6 Can't-Miss Content Tips from One of the Top Business Books of the Year

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Summer is for readers. Taking advantage of the slower work season, I set aside time for learning this summer, in particular, trying to focus on reading nonfiction books that would help me in my business.

Reading books is one of my favorite leisure activities but I don’t always carve out the time for it. That’s why I was excited to partner with?Shortform, a platform that produces high-quality guides to nonfiction books. I was able to quickly digest the summary and chapter guides of the bestselling new parenting book Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy that I’m on the waitlist for at my library.?

I loved that you could get a one-page summary, read key points from each chapter, and be informed about other authors’ takes on that particular concept with Shortform’s notes and additional info throughout the summaries.?

By using Shortform, I was able to get key ideas from?three more nonfiction books?in a month than I normally have time to read, including James Clear 's ?Atomic Habits and Charles Duhigg 's The Power of Habit. The platform has audio options available so I can listen while I drive or walk the dog.

I even used the ShortformAI browser extension while starting research for freelance assignments. It summarized articles quickly so I could see if that page had the information I was looking to include in my article. Click here for a free trial of Shortform?and 20% off when you use?Shortform.com/diana.

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Another book I learned a lot from this summer was ?Epic Content Marketing by Joe Pulizzi and Brian Piper . It’s an update on the book that was originally published by Pulizzi 10 years ago and as he acknowledges, a lot has changed in the industry.

Here, some takeaways I jotted down from their book to help you improve your content strategy.

6 Content Marketing Tips to Apply to Your Business Right Now

A few content strategy learnings that I think any business can benefit from…

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Understand what sets your content apart

Know that your customers could be reading articles on a number of other sites, including those of your competitors. Pulizzi says that great content requires an understanding of, “What are we solving for and why now? Who is the audience? What can we uniquely offer when there are so many content sources out there?” Ensure all of these questions are answered.? Know your customer has sacrificed something—their time, an email address, and even their money. You have an obligation to deliver something great with your content.

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Become a trusted expert in the industry.

Are you a trusted voice in your industry? Is your brand thought of that way? If not, what can you do to elevate your presence and have your name and/or your brand’s name that come to mind when they think of your product category? This can be done through content on platforms like LinkedIn—becoming a thought leader in your space. Or, seek out podcasts in your niche that you could do a guest appearance on. Team up with an influencer for a Facebook Live or Instagram Live. Look for speaking opportunities at industry conferences. Always be looking for ways to help others in your industry and connect with others. Serve your community ("always be giving") and you’ll gain a following. I encourage clients to have a page on their site where they list media interviews and contributions. Here’s an example on my website.

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Add a call to action on each blog.

This is a good tip to keep in mind for any type of content, even if you aren’t a content marketing writer or strategist. You want the reader to do something after reading the article, post, or watching the video. Tell them what you want them to do and make it easy. “Click here to subscribe to my YouTube channel.” “Share a five-star review of our podcast.” “Subscribe to my email newsletter for more tips.” It could even be as simple as reposting a social media post.

(BTW, feel free to share this article with your audience if you think they could benefit from it!)?

Ask yourself, could your newsletter be doing more?

In Pulizzi’s book he says, “The best newsletters include something you can’t find anywhere else. The old days of linking to your blog archive just doesn’t work as well as it used to.” With newsletters being their own publishing platforms for many writers, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and brands, ask yourself what value your readers are getting by reading the newsletter. Make sure there’s something fresh, fun and interesting in every newsletter—even if it’s just a peek into your life or a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the brand. Get my weekly freelance writing tips in your inbox here—I promise to share something noteworthy each week!

Do a content inventory to see what you already have

I loved Pulizzi’s suggestion of conducting a visual contact audit—literally printing out the content that’s on a brand’s website and seeing what it is, what it solves for, where the content holes are and how it could be improved.

He suggests content marketers do this exercise and ask the marketing executives, “Is our content more about our customers and their pain points or more about us and how great our products and services are?”

This would be a great exercise for any brand that’s looking to ramp up content marketing initiatives. See what old content you have already, how it could be improved with SEO writing enhancements, as well as what questions your customers have that aren’t being answered by your content.

Get in touch ??if your brand needs help with this!

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Ask ‘why’ before joining a social media platform.

Should you start a YouTube channel? Does your CEO need to film and post TikToks? What is the purpose of you being on X? Should your brand have a presence on Discord? Before you launch your brand on a new platform, Pulizzi suggests the team ask, “What is the purpose of you being on [fill in the blank] platform?”

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If you don’t have a clear answer that aligns with your business goals, pause. Don’t set up a profile on a social platform just because you think you should only to let it fall to the wayside in a few weeks because you can’t maintain consistency and aren’t even sure of why you’re there.

Which of these will you apply to your business? Share in the comments below.??__________________

Hi! I’m Diana.

I’m a New York-based freelance journalist, copywriter, editor, content marketing writer, and freelance coach.

I’m also a wife and a mom to two toddlers, a large dog, and an exercise enthusiast who loves dessert.

I enjoy covering topics that help people and their loved ones live healthier, happier, fuller lives, whether it’s through health, wellness, personal finance or pet topics.

I also want to help others learn how to become freelancers, improve productivity, and run their small businesses. I cover these topics and more on my?blog?and in my?weekly newsletter.

You can learn more about me, my publishing background, and my nearly 20-year freelancing journey at?DianaKelly.com.

You can also follow me on?Twitter?and?Instagram.

Get in touch here if you'd like help with content for your brand, website, or publication.

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