One of the top struggles I see for service-based small businesses is converting an interested passersby into a paying client. But here’s the thing: you don’t stick your hand out at a party and ask someone for $5k off the bat. So why ask a customer to buy from you right away?
If you’re solely focused on conversion, you’re missing two steps prior that make your brand more human and therefore more trustworthy, leading to long-term brand loyalty.
If you’re looking to achieve the gold star for any business — that is, earning long-term loyalty (which leads to more spend over time), then it’s time to create a strategy that will nurture your audience through the 3 Content Goals, which include:
Content Goal #1: Educate
Show why YOU’RE the authority in your field. Don’t just share easily Google-able tips (e.g. how to set up Honeybook workflows) but really dig into your expertise; your strategic insight (e.g. how a CRM can set you up to triple your revenue this year).
By showing your next-level thinking, you also begin to justify the high-ticket price tag for your Aligned Clients: that is, those who’ll be impacted most by your service, and who see the value simply by you showcasing your knowledge and experience.
Content Goal #2: Connect
People do business with people, not businesses. Businesses are fast losing the trust of their customers; this is where the personable brand steps in.
Talk about MORE than just what you do; show who you are, and be proud. The personal side of what you share should connect to who your audience is: for instance, working on top of being a full-time mom or partner; your favorite coffee drink; activities that make you COME ALIVE (hiking; dance; etc.)
At Come Alive Co, we do not shy away from talking about how much we love oat milk lattes. It’s funny, actually; we’ve had clients go so far as to say,
“I thought you were actually talking to ME and had done some research on me when you mentioned your love for oat milk!”
Your content should be SO targeted that it makes your potential clients think you’ve nearly Swimfan-level stalked them. I mean, with much consent and without the creepy stalker boy vibes. THIS is the power of connection-driven copy.
Bonus points: STAND for a movement and use your business for good. With 71% of consumers buying from brands that share their values, standing for something is not only good business; it’s just good living.
Are you looking for guidance choosing your brand values or knowing the difference between brand values and your personal values? Not to fret! We packed all that content in another blog post just for you:
Content Goal #3: Convert
Now that you’ve delivered value upon value like a mile-high sandwich you can’t wait to stuff your face with, your aligned audience will be that much more eager to gobble up what you’ve got.
And when it’s come to that point, one of the best ways to turn them from considering what you do, to actually pushing “Buy Now!” is by earning their trust through social proof.
Forrester, a lead analyst in business, marketing, and technology, found that 70% of people are more likely to trust recommendations from another person, over the brand itself.
Testimonials that show ROI (return on investment) through actual data or tangible results are incredibly powerful, so try to track past clients’ wins as they happen.
The Power of
Social Proof to Convert
We’ll give you a real-life example here. Our first-ever Mastermind launched and FILLED up from women we’d both interfaced with, and some we’d never talked to at all. But our 3 Content Goals were so on point, we were always focused on delivering value before ever asking for the sale, and these women were part of our aligned audience taking in all this content as they went.
We educated them on the power of Brand Story to show up fully, stand out in their field, and then scale up business on their terms using case studies and stats.
We connected well by showing our Founder, Ché, being herself: dancing, and also showing up teaching face-to-camera on Instagram stories.
Finally, when it came time to signing people for our Mastermind, one of our most powerful content pieces was this testimonial from Jaymie: a client and friend. Jaymie came to us to hone her Brand Story so she could secure more features that would boost her authority as THE ads expert. After working with Jaymie, she was able to lock down 2 full-length features, 1 feature on a Top 10 Ad Experts to Watch in 2021 along with upcoming articles, as well.
This one content piece alone was cited as the major proof our students needed to sign up for our Mastermind.
Sound Off
We’d love to hear if this walkthrough helped you look at your content differently.
After reading our post, which of the 3 Content Goals will you focus on next?
Comment below or leave your thoughts on our related Instagram post, here. We can’t wait to discuss your Content Goals and bigger business dreams with you!
So good, Che!! 🙂