If you’re like most entrepreneurs, when you start thinking about your marketing plan, you probably feel a bit overwhelmed. I get it. It can be confusing and complicated. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You just need to get organized, and using a content calendar is a great way to simplify your marketing plan.

What is a content calendar?

Whenever I talk about marketing, I’m really talking about content marketing. Content marketing is the act of creating any type of content to promote your business. Content can be in the form of blog posts, videos, podcasts, social media posts, and even traditional advertising.

A content calendar is simply a tool to help you plan out and schedule all of your content.

Some people might call it an editorial calendar or social media calendar. It doesn’t really matter what you call it, the important thing is to use it.

So how exactly will a content calendar simplify your marketing?

Why use a content calendar?

Getting organized and planning out your marketing in advance has a lot of benefits. Here are a few reasons why you should be using a content calendar:

* It takes the guesswork out of content creation. You won’t be staring at a blank computer screen wondering what to post or when to do it. When you use a content calendar, your whole marketing plan is laid out for you.

* You can see your whole plan in one place. Most of us are visual learners. Seeing everything in one place brings your whole marketing plan into sharp focus. Everything suddenly becomes clearer and makes more sense.

* It saves you a ton of time. You’ll fill out your content calendar once a month so you won’t be wasting time coming up with ideas for what to post every day.

* You’ll get better results from your marketing. When you create and execute an actual marketing plan instead of flying by the seat of your pants, your marketing will be more consistent and more effective.

How to create a content calendar

Your content calendar should be a simple tool, it should not feel complicated. It should help make your marketing plan easier to create and easier to execute.

Here are a few simple steps you can take to get your content calendar off the ground:

1. Choose your channels

The first thing to do is determine what marketing channels you will be using. Every business is different and the channels you use will be based on your particular goals and needs.

Here are a few of the most common marketing channels:

* Website

* Email

* Blog

* Podcast

* Video

* Social media

* Advertising

2. Choose your tool

The next step is to choose the type of tool you want to use for your content calendar. You can do this the old-fashioned way with a paper calendar or go full-auto with a powerful app like CoSchedule. Again, choose the tool that works best for your business.

Here are a few common content calendar tools to choose from:

* Paper calendar. If you like to write things down on paper then, by all means, do it. You might use a wall calendar or a monthly planner. Just be sure you can see a whole month at a time to make your content planning easier.

* Spreadsheet. Excel or Google Sheets are perfect tools for this task. You can get as creative as you like and even find pre-made templates to get you started. One of the benefits of using Google Sheets is the ability to share your calendar. This can be useful if you have other people on your team.

* Apps. There are a lot of content calendar apps out there these days. They all work pretty well, but I’ve recently fell in love with 

Your customers are not all at the same stage in the buying process. Some are just getting to know you, some are very interested and want to learn more, while others might be ready to purchase right now. Wherever they are in the buying process, you need to create the right marketing for each stage of the customer journey.

When it comes to marketing your small business, you want to be sure you’re meeting your people wherever they are in the customer journey. It’s not enough to focus only on building brand awareness or asking for the sale. There are a few other stages you need to consider. One simple way of making sure you’re covering the different stages is to use the AIDA model as a reference guide.

The AIDA model

The AIDA model stands for Awareness, Interest, Desire, and Action. The model has been in use for at least 100 years and is still relevant today. The idea is to recognize that there are a few key stages that every potential customer will move through. Your job is to create the right marketing for each stage that supports them and helps move them along the path to purchase.

Here’s a quick overview of the AIDA model and a brief description of each stage:

* Awareness – This is the stage where you create brand awareness. What is this all about? Who are you?

* Interest – At this stage, you start generating interest in your product or service. How does it work? What are the benefits?

* Desire – This is where your customers develop an emotional connection with your brand. What’s desirable about your product or service? Why should we care?

* Action – This stage is where people have been moved to take action. What do you want them to do? Download a guide? Schedule an appointment? Buy now?

