Blog

How to Connect with Readers and Grow Your Audience

by Melissa Mannozzi  ||  

Whether you run a business or a marketing team, you need a content marketing plan. Of course, developing and executing this plan is easier said than done, especially when juggling multiple priorities.

Experts recommend setting aside time to sketch out topics, then writing posts and even developing general themes by week or by month. Then, you can use any of a variety tools to manage content scheduling and delivery.

Content marketing tools will help you plot topics ahead of time, with dates and delivery charted out by month. However, few tools can help you determine what your audience really want to read about.

Knowing what your customers want to read is the tricky part. You can schedule to your heart’s content, but without topics your readers care about, it will probably be a wasted effort. Here are some ways to understand your readers and give them what they want.

Image for Content Marketing Audience Post

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Show Readers You Care

It’s easy to confuse what you do with why you do it. If you own a landscaping company, are you in business to plant flowers and keep the grass green? Or are you in business to help homeowners feel proud and comfortable in their home? If you run a home healthcare business, do you do it to administer medications and coordinate insurance paperwork? Or did you start your company to make families more comfortable by providing personalized, thoughtful care with strength and integrity?

A magazine article by Tom Borg listed “Do you care about me?” as one of the most important questions a customer wants answered.

Knowing why you want to post content can make it easier. Focusing on the true core of your business and writing from a place of passion will show (and readers will also appreciate it).

Maximize Your Content

Image for Content Marketing PostYou don’t need to write 1,000-word articles, and you don’t have to rely solely on words, for that matter. There isn’t a “best” form of content; deliver your message in multiple formats to keep readers coming back for more. Some readers might respond more to infographics than blog posts; others might prefer a podcast or video.

Change it up, and deliver multiple content types. At the same time, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel every week or month. Use the same content, but deliver it in different formats. For some creative ideas on how to extend the life of one piece of content, read 6 Steps to Maximize Your Content.

Joe Pulizzi, a leader of the content marketing movement, says, “A successful content marketing strategy is dependent on how well you know the customer’s information needs. Listening is required.”

Improve

To know for sure whether what you want to talk about is what they want to hear, you need to ask, listen and share.

Ask

A simple survey to your customers (or potential customers) can help you deliver the information, resources and inspiration that they are looking for. It’s true that some people don’t know what they need until they need it, and that is why you measure your results.

Listen

Every time you interact with a client, they have a story to tell. That story may not come in headline form, but in subtext. So listen closely when your customers are talking.

This also includes knowing where your customers hang out online and where they get their information. Some people rely on software to manage their client database, but even a notebook can help you track and keep notes on what you hear.

Share

If a particular blog or Instagram sensation inspires you, your customers may feel the same. Sharing the post is easy to do, and it comes across as thoughtful.

Get to know your customers well and listen to their needs; you’ll be able to answer their questions before they’re even asked. When your readers see that time and again, you’re giving them the answers to their questions in a thoughtful and passionate way, they’ll keep coming back to read more.

We hope you found this post helpful and welcome your feedback in the comments below. Of course, if you need help with either your content strategy or the ongoing creation, we’d love to assist. Just give us a call at 212-757-7572 or reach out via email.

More Content Marketing Posts

SHARE THIS:

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on LinkedIn Share by Email

Comments are closed.

Latest from the blog:

Website Traffic and SEO

In this post, I’ll take a closer look at SEO and the process of optimizing websites for better placement within organic search results to improve website traffic.

Read the Article »

What our clients have to say:

Lucien Harriot

"I'm always inspired after a meeting with Market it Write. Mistina's insight into the needs of my company's marketing strategy brings clarity to our messaging and pushes our company closer to the high-performance business model we strive for."

 

Lucien Harriot, Mechanism Digital
Industry: Media   |   Services: Marketing strategy, marketing materials

Market It Write
2015-04-25T18:47:19-04:00

Lucien Harriot, Mechanism Digital
Industry: Media   |   Services: Marketing strategy, marketing materials

"I'm always inspired after a meeting with Market it Write. Mistina's insight into the needs of my company's marketing strategy brings clarity to our messaging and pushes our company closer to the high-performance business model we strive for."  

Stephen May

“Market it Write is amazingly adept at working as a team player on a variety of projects and has consistently proven to be a valuable asset. Bottom line: if you need creative and powerful writing for your marketing effort, look no further.”

 

Stephen May, Crescent Leaf Technologies
Industry: Creative agency   |   Services: Website content

Market It Write
2015-04-25T18:50:35-04:00

Stephen May, Crescent Leaf Technologies
Industry: Creative agency   |   Services: Website content

“Market it Write is amazingly adept at working as a team player on a variety of projects and has consistently proven to be a valuable asset. Bottom line: if you need creative and powerful writing for your marketing effort, look no further.”  

