If you create content for clients, the initial stages after they are hired will be exciting.
You know that the possibilities of helping them achieve their brand goals with amazing content are far-reaching: increase brand awareness, drive more traffic, generate leads, build trust with their audience, and ultimately increase sales and revenue.
But you can’t jump into creating content for a client without getting to know them and their audience first.
You need some good backstory to help you help them to the best of your ability.
How did you get this thing?
Simply by asking.
Find better concepts with a little help from your client
The content landscape is getting increasingly competitive.
In a recent study, 82% of marketers They now report actively using content marketing. This means that you need to create better content than your clients’ competitors – because now they’ve probably jumped on the content marketing bandwagon too.
According to the Content Marketing Institute, 50% of companies Outsourcing content marketing.
If you are the service that outsourcing depends on, there is a lot of weight on your shoulders to do it right.
But there is a way to make it easier.
I’ll let you in on a little secret: You can create quality content simply Conduct interviews with your clients.
Even when you outsource content, your customers can be the best source of information to help create it.
An honest and accurate exchange of information can steer your content creation process in the right direction and even provide you with a much needed source of inspiration.
Sailing the Seas of Great Ideas: Ask your client to hop on board
The challenge is creating a true bond with your customer. how do you do that?
The answer is simple: by getting to know him or her.
This is where your curiosity begins.
- What does your customer actually do?
- How and why do they do it?
- What short-term and long-term goals are they pursuing?
After you’ve found the most accurate answers to these basic questions, you can start digging a little deeper.
What concepts does your customer think about the content you need to create?
10 foolproof ways to get great content ideas from your client
Crafting high value content for someone other than yourself is no easy task.
However, you can simplify the whole process by asking your customers to answer the following questions.
Channel your inquisitive nature, use this ultimate guide to meeting clients, and delve into their minds.
1. Where are you heading?
Most business owners understand that the journey from startup to sustainable and exponential growth is challenging and somewhat unpredictable.
However, this does not stop them from dreaming big dreams and setting goals.
Talk to your client about their business aspirations.
Avoid the most annoying question you’ve probably heard a million times while trying to get your first job (eg, “Where do you see yourself five/ten years from now?”) and get to the point.
- What are your client’s goals and what are the main points of interest they focus on?
- Should the new content encourage action, increase traffic, build authority in a specific industry, increase brand awareness, drive sales, or attract a new audience?
Each goal requires a unique approach.
2. Why Do you actually do what you do?
Next, try to create a deeper connection with your customer on a more emotional level.
What makes them get out of bed in the morning? Why produce and sell tissues when they can do a million other things with their time and money?
aim to discover passion that feed into your customer’s daily actions.
This will help you decide what kinds of values you should express through your content, not to mention give you the opportunity to adjust your writing style based on the information and atmosphere your client sends you.
3. Who am I writing for?
Writing for the sake of writing is not a very productive strategy.
Your creative process should be directly affected by the needs, demands, and expectations of your target audience. Who might be interested in what you have to say about someone else’s business?
Contact sales representatives and ask them for important details regarding the following aspects.
4. Get a customer profile
Trying to start a meaningful conversation with Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials, or Gen Z?
Before putting pen to paper, you must know your client’s target customers closely.
A better understanding of the demographics of your potential customers will help you determine the type of content marketing tactics that can produce the best results.
Next, start analyzing the relationship between product, seller, and customer.
5. Obtaining product or service details
How does your customer’s product or service make a difference in their customers’ lives? What are its strengths and weaknesses? What are the key features that enable it to outperform the competition?
6. Identifying customer pain points
What are the most common concerns/complaints customers express after purchasing or testing a customer’s product? How does your customer respond to these feedback? What kind of customer service policy do they adopt?
7. Can you provide access to testimonials, support calls, service or product reviews?
Testimonials, support calls, and product reviews are often overlooked by content marketers who are constantly striving to relate one or more concepts to real life, personal identity, the customer’s mind, or other unrelated concepts.
They rely on curation, self-interest, case studies, and their own storytelling skills and end up neglecting the most important sources that actually indicate how the end consumer feels.
Read product reviews and testimonials (good and bad), listen to support calls, or just earn a quick chat with a member of the customer service team.
These resources provide you with the strongest support in the fight against writer’s block.
8. Who are your main competitors (and why are they afraid of you?)
In most industries, competition is fierce.
By understanding the relationship between your customer and their competitors, you will learn more about your target market and find the most efficient marketing strategies to reach them.
After all, one person’s failure is another’s warning sign, and one person’s success is another’s inspiration.
By asking your customer to reveal their competitive advantage, you are in effect encouraging them to identify their unique selling proposition, which you can highlight in your copy.
9. What do you want your content to look and sound like?
The truth is, it’s not always easy to get on the same page and keep in touch with people whose success depends on your copywriting skills.
Sure, you can put out an endless list of blogs, press releases, in-site content, and articles, but making it attractive and relevant in the eyes of potential buyers is a whole different story.
How can you bridge this gap? You start by talking openly with your client and asking them the following questions, which will help you determine the appropriate format and language for the content you will be creating.
- What content goals do you want to achieve? (eg: better brand awareness, more traffic from Google, better conversion rates)
- What makes your ideal customer tick?
- Are there any specific formatting/publishing rules that you would like your content to follow?
- What specific areas and/or topics should be explored most frequently in your new content pieces?
- Are there any concepts we should avoid while crafting, publishing, and promoting your content?
- Do you have any additional multimedia needs? (for example, charts or videos)
- What type of voice would be the best match for your brand, product or service? (For example, a young and fun voice would be best for a teenage audience, while a professional voice would be more suitable for companies in the financial or technology sector)
10. Can you use five descriptive words to define the values you want to communicate about your company?
This is a fun exercise that you should try at the end of the interview.
These five words will help your customer crystallize and convey the most important values their brand espouses, making it easier for you to include these important aspects in your copy.
Take these steps and enjoy!
Onboarding a new client is both exciting and energy-consuming.
However, remember that the information you gather now will only help you create better content in the long run — the kind that accurately represents a customer’s brand voice, mission, and vision as well as speaks to the hearts and minds of their ideal audience.
This type of content is ultimately profitable content that grows a business.
Get to know your customer now, ask the right questions, and you’ll build an invaluable knowledge bank that will help you better… not to mention ensure they stay happily invested in your services for the long term.
More resources:
- 27 Must Ask Questions for New SEO Clients
- 16 tips for dealing with negative customer reviews online
- SEO Strategy: Complete Outline (+ Template)
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