Consultant, you know creating useful online content is important for brand awareness and for generating new sales opportunities. But most people don’t get how it works and here’s why.
Creating content is not a one way street. It’s not a good idea to simply create content, post it everywhere and WAIT passively for new prospects to reach out to you.
While that does happen from time to time, you simply can’t rely on it.
In consulting, strong relationships typically bring you the best opportunities. To really make content work for you, you must use it as a tool to build new relationships.
The most successful consultants know this and have been using this principle to build their professional practices since the start of our industry many decades ago.
Picture this:
- A consultant writes a book or a series of articles in a trade publication
- Fans of their work start to correspond with the consultant via snail mail back and forth
- The consultant builds a following and is invited to speak at events, chambers of commerce, conferences, etc.
- At the events, the consultant meets with readers, exchanges business cards and gets to know them. This leads to more content opportunities, i.e. workshops or seminars at organizations.
- The more the consultant interacts with and builds relationships with readers (potential clients), the more likely the consultant is to land new business opportunities.
All of the above has worked for ages and still works today. But today, you can’t ignore your potential clients who are online. You may be creating and distributing content online, but are you building relationships with your audience? It’s not really that different from the above scenario.
Picture THIS:
- A consultant writes useful articles or publishes a weekly newsletter online. People start following the consultant’s work.
- The consultant is invited to speak on third party podcasts, webinars and other online events that expands their reach and influence.
- The consultant responds to emails and DMs from readers, connects with them on social media and gets to know them.
- The consultant also starts to build a community of readers, hosts online events, Q&As and deepens the relationship with individual members of the community.
- The more the consultant interacts with and builds relationships with readers/listeners (potential clients), the more likely the consultant is to land new consulting opportunities.
The key takeaway is this:
For consultants, sharing useful content has always worked. But the purpose of sharing content is not just to build brand awareness but also to build deep relationships with potential clients.
So don’t simply post content online and wait. Create useful content AND find ways to build relationships with your audience at a deeper level. Then watch your sales opportunities increase.
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Ready to add $100k-$500k revenue to your consulting business in 12 months or less without burning out? Schedule a call and let me show you how.
Image credit: Steve Dininno