How to use the AIDA model

You can use the AIDA model as a guide to help ensure you’re addressing customers at each stage of their journey. Here are a few examples:

Awareness

You can build brand awareness by posting regularly to social media, ensuring that your profile picture or logo is consistent across all platforms. You can also build brand awareness quickly by partnering with other brands, using their larger audiences as a springboard. Awareness is built by being seen everywhere, so get your physical self out there. Sponsor events, give presentations, hold workshops, attend networking events, and shake a lot of hands.

Interest

Interest comes from people understanding what it is you have to offer. So the key to generating interest is education. Explain how your thing works, highlight the benefits you offer or show them how you’re different from everyone else. Webinars, workshops, explainer videos, and infographics are all great ways to educate your audience and create interest.

Desire

When you create desire you essentially move your customers from “liking” your product or service to “wanting” it. Desire starts with your brand’s personality and grows when you make emotional connections with your customers. Be sure to have a well-defined brand personality and try to personally connect with your audience. Share personal stories, insider tips, make them laugh, make them cry, make them feel something for you and your brand.

Action

Once you’ve addressed the first three stages of their journey, don’t forget to encourage them to take action. Provide clear instructions on what it is you want them to do next. Do you want them to download your free guide, sign up for your list, schedule an appointment, request a quote, or buy now? Whatever your call to action, just make sure it’s clear and compelling.

One of the main goals of branding your business is to communicate how you help people – the impact you have on their lives. Simply put, your audience wants to know how your brand will make their life better. One easy but powerful way to communicate that impact is to create a compelling brand impact statement.

Less is more

I meet with a lot of entrepreneurs and business owners, and whenever the question comes up, “what do you do?”, I often get lengthy, meandering responses. The reason for this is that most people don’t take the time to break down what they do into one simple, clear, easy-to-understand statement. Instead, they try to describe everything they do. After all, more is better, right?

Not in this case.

When it comes to crafting a compelling brand impact statement, less is more.

So what makes this little statement so powerful?

The powerful results of a well-crafted impact statement

Your impact statement can do a lot more than simply describe what you do. A well-crafted impact statement can help you:

* Attract the right customers by communicating more effectively

* Create marketing content for your customers that speaks directly to their wants and needs

* By acting as your “North Star”, guiding you toward reaching your business goals

* Get focused on one big idea and drive it home with everything you create

How to Craft Your Impact Statement

Here’s the simple 3-part formula for creating a powerful impact statement:

I help ________

(do) ________

So they can ________

You just need to answer these three questions simply and clearly.

Let’s break it down a little and look at some examples.

1. Who do you help?

Be specific here. Who’s your ideal client, what target market do you serve? “Busy female entrepreneurs” is much clearer and more effective than “women.”

A few examples:

A relationship counselor: I help couples in relationship…

Fitness instructor: I help busy female entrepreneurs…

Branding and marketing consultant: I help independent business owners…

2. What do you help them do?

What’s your product or service? What does it do? Don’t try to share everything you do here, just chunk it down into one big idea.

Some examples:

A relationship counselor: …communicate more effectively…

Fitness instructor: …unplug and focus on their fitness…

Branding and marketing consultant: …build unique brands and create powerful marketing…

3. So they can…

What is the impact your brand has on them? How is their life better because of your product or service? What does their transformation look like? This is the most important part of your impact statement, so spend some time getting it right.

Examples:

A relationship counselor: …so they can feel more connected and grow closer together.

Fitness instructor: …so they can get stronger and feel more confident throughout their day.

Branding and marketing consultant: …so they can attract the right customers and grow their business.

Putting it all together

Once you’ve answered these questions, put it all together and you’ll have a very compelling brand impact statement. Here are the results of my examples:

A relationship counselor: I help couples in relationships communicate more effectively so they can feel more connected and grow closer together.

Fitness instructor: I help busy female entrepreneurs to unplug and focus on their fitness so they can get stronger and feel...

