Maybe you’ve read about a bunch of ‘hacks’ for boosting your social media following or getting 1000 email subscribers and you just feel overwhelmed.

Perhaps you aren’t sure what kind of marketing you should be doing and whether blogs, videos or podcasts could or should be in your plan.

Today, I’m going to tell you why I like content marketing and how to get started without the overwhelm.

The Content Marketing Institute defines Content marketing as: a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.

Translation?

It’s when you create and share helpful content, probably in some online format like a blog, a video or a podcast, and over time you build up an audience who then may become your customers.

Why do I like content marketing?

First and foremost I’m an educator, so I like content marketing because it’s more like teaching students than it is selling to customers.

Does it do both?

Absolutely, but It’s about sharing your knowledge and expertise in ways that help people. It’s about being of service and giving first, without expecting anything in return.

On that note, content marketing adds value to your audience whether or not they are going to become customers down the track.

The majority of them won’t and that’s ok.

It’s not tit for tat, it’s leading with generosity.

That’s a strong value for me and possibly for you too, so if being a generous and giving person is important to you, content marketing is probably a style of marketing that is really in alignment for you.

Content marketing also helps you build a body of work gradually over time.

If you are like many people, you may have a secret or not so secret desire to write a book one day.

If you do, you may find that the idea of sitting down and writing a book from start to finish has been paralysing you.

Well what if you just started with writing 750 words a week in a blog post, or doing a 3 – 5 minute video and getting it transcribed?

After a year you will have more than enough raw content to get your book started! 

When it’s done well, content marketing also really respects the customer by giving them the information that they need and leaving the purchasing decision up to them.

Good content marketing is not about using the hard sell or manipulation tactics.

Of course you still need sales processes in place, but it’s about trusting your audience to know what’s best for them and when, and then letting them make the decisions wholeheartedly. 

It’s also virtual, which is great always but especially right now in this time of social distancing.

That means you don’t have to leave the house to create the content and your audience doesn’t have to leave the house to consume it.

They can also get it on demand which means if they’re searching for information on how you can help them, they might ‘binge’ your content!

Now, if you read my previous post about 3 reasons not to start a podcast in a pandemic, hopefully you’ve realised that you don’t have to do anything right now to be enough. 

Just looking after yourself and your loved ones, and making sure you’re keeping your basic needs met is a big task right now, and you absolutely do NOT have to use this time in isolation to start your blog or launch your podcast or finally write that book. 

It’s ok to just be where you are. 

But if you do happen to want to get started with content marketing, here are my tips for overcoming overwhelm:

1. 1. Start slow and be gentle on yourself. Don’t make any grand public promises about your plans to blog every single week for the next 7 years. Just start.
   2. Batch it or take it post by post: Do what works for you (and experiment if you don’t know what that is yet!)
   3. Create some routine and have a plan, but don’t be too hard on yourself if things don’t quite go to plan (see point 1).
   4. Don’t compare yourself to people further along the journey or people with big media teams 

By the way if you want to find out how you use content marketing to can build your authority and take your online presence to the next level, I’ve got a free webinar that can help you do just that. Sign up here!

Wishing you, your team and your loved ones courage and comfort at this unique time in history. 

Take care and I’ll talk to you soon x

The post Why I love Content Marketing and how to get started without overwhelm appeared first on Perk Digital.

They’ve got creative copy and slick sales pages and webinars that hype you up and make it all seem so easy. 

“Just use my simple strategy, and you too could be number 1 in the iTunes Charts* by day 14 of self-quarantine.”

I’ve also had a number of conversations with my clients about various things they suddenly feel they ‘should’ be doing because they saw it on a sales page, or a webinar, or a Facebook ad. 

So today I want to share my thoughts with you on the reasons not to start a podcast during a pandemic.

You might be thinking, why on earth is a podcast producer telling people not to start a podcast right now?

Just so we’re clear, I’m all for podcasts all the time, and if you do want to start one (now or sometime down the track), I’m happy to chat through options with you.

If you’re already a podcaster, then I recommend checking out my previous post, about how continuing to podcast during this time can be so valuable to your audience. 

However, this post today is for those of you who haven’t got a podcast yet.

I’m not necessarily saying you shouldn’t start a podcast during a pandemic. 

But I want you to know that it’s not the right thing for everyone, it’s not necessarily the right time for you, and it’s not as easy as those IG influencers make it seem. 

