Video: How to create content that connects with clients

By understanding your ideal clients and what’s important to them, you can start to create value-driven content that builds trusting relationships.

Start with their needs, interests and media consumption habits.

Ask yourself which of your clients you’d love to have more of. This will identify your ideal client — and your target audience. You can focus on more than one type of client, but know that each represents a unique audience group. So, keep it to no more than three.

Consider what kind of information those ideal clients will find valuable coming from you. To do this, think of the clients you already have in this group. What are their biggest financial concerns? What areas of your expertise make the most difference to them? This will be where you need to focus your content.

Research where your ideal clients get their information. Examples include social media, podcasts, e-newsletters or websites they discover through Google searches. Find out which influencers or sources your ideal clients are already following, and what kind of content gets the most engagement.

Whether you’re writing a blog or shooting an Instagram video, start by understanding the tone and style of content that’s already resonating with your ideal clients — and then bring your own personality to it.

Be yourself. The person your clients see in your content needs to be the same person they’ll eventually meet in person. Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not.

Maintain a high standard of value. Every piece of content should help solve a problem or shed some new light on an issue that your ideal client cares about.

And develop a growth mindset. You won’t go viral on your first try. Publish content regularly to learn what resonates with your audience. Continually tweak your content style and approach as you learn what works best.

Content marketing tools

These basic tools will help you get started:

• Canva: a beginner-friendly design tool. You can create great-looking graphics using free templates, and the paid version is affordable.
• An external USB microphone: plugs directly into your computer. It can help you create a richer sound for audio recordings, avoiding background noise and echo.
• A tripod with a smartphone mount: works well for video recording. Modern smartphones can capture high-quality video.
• A small lighting kit: helps you create professional-looking videos. There are several lower-cost kits available online.
• CapCut: a user-friendly app for video editing. It’s available for both mobile and desktop use. Another option is Descript, which lets you edit audio and video by changing the transcript.

This content marketing starter template will help you build your plan.

Next week: How to use social media to reach your audience. Use interest-driven algorithms, create engaging posts and choose the right platforms to expand your visibility and connect with ideal clients organically.