The Four Pillars of Creating Credibility-Building Content
Creating content that resonates with your target audience and builds credibility is crucial for success. Today I want to share the four pillars of creating content that establishes trust with your prospects before you ever meet them in person.
The Problems with Current Content Strategies:
- Too self-focused: Many businesses make the mistake of creating content that revolves around their company, partnerships, and achievements. However, prospects are more interested in what’s in it for them.
- Targeting the wrong audience: On platforms like LinkedIn, businesses often focus on impressing their peers instead of speaking directly to their prospects.
- Inconsistency: Sporadic content creation and intermittent presence on social media can hurt your credibility with prospects.
The Four Pillars of Credibility-Building Content:
Pillar 1: Defining Your Brand
To create a strong brand presence, answer two key questions:
- What makes you unique? Share your story and highlight what sets you apart from your competitors. This could be your personal experience, your company’s unique approach, or a specific niche you serve.
- What do you do better than anyone else? Identify the problem you solve better than others. Be specific about the value you provide and how you help your clients achieve their goals.
By answering these questions, you can build brand consistency and create a likable and credible image that resonates with your audience.
Pillar 2: Identifying Your Ideal Prospect
Clearly define your target audience by considering their:
- Demographics: Location, revenue, industry, number of employees, etc.
- Psychographics: Values, interests, attitudes, and behaviors.
- Pain points: The challenges and problems they face in their personal or professional lives.
- How you can help them solve their problems: Clearly articulate the solutions you provide and the benefits they can expect from working with you.
When you have a deep understanding of your ideal prospect, you can create content that speaks directly to their needs and desires, making your message more compelling and effective.
Pillar 3: Crafting Your Message
Use storytelling techniques to engage your audience. Follow the seven-part story brand framework:
- Character: Your ideal prospect is the main character in the story.
- Goal: What does your prospect want to achieve?
- Problem: What obstacles are preventing them from reaching their goal?
- Guide: Position yourself as the guide who helps the character overcome their challenges.
- Plan: Provide a clear, actionable plan for your prospect to follow.
- Failure avoidance: Highlight the consequences of not taking action or working with you.
- Success: Paint a picture of the success your prospect can achieve by following your plan.
Remember to focus on telling your prospect’s story, not your own. This approach helps your audience see themselves in the narrative and understand how your solutions can help them achieve their goals.
Pillar 4: Speaking Directly to Your Prospect
When creating content on platforms like LinkedIn, focus solely on speaking to your ideal prospect. Avoid the temptation to chase popularity among your peers. While this approach may result in less engagement, it will help you build genuine connections with your target audience.
To speak directly to your prospect, use language and terminology that resonates with them. Address their specific pain points and demonstrate how your solutions can help them overcome their challenges. Be consistent in your messaging and maintain a regular presence on the platform to build trust and credibility over time.
While creating credibility-building content is essential, it’s not the only factor in generating inbound leads. Engaging in conversations and sending personalized messages to prospects is still crucial. By following the four pillars of creating content – defining your brand, identifying your ideal prospect, crafting your message, and speaking directly to your prospect – you can establish credibility and turn connections into conversations and, ultimately, clients. Remember, consistency is key, and by regularly creating content that resonates with your target audience, you can build a strong, credible brand that attracts the right prospects and grows your business.
Resources:
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- Connect with me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andyneary/
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- Connect with me on Instagram: instagram.com/andy_neary/
Business is no longer about who you know. Business is about who knows you. In a noisy industry like we’re in gang, you got to get people to know who you are.