Are you approaching your business as if you’re trying to create a one-hit wonder? Maybe a better approach would be to shoot for the lifetime achievement award instead.

In 2000, Baha Men had a number one hit on the Billboard charts with “Who Let The Dogs Out?” Baha Men is a Bahamian group and had been performing for some years with mild success. But with this one song, they experienced fame and fortune like no one could have predicted. And it wasn’t even a good song.

In a 2007 poll conducted by Rolling Stone to identify the 20 most annoying songs, “Who Let the Dogs Out?” ranked third. It was also ranked first on Spinner’s 2008 list of “Top 20 Worst Songs Ever”.

I would argue that it’s not that difficult these days to produce a one-hit wonder. There are mathematical formulas and mountains of data on what makes a hit song. Notice I said “hit song”, not “great song”.

In contrast, David Bowie wrote a lot of great songs. So did Bob Dylan, and so did the Grateful Dead. But you won’t find any one-hit wonders in their discographies. Instead, you’ll find decades of hard work that produced scores of great songs and millions of diehard fans. There’s a reason why Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead still play to sold-out stadiums while Baha Men drift quietly into obscurity. They weren’t trying to make a hit, they were playing the long game.

I think this is a great metaphor for how you can approach your work.

You can try for the quick hit, don’t try to make it good, just make it work. And maybe, if you’re lucky, you’ll end up with a one-hit-wonder and all that fame and fortune that comes with it.

Or, you can show up every day and do your best work. Your goal being to create something of value, something that people need, something that people love. And in time, your body of work will add up. You will become indispensable. People would miss you if you were gone. You may even end up in the hall of fame.

Building a successful brand is not like making a one-hit wonder. It takes time and effort to get it right. But for those willing to play the longer game, the rewards are pretty incredible.

Who would you rather be, Bob Dylan or Baha Men? Are you hoping for a one-hit-wonder or a lifetime achievement award? The choice is always yours.

If you’re an independent entrepreneur or small business owner, you’ve most likely heard that one of the best ways to get people to know, like, and trust you is to get good at content marketing. But what should you be creating? How do you know what to write or talk about? Today, I’ll share 3 simple ideas for creating powerful content that will help you engage and connect with more clients or customers.

What is content marketing?

According to the Content Marketing Institute, “Content marketing is 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.”

Instead of constantly pitching your products and services, you give away useful content to help your potential customers solve problems. Content can be in the form of blog posts, videos, emails, podcasts, webinars, live video, infographics, slideshows, trainings, guides, tutorials, tips, and more.

This blog post you’re reading right now? Content marketing. I’m hoping to help you solve the problem of not knowing what topics you should be covering in your content marketing. I know, it’s all very meta.

Content marketing is so important because it’s probably the most effective way to build your brand, gain credibility, and earn trust. For just about every business in every industry, it has been proven to work. In fact, you can’t really market anything without content. But what content should you create?

What content should you create?

One of the most often-asked questions I get from small business owners is, “What content should I create? What should I write about? What should I talk about?”

One of the keys to creating powerful content marketing is to know what topics you should be covering. Once you’ve identified the best topics for your business, creating the content is pretty easy. Knowing what topics resonate with your audience is the key to powerful content marketing.

You want to be creating powerful content, but what topics should you cover? Below are three very simple ideas that will help you come up with a bunch of great topics that your audience will find valuable and helpful.

3 simple ideas for creating powerful content

1. Refer to your brand manifesto

There’s no doubt that your brand manifesto is one of your most valuable resources. It can be used to show people what you stand for, it can serve as your North Star—a set of guiding principles for your business, and it can be the source of great ideas for creating powerful content.

How to use your brand manifesto to come up with great topics:

* List each of your values or beliefs from your brand manifesto

* Under each item, write down 3-5 ideas for communicating that value or belief

* Use short statements in the form of headlines

* Brainstorm different ways of sharing these topics

For example, let’s say you own a bakery. Here’s one of the beliefs from your manifesto: “We believe using organic ingredients is better for our bodies and better for our planet.”

