. Whether it’s a product or a service. To make your business work, you need something to sell (and no, that’s not a bad thing).
Be careful, you don’t need just any offer.
You need THE offer.
The one that you like and that meets the needs of your ideal client.
Because if you make an offer that you like, but no one needs: no sale.
If you comply with the needs of your audience, but you hate your offer: no communication and less sales.
When you are proud of your work, the impact you can have and the changes made to your client, then you are happy to communicate. You want to get your message across. You want the whole world to know.
It will be a lot more natural for you to talk about your offer.
And to sell.
Because you will do it without forcing.
The clearer you are in your business, the easier it will be to communicate about your activity. You can’t make your audience understand things that you don’t know yourself. Of course, you will experiment as you work. Your business is not set in stone. It evolves. Despite everything, you need a minimum of foundations for effective, relevant and coherent digital communication.
So, before rushing headlong into social media and exhausting yourself creating content that doesn’t bring you results, focus on what matters: you and your business.