Howard Levy

“I have known Mistina for a while and have since hired her firm on retainer to write our website copy, email newsletters, postcards and articles. Market it Write understands my business, helps develop ideas and writes great copy. They are highly professional, dedicated to their craft and easy to work with.”

 

Howard Levy, Red Rooster Group
Industry: Creative Agency   |   Services: Marketing consultation, bylined articles, blogs, website content

Market It Write
2015-04-25T18:47:41-04:00

Howard Levy, Red Rooster Group
Industry: Creative Agency   |   Services: Marketing consultation, bylined articles, blogs, website content

“I have known Mistina for a while and have since hired her firm on retainer to write our website copy, email newsletters, postcards and articles. Market it Write understands my business, helps develop ideas and writes great copy. They are highly professional, dedicated to their craft and easy to work with.”  

Arianne Andrusco

"Have I mentioned how wonderful you are lately? This is good stuff. It is such a pleasure to work with someone who hears the feedback and just gets it immediately. You really are making my job a lot easier. Thank you!"

 

Arianne Andrusco, NewYork-Presbyterian
Industry: Healthcare   |   Services: Direct mail campaigns

Market It Write
2015-04-25T18:45:55-04:00

Arianne Andrusco, NewYork-Presbyterian
Industry: Healthcare   |   Services: Direct mail campaigns

"Have I mentioned how wonderful you are lately? This is good stuff. It is such a pleasure to work with someone who hears the feedback and just gets it immediately. You really are making my job a lot easier. Thank you!"  

Gerald Pennington

“The Market it Write team has the ability to grasp what we want to accomplish and put those concepts into words quickly—faster than we could in-house. Whenever they communicate, they respect the demands of our schedules and politely get right to the facts.”

 

Gerald Pennington, Stryker Spine Global Marketing
Industry: Healthcare   |   Services: Employee newsletters, corporate communications

Market It Write
2015-04-25T18:49:09-04:00

Gerald Pennington, Stryker Spine Global Marketing
Industry: Healthcare   |   Services: Employee newsletters, corporate communications

“The Market it Write team has the ability to grasp what we want to accomplish and put those concepts into words quickly—faster than we could in-house. Whenever they communicate, they respect the demands of our schedules and politely get right to the facts.”  

Samuel Vinicur

“Market it Write does fabulous work. Mistina's team takes the time to understand both their clients and their clients' audiences. I highly recommend engaging them for any communications efforts you have.”

 

Samuel Vinicur, TSS International
Industry: Security & Investigations   |   Services: Corporate communications, press releases

Market It Write
2015-04-25T18:48:35-04:00

Samuel Vinicur, TSS International
Industry: Security & Investigations   |   Services: Corporate communications, press releases

“Market it Write does fabulous work. Mistina's team takes the time to understand both their clients and their clients' audiences. I highly recommend engaging them for any communications efforts you have.”  

Albert Barette

"Our executive staff reviewed the final product, and it was excellent. Thanks to you and your team for all your input and contributing to our new website. The vertical market sheets were also excellent."

 

Albert Barette, Bowles Security Group
Industry: Security & Investigations   |   Services: Brand strategy, website development, marketing materials

Market It Write
2015-04-25T18:46:25-04:00

Albert Barette, Bowles Security Group
Industry: Security & Investigations   |   Services: Brand strategy, website development, marketing materials

"Our executive staff reviewed the final product, and it was excellent. Thanks to you and your team for all your input and contributing to our new website. The vertical market sheets were also excellent."  

Lee Angus

“I loved having Market it Write do the interviews and walk us through the drafts to the final version, and I was impressed with your ability to condense the story to meet our needs. It was also nice to have someone ‘outside’ write the story. The results seemed more objective than they would have been if I had written it.”

 

Lee Angus, Legacy Alliance
Industry: Professional services   |   Services: Corporate communication

Market It Write
2015-04-25T18:51:21-04:00

Lee Angus, Legacy Alliance
Industry: Professional services   |   Services: Corporate communication

“I loved having Market it Write do the interviews and walk us through the drafts to the final version, and I was impressed with your ability to condense the story to meet our needs. It was also nice to have someone ‘outside’ write the story. The results seemed more objective than they would have been if I had written it.”  

Hiroto Takagi

“Many writers want to say things their way, but Market it Write understood exactly what I wanted to say—and that’s what they wrote. Market it Write works for me and for my business. I recommend the company to anybody who needs writing help.

 

Hiroto Takagi, Bryton Harry
Industry: Sports marketing   |   Services: Website content, marketing support

Market It Write
2015-04-25T18:52:52-04:00

Hiroto Takagi, Bryton Harry
Industry: Sports marketing   |   Services: Website content, marketing support

“Many writers want to say things their way, but Market it Write understood exactly what I wanted to say—and that’s what they wrote. Market it Write works for me and for my business. I recommend the company to anybody who needs writing help.  