Here are some possible topic ideas:

* Why organic is better for your body

* How organic produce is better for the planet

* Why we’re committed to using only organic ingredients

* How buying organic helps local farmers

* Why we don’t use preservatives

* Why organic tastes better

And some ideas for sharing these topics:

* Blog posts

* Series of photos on Instagram

If you’ve been in business for a while, you’ve probably thought about rebranding at some point. You might be getting tired of seeing your logo, your website might feel out-of-date, or maybe you have just evolved. Whatever the reason, you should know when it’s time to rebrand your business, and then take action.

There is a great deal of value that comes when you rebrand your business. Rebranding can breathe new life into your marketing efforts, enable you to stand out from your competition, help you to reach new and better target markets, and even allow you to charge more for your products or services.

It can be difficult to know when it’s time for that refresh. How do you know if it’s the right time to rebrand your business? When should you reach out to someone to help you with your rebrand?

Here are a few ways to know if now is the right time to rebrand your business:

Your Business Has Evolved

One of the most common reasons you will want to rebrand is because the way you do business has changed over time. You have evolved. You may be offering different products or services now, and your old brand no longer fits the new offerings.

You should always be refining your products and services to better meet your customer’s needs, and when those refinements become significant, it’s time to refresh your brand to match.

Your Target Market Has Changed

Sometimes your business evolves to the point of actually needing to connect with a different audience. This can be caused by a shift in your product or service offerings, or maybe you’ve just decided your old target market wasn’t working for you.

Either way, when you shift your focus to a new group of people, your branding has to shift as well. Your old values, differentiators, messages, logo, and website all have to resonate with your current target market.

Your Website Isn’t Working

I tell my branding clients all the time that your website should be a powerful marketing tool for your business. If it isn’t working, it may be time to rebrand your business. Creating an all-new website can be a time-consuming and costly venture, so it’s the perfect time to get your rebranding sorted out as well.

Updating your website is a great opportunity to also update your logo, your images, your color scheme, and most importantly, the messages you are trying to convey. It’s your website’s content, not simply the design, that sells your products and services. In order to get the content right, you have to engage in the intentional work of building your brand.

Your Logo Is Outdated

Your logo is not your brand, but it is seen everywhere alongside your brand name. If you are embarrassed when you see your logo, or it seems outdated or irrelevant, it may be time to rebrand your business. Since your logo is such a visible part of your brand identity, it can often be a glaring beacon that your business is in need of a rebranding.

A word of advice – don’t just start with a new logo. Take the time to define the foundation of your brand first – your values and beliefs, target market, competition, differentiator, personality, voice, messages, etc. Once you’ve got all of this worked out, then the direction for your new logo will be much clearer.

You Don’t Stand Out from Your Competition

One of the keys to building an effective brand is

All successful brands evolve over time, and this is generally a good thing. But every now and then, a brand decides to completely reinvent itself and it doesn’t work. There are some important lessons we can learn about reinventing your brand from IHOP’s bizarre rebrand and name change.

International House of… Burgers?

IHOP (International House of Pancakes) recently changed its name to IHOb, flipping the P to a b. The b is for “burgers” and IHOP wants us to know that they’re so serious about burgers now, they’ve even changed their name. The name change appears to be a short-term marketing gimmick. IHOP said in a statement they’ve changed their name and Twitter handle “for the time being.”

Regardless of whether or not it’s just a clever marketing campaign, IHOP’s rebranding of themselves with this new focus on burgers has left us scratching our heads. After all, for the last 60 years, they’ve built their brand on pancakes. Are we supposed to believe they know burgers now? It’s all very confusing, and I’m betting this is a terrible long-term strategy for their brand.

Lessons to learn when reinventing your brand

I’ve identified a few lessons entrepreneurs can learn from IHOP’s confusing new brand strategy.

