How to write marketing content for your small business (even if you hate writing)

When you’re a business owner, you have to wear all the hats - the accountant’s hat, the HR manager’s hat, the marketing manager’s hat. And all you really want to do is thing you love. The thing you’re good at - whether that’s being a coach or a web developer, or a jewellery designer. 

Even as an experienced copywriter and marketer, I know how hard it is to promote yourself and your business. But when writing isn’t your strength, it can feel overwhelming and something you put off doing. There’s nothing more intimidating than staring at a blank screen and not knowing how to start. 

Here are the top reasons my clients come to me for help:

1. They don’t have the time to write quality copy

2. They don’t know what makes good marketing content

3. They struggle to create SEO-friendly web copy

4. Their content comes across as bland and uninteresting

5. They can’t seem to resonate with their target audience

6. They struggle to create attention-grabbing headlines

Any of these sound familiar?

If so, you’re not alone. Here are my top tips to promote yourself and your business with confidence.

1. Remember that people buy from people

I could talk for days about how using AI isn’t the answer to your content marketing, but that’s for another day. If you want to engage more people with your blogs, if you want to bring in more leads from your social media posts, if you want your emails to get more people buying from you, you need to write from the heart - show your personality and be authentic. That’s not something a robot can do.

2.  Who are you targeting? 

Your target audience should always be on your mind when you’re writing content. Because you’re writing it for them. Don’t try and be something for everyone. The more specific you can be, the better. Your ideal clients are busy. They want relatable, reassuring content that’s easy to digest and helps solve their problems. Lean on those experiences and think about their pain points - what keeps them up at night? How can you help them, and why should they come to you?

3.  What’s your reason?

Why are you writing this piece of content? Is it just because you’ve not posted for a while and you just want to get something out there? If that’s the case, you need to rethink your strategy because content marketing isn’t a tickbox exercise. Every piece of content should be part of your wider business goals. What’s the aim of your piece of content? What do you want your audience to do after reading it? Make sure the next step is clear. 

4.  Recycle, repurpose, reuse

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time you post on social media. I keep a spreadsheet of all my posts, and I’ll go back and look at which ones performed well, then I’ll reuse them. Sometimes just a straight copy, sometimes I’ll rework it or use it in a different format. Also, think about how else you can use a piece of content. Listicle blogs, for instance, make great content for a carousel post on Instagram or LinkedIn. 

5.  Be consistent

Being consistent doesn’t mean posting every day. It’s about picking what works for you and sticking to that. Keep it sustainable. You also don’t need to be on every social media channel. Where does your audience hang out? That’s where you should focus your attention.  

Need some help with your strategy to get your started? Book a strategy session with me.