Reason 1: You are enough, already and always, with or without a podcast (and whether or not you use your time in isolation “productively”.) 

You probably have enough to do already just dealing with the current situation. You don’t need to add more to your plate. There’s every likelihood that you’re just trying to keep your head above water, financially, emotionally, and generally.

The thing about this situation is that it’s a huge change for all of us, an intense stress for many of us, and the various influencers on the internet have created or added to the sense of scarcity and not-enough-ness that many people already felt.

If you find yourself with some extra time on your hands at home and would like to learn a new skill or start a hobby, or finish that home improvement project, then by all means do that. 

But most of the people I have spoken to in the last month are not finding this situation like a fun sabbatical at home where they get to do all those things on the to-do list they have put off for years.

Most people I have spoken to, and myself included, are finding it has been a lot of work just to cancel or rearrange things that were supposed to happen in person, and keep up with the regular life tasks, plus deal with the emotional fall out of this.

I have no children to homeschool and I’ve been working from home for over 3 years now and I still found this a big adjustment. 

So if all you can do right now is do your best to keep your basic needs met and your basic work or family tasks done, then that’s ok and that’s enough.

You are not ‘less than’ because some stranger with an impossibly perfect Instagram feed told you that NOW was the time to start that podcast and if you don’t use this isolation time well then you’re a loser and you’ll never amount to anything. 

No. Just no.

You are enough, already and always.

And right now, you need to be extra careful about what messages you let in your brain, and anyone who is selling things using those FOMO tactics, beware.

You are enough and it’s ok if you just do the bare minimum right now and keep yourself and your loved ones as safe and healthy and sane as possible.

Reason 2: Podcasting requires a serious amount of time and energy, and if you’re outsourcing, it’ll cost you money too. 

Unless you’re really sure it’s the right strategy for your business or brand right now (i.e. you were already deep into the planning stages of your podcast before COVID-19 hit) then you probably have better places to direct your time, energy and money right now. 

If you’re a business owner and need to pivot or a recently unemployed person looking for ways to keep food on the table, starting a podcast is very likely a distraction that you don’t need.

And if you’re adjusting to working from home and/or homeschooling and/or just trying to keep your anxiety at bay amidst all this scary news and dramatic changes to the way the world works, then those are definitely the important and urgent places you should be devoting your time, energy and money right now. 

Despite what the people with the shiny sales pages will tell you, podcasts are NOT a fast-track to increased sales and revenue, massive audience and instant credibility.

Anyone who tells you a podcast can deliver you that in a short amount of time is not telling you the truth.

At best, they’re only telling half their story e.g. maybe they started their podcast when they already had 50,000 people on their mailing list, so launching with a huge number of downloads overnight was a much likelier prospect. 

At worst, they’re either lying or they don’t know enough to know what they don’t know about podcasting.

Oh and did I mention that you don’t need a fast-track to increased sales and revenue, massive audience and instant credibility to be enough?

You are enough, already and always.

Focus on looking after yourself and your loved ones right now. Do what you need to do to keep yourselves afloat and don’t add unnecessary extra stuff to your already very full plate. 

Reason 3: Don’t make major commitments or decisions from a place of grief. 

In non-pandemic times, when a loved one dies or a major life change happens, the expert advice is not to make commitments or major life decisions in the midst of that grief.

Now, starting a podcast is obviously not as binding a decision as getting married, buying a house or signing up for a credit card, but it IS a commitment. 

Podcasts are a long-term gig.

If you want to start one, then you seriously need to think about it as a 6-12 month commitment minimum.

If you don’t approach it that way, and keeping in mind that it requires a serious amount of time and energy and possibly money, if you don’t make your decision to start a podcast taking all that into account, then you’re likely to contribute to what is called ‘pod fade’.

That’s where a podcast starts, has a few episodes (likely fewer than 7 in total) and then disappears into the ether, never to be heard again.

But even more than that, even if you haven’t had somebody close to you die from this virus, this whole situation is still causing grief.

We are all grieving, individually and collectively, personally and professionally, locally and globally.

There are so many losses associated to COVID-19 already, and it’s far from over yet. 

Acknowledgement of that grief can help us be aware of the extra needs we have right now, and it means we need to accept that right now is not the time for new commitments or big life choices on a whim.

Grief turns our worlds upside down, which is also exactly what this pandemic has done, and it takes time for us to adjust.

If you can avoid it, don’t make decisions or commitments right now, and I would count starting a podcast in that category. 