Don’t tear down the trust you’ve worked so hard to build up.

There’s nothing more valuable than developing trust in your brand, and it often takes years to establish that trust. You should be careful not to make any big moves that break down that trust. IHOP’s move to burgers feels like they no longer feel confident about their pancakes. If their pancakes aren’t that good, why should we trust that their burgers will be? They’ve made us skeptical. We no longer trust them to deliver as promised.

Create a niche and own it.

There’s incredible power in owning a niche. It sets you apart from all of your competitors. It means when people think of after-church brunch or late-night pancakes, they think IHOP. Switching to burgers means they have to reestablish themselves as a burger joint. This is just never going to happen. They have no game in the burger world. It would be like Waffle House changing its name to Hot Dog House. People go to Waffle House because of the waffles, it’s never going to be a hot dog destination.

Don’t confuse quirky marketing with long-term brand strategy.

IHOP has definitely created a lot of buzz around the announcement of their name change. They’ve done a good job of generating conversation and brand awareness. Hey, we all know IHOP now sells burgers! But the effect stops right there. As a long-term strategy, it’s a terrible idea. It’s confusing and weird and will most likely just fade away like Heinz’s green ketchup or Colgate’s frozen dinners.

We like things they way they are

Time will tell how this whole reinventing of IHOP plays out, but I have a feeling that five years from now, no one will be going to IHOP for the burgers. (Come to think of it, does anyone go there today for pancakes?) I think it’s because we like things the way they are. Don’t change things on us, we don’t like change, it scares us. We like our ketchup red, we like our burgers from In ‘N Out, and we like our mediocre pancakes from IHOP.

Is this a good or bad move for IHOP?

One of the most powerful strategies of any successful brand is connecting with the perfect customers. But most brands don’t know how to do this or don’t spend enough time trying to figure out who their perfect customers should be. Do not neglect this incredibly important element of building your brand.

What are ‘perfect customers?’

Here’s something I’ve heard from my clients many times over the years: “I don’t know who my customers are.” The fact is, when it comes to figuring out who their customers should be, a lot of entrepreneurs just get stuck. They might have some vague idea of who their audience is, or who they want to serve, but they haven’t yet done the work to get it right.

Being able to connect with your perfect customers is one of the most powerful aspects of building a brand. You can’t serve “everyone”, not very well anyway. But when you make connections with the right people, it can supercharge your business growth.

So what are “perfect customers?” Your perfect customers are ones who:

Share your values and beliefs. Their worldview should match yours. You’re going to get a lot more engagement from someone who can get behind what your brand stands for. Remember, people buy from you because they believe what you believe.

Have a problem that you can solve. Your perfect customers need to see that you have the solution to a problem they are experiencing. Be sure to clearly articulate the problems you solve for your customers so they’ll know that you hold the perfect solution.

Can afford you. It does you no good to market to people who can’t afford you, but it happens all the time. Want to find better-paying clients? Here’s a quick tip that works beautifully – double your prices today. You’ll be surprised at how the quality of your clients instantly goes up.

Are willing to engage with you. Again, it sounds like a no-brainer but business owners try marketing to people way outside their sphere of influence. Your perfect customers need to be able to interact with you, whether online or in person, so meet them where they are. Instead of marketing to everyone on Twitter, try starting with everyone in your neighborhood.

Why connecting with the perfect customers is so powerful

If you’ve been in business a while you know how awesome it feels when a customer “gets” you. They love what you do, they’re eager to pay, and they keep coming back. Wouldn’t you like to connect with more customers like that? This is what it looks like when you start focusing on the right people – more and more of your customers have those kinds of amazing experiences. When you start connecting with the perfect customers you’ll see some powerful changes take place.

Here are a few powerful things that can happen when you connect with the perfect customers:

They are easy to communicate with. Connecting with the right people means they easily understand you. They get where you’re coming from, they see why you’re their best choice. Your marketing messages then become much more effective.

