The success of your business will often hinge on the quality and quantity of content that you can produce. You need to draw in web site visitors or prospects with unique media that will either entertain them, educate them, or provide value to them. The content that is available on the web is nearly infinite and increasing exponentially every week, so you'll need to produce plenty that will stand out. Here are some of the major free content production platforms and some tips for each one:
Blog
Business blogging is incredibly important and if your business is digital media content production then this is your bread and butter. Most free websites, including free WordPress or Blogger sites, allow you to easily create blog posts that are easily picked up in search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. You have all the freedom in the world to create engaging content including essays, tutorials, news, opinions, product reviews, studies, and your personal brand.
A good way to start out is to tell your own story and why you are passionate about your industry and business. Play to your strengths when it comes to topics, but feel free to try different themes and types of posts and measure the response. Analyze what content is popular or topics that are under-served that would benefit your targeted audience.
If you aren't a strong writer then consider this your opportunity to become a better one. If you aren't a good photographer, it's time to practice and make improvements. Take your own high quality pictures even with a phone or web cam, or use royalty-free images you can utilize with free image editing programs.
YouTube
YouTube should also be a major focus of your digital media business. One of the most powerful platforms in the world, YouTube videos can drive traffic to your website, sell your products. or provide strong revenue through Google AdSense. There are some creative and business savvy individuals that create an incredible media empire pretty much on just YouTube alone! Take a look at success stories in your industry and determine what your (prospective) audience will positively respond to. Lookat topics and execution that work (and don't work) for both established YouTubers, middle class YouTubers, and brand new creators. Create a wide variety of compelling videos that reflect or create your personal brand and build up that audience! Read More YouTube Tips Here.
LinkedIn publishing can be a very powerful platform for your essays, opinion articles, or news commentary. It gives you the opportunity to reach a large portion of your network on a website that half a billion people use worldwide. An article that "goes viral" on LinkedIn can help your content production for months or years to come. Just keep in mind that LinkedIn is usually for more serious and professional articles and a little less focused on pure entertainment or shock value. There are exceptions to every rule though so just decide which topics and formats would reflect best on your new brand. Read more LinkedIn Tips Here.
Slideshare
Slideshare, owned by LinkedIn, is another option to publish your Powerpoint presentations, documents, and other media files worth sharing. A great presentation can get tens of thousands of views, especially from an older and more prominent audience.
Forums
You can also get your existing or exclusive content out there on forum websites specific to your industry, or on industry specific portions of Reddit. Since you know that the audience is interested in the same topic, you have a much higher probability of connecting with the members or expanding your network. Search Google for "_______ forum" and you should find some good options to get you started. Join the conversation, participate in some debates, and post your professional opinions!
Guest Posts
Most websites and blogs are open to allowing guests to contribute high quality articles. It allows you to expand your viewership or readership, drive increased traffic to your site, and strengthen your overall SEO. It's a win-win situation because the website owner gets free high quality content (and ad revenue or conversions associated with that content) and the contributor gets exposure and a boost to their website. And don't forget about websites that will allow you to contribute like Huffington Post. When you are more established you can contribute to more selective publications like Inc, Entrepreneur, Fortune, popular newspapers, magazines, and more.
Product Reviews
A great way to create valuable content that will often get a lasting audience is to do product reviews within your area of expertise. It's a perfect opportunity for you to show off your knowledge and help dozens, hundreds, or thousands of people out. Product reviews will give you immediate credibility and a reputation as an industry expert.
More
There are countless other available options so get creative. See what other successful media producers are using, and constantly monitor the results through Google Analytics, ad revenue, product sales, page rank, and other more specific criteria.
Make sure to keep your content calendar organized as well to avoid wasting valuable time. Now it's time to get writing, photographing, building, filming, and networking!
I hope you enjoyed this post about how to create captivating content for your business.
Interested in more articles about content marketing?
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Published by Michael J Schiemer
Owner of Bootstrap Business
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