Larissa Nycz Montecullo

“We have had the pleasure and opportunity to work with Market it Write on a daily basis over the past several months, and regularly for over a year prior. Their writing talent, attention to detail, and business savvy across industries make the Market it Write team an incredibly valuable asset to any company.”

 

Larissa Nycz Montecullo, Tribecca Designs
Industry: Creative agency   |   Services: Website content, marketing materials, ad copy

Market It Write
2015-04-25T18:50:56-04:00

Larissa Nycz Montecullo, Tribecca Designs
Industry: Creative agency   |   Services: Website content, marketing materials, ad copy

“We have had the pleasure and opportunity to work with Market it Write on a daily basis over the past several months, and regularly for over a year prior. Their writing talent, attention to detail, and business savvy across industries make the Market it Write team an incredibly valuable asset to any company.”  

Joe Biondo

“Market it Write adds a level of professionalism, insight and creativity rarely seen in our industry. They consistently deliver exceptional marketing ideas, unique materials and solutions that have allowed us to move forward with our business development and marketing programs. They ‘get it’ and know how to articulate your message. They are true professionals, a pleasure to work with, and I would recommend them without hesitation to any business or organization looking to increase their business, membership and/or public image.”

 

Joe Biondo, Summit Investigations
Industry: Security & Investigations   |   Services: Sales letters, advertisement copy, website content

Market It Write
2015-04-25T18:48:07-04:00

Joe Biondo, Summit Investigations
Industry: Security & Investigations   |   Services: Sales letters, advertisement copy, website content

“Market it Write adds a level of professionalism, insight and creativity rarely seen in our industry. They consistently deliver exceptional marketing ideas, unique materials and solutions that have allowed us to move forward with our business development and marketing programs. They ‘get it’ and know how to articulate your message. They are true professionals, a pleasure to work with, and I would recommend them without hesitation to any business or organization looking to increase their business, membership and/or public image.”  

Adam Wolf

“Market it Write’s copywriting and editing acumen is only matched by their excellent client service and easy-to-work with demeanor. I’d recommend the firm for any marketing writing assignment.”

 

Adam Wolf, Wolf Communications
Industry: Creative agency   |   Services: Website content, copyediting

Market It Write
2015-04-25T18:51:53-04:00

Adam Wolf, Wolf Communications
Industry: Creative agency   |   Services: Website content, copyediting

“Market it Write’s copywriting and editing acumen is only matched by their excellent client service and easy-to-work with demeanor. I’d recommend the firm for any marketing writing assignment.”  

Barbara Centrella

“You made the experience fun, and you brought so much to the table—things that I would never have thought of on my own. You added a dimension that brings the work to life. I was very pleased with the first media kit and am blown away by the second.”

 

Barbara Centrella, children’s author
Industry: Publishing   |   Services: Media kit

Market It Write
2015-04-25T18:52:18-04:00

Barbara Centrella, children’s author
Industry: Publishing   |   Services: Media kit

“You made the experience fun, and you brought so much to the table—things that I would never have thought of on my own. You added a dimension that brings the work to life. I was very pleased with the first media kit and am blown away by the second.”  

Terry Yoffe

“Market it Write was able to take the content from my last website and transform it to my new one, making the content clear, informative and to the point. The clarity of the content has been so powerful that I have gotten several new clients based on my website. I found Mistina and her team to be easy to work with and very willing to listen to concerns and objectives and work through them in a very professional way.”

 

Terry Yoffe, TRY Coaching
Industry: Professional services   |   Services: Website content

Market It Write
2015-04-25T18:49:53-04:00

Terry Yoffe, TRY Coaching
Industry: Professional services   |   Services: Website content

“Market it Write was able to take the content from my last website and transform it to my new one, making the content clear, informative and to the point. The clarity of the content has been so powerful that I have gotten several new clients based on my website. I found Mistina and her team to be easy to work with and very willing to listen to concerns and objectives and work through them in a very professional way.”  

George Donohue

“Market it Write makes the copywriting process painless. Their responsiveness and professionalism kept the project on track, despite a tight deadline. Mistina has a keen ability to understand the client’s needs, and she uses her intelligence and creativity to convey those needs in succinct copy.”

 

George Donohue, GMAC Real Estate IPG
Industry: Real estate   |   Services: Newsletters, corporate communications, investor relations

Market It Write
2015-04-25T18:49:31-04:00

George Donohue, GMAC Real Estate IPG
Industry: Real estate   |   Services: Newsletters, corporate communications, investor relations

“Market it Write makes the copywriting process painless. Their responsiveness and professionalism kept the project on track, despite a tight deadline. Mistina has a keen ability to understand the client’s needs, and she uses her intelligence and creativity to convey those needs in succinct copy.”  
0
0
Market It Write