Sit with it, write all your ideas down so you don’t forget them, maybe even do lots of research into podcasting.

Book a call with me if you like, I’m happy to chat to you about the options.

But don’t commit to anything new right now. Just let yourself adjust to this new reality we now live in, and let yourself grieve.

Give yourself the gift of time for that, at the very least. 

This too shall pass.

It will, eventually. Pandemics don’t last forever. 

But it’s still right at the start of this thing and we don’t know how it’s going to unfold or what that will mean for us yet. 

Podcasts are wonderful, and I love them, and if you’ve been thinking about starting one for a long time then we can definitely discuss that, but just know that podcasts will be here on the other side of this too. 

You won’t miss out if you give yourself the gift of time and patience and preserve whatever energy you have left right now to just keep the necessary things in your life happening.

So if you’ve been feeling lots of FOMO from all the ads in your feed about starting your podcast during your time in isolation, I hope this helps you. 

Let me know in the comments. 

Take care and I’ll talk to you soon x

*if their ad is calling it iTunes, beware. Apple Podcast nixed that a while back, so it’s a sure sign they’re maybe not as expert as they say they are  

The post 3 Reasons Not to Start a Podcast during a Pandemic appeared first on Perk Digital.

Do you feel a bit stuck for what to say to your audience right now?

Maybe you’re wondering if you should even be podcasting when the world is in the midst of this crisis?

Today, I want to share with you a personal story about why I love podcasts so much, and why I know there is great opportunity for you to serve your audience in this crisis. 

I truly believe that creating educational and helpful content for your audience is so important now more than ever. 

With many people in self-isolation and more still to end up in isolation in coming weeks, they are turning to the internet for entertainment and inspiration, comfort and connection. 

While blogs and videos are certainly able to fulfil this need, podcasts are powerful and special, especially for those who are unwell.

My love affair with podcasts began over a decade ago, when I had a series of health challenges including Glandular Fever and Thyroid Cancer that kept me in a state of semi-self-isolation for about 3 years. 

As many of you are now learning first hand, life in even semi-isolation can be really tough. It can be lonely, frustrating, boring and just really hard.

Back then I also had chronic fatigue syndrome and was sometimes too exhausted and unwell to keep my eyes open to read or watch TV. 

But my mind was awake and alert and I was desperate for distraction and diversion.

At the time, I found podcasts and they not only distracted me, but comforted me, entertained me and connected me to the outside world, even though in reality I was often confined to my house.

Your podcast is a community service at this time. 

Your listeners need your voice in their life. They will be looking for entertainment and information, yes, but also connection, and podcasts are a brilliant way to build deeper connections with your audience. 

By and large, podcast listeners care a lot about the podcasters they subscribe to, so they would probably love to hear updates from you and how you are applying your expertise in this incredible time in human history. 

In some cases they will be looking for a break from the constant coronavirus news and a sense of normalcy, and that’s where evergreen content comes in too. 

If you can share on topics that are immediately relevant to the situation we all find ourselves in, then that is great, but it’s also wonderful and maybe even better if you can share episodes on topics that have nothing to do with the pandemic too. 

It will depend on your podcast, your audience and also on what you feel like sharing at this time. But remember that your podcast can help distract people, comfort people, entertain people and connect them to the outside world when they are very likely stuck inside their house.

Even more than that, if a member of your audience is unwell at this time, then it’s quite possible that listening to your podcast is the only form of distraction and entertainment they have the energy for right now, and it’s an incredibly beautiful thing to be able to reach people like that.

Afterwards, when this is all over, your audience will remember your content. They will remember your voice and the connection it gave them with others in a time when isolation and disconnection was taking over.

Maya Angelous said “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

I hope that is something you can remember and apply in all of your communications at this time, in business and in life. 

If you are a podcaster and need to take a break right now, that’s ok too. 

Do what you need to do to look after yourself and keep your basic needs met. 

Podcasting is by definition an optional extra right now, so if you just don’t have the energy for it, know that that’s ok too. 

If you do find yourself with some time and energy and want to find out how you use content marketing to  build your authority and take your online presence to the next level, I’ve got a free webinar that can help you do just that.

It’s a tough time and a long road ahead but let’s maintain our kindness and connection to one another even amidst the social distancing.  

Wishing you, your team and your loved ones courage and comfort through the months to come. 

Take care and I’ll talk to you soon x

The post Podcasting during crisis is a Community Service appeared first on Perk Digital.