They will gladly pay for your products or services. When you connect with your ideal customers you build trust. And when people trust you, they’ll have no problem handing you their hard-earned cash because they can count on you to help them solve a problem.

They’ll tell all their friends about you. One of the most powerful things that can happen when you engage with the right customers is they’ll tell stories about you. People love sharing stories and recommending brands to their friends and family.

Mapping the customer journey is a powerful way to experience your brand from your customer’s point of view. A customer journey map makes it easy to identify where your brand might fall short, prohibiting people from buying from you.

What is the customer journey?

The customer journey is the process a person goes through from the first moment they experience your brand, through the purchase stage, and continues even after the sale. Mapping the customer journey is merely identifying each stage along this process and looking for ways to improve them.

Define the different stages of the customer journey

The first step in mapping your customer journey is to identify the different stages your customers will experience. The stages a customer goes through will be different for every brand and every type of business, but I’ve listed a few common stages below so you can see how this might look. Think about your own customer’s journey and the particular stages they might experience with your brand.

* Research stage – This is often the first experience people have with your brand. It could be your online presence, your Google search result or business listing, reviews or ratings from sites like Yelp, or even blog posts that you’ve written.

* Engagement stage – This is where your potential customers interact with your brand. It could be as simple as navigating your website, following you on social media, or clicking online ads. Engagement also means your storefront, signage, parking, and the in-store experience.

* Purchase stage – This is one of the most important stages, especially for online shops. Think about the shopping cart, checkout, and the in-store point-of-sale experiences. This could also include your invoicing system and how you process credit cards or take cash payments.

* Delivery stage – If you deliver physical products, this could include shipping times and the unboxing experience. It could also apply to handing over food at a bakery or restaurant. If you’re a service business, it could be how you present your services or the customer’s experience with you as the consultant.

* After purchase stage – What does it look like after a customer purchases from you? How do you handle problems with orders or customer support? Where can people reach out for help? How do you follow up after the sale? How do you encourage customers to purchase from you again?

Define the information you want to capture

After you’ve identified each stage of your customer journey, determine what information you want to capture at each stage. What do you want to know about the customer journey at each of their stages? Once again, the information you collect is unique to your brand, but here are a few typical bits of information you might be interested in gathering:

* Tasks – What does the typical customer actually do at this stage? What would you like them to do? What are their goals at this stage? What are they trying to achieve?

* Touchpoints – How does someone interact with your brand at this stage? What specific touchpoints are involved?

* Questions – What does the customer want to know at this stage? What questions do they typically ask?

* Emotions – What are they feeling at this stage? What emotions are they experiencing, good or bad?

* Barriers – What are the pain points at this stage of the customer journey? How does your brand let them down? What’s preventing them from moving forward?

Create your customer journey map

Once you’ve identified the different stages of the customer journey and what information you want, it’s time to make your map. You can be as creative as you like when designing your customer journey map (see ...

One of the best ways to build brand awareness and trust as a solo entrepreneur is to share what you know. But many small business owners are reluctant to share their knowledge and expertise. They think no one would find them interesting. The fact is, sharing what you know can do a lot more than build brand awareness.

What is content marketing?

If you are like most entrepreneurs, you started your business because you have a lot of knowledge on a particular topic. Whether you are teaching that knowledge to others (like a consultant) or creating and selling products and services based on that knowledge (like a baker, store owner, or physical therapist), you are sharing what you know.

One of the best ways of communicating all that knowledge is by sharing what you know via content marketing. Content marketing is merely the creating and sharing of valuable, relevant content (like videos, blogs, social media) that serves to attract more customers.

Every blog post you write, every video you record, every time you post something on social media — that’s content marketing.

Don’t freak out

When I mention content marketing, most small business owners freak out a little. They think they have to start a podcast or become a YouTube sensation. Sharing what you know doesn’t have to be complicated, and you don’t have to be a podcaster to do it well. A simple blog and one social media account are all you need to get started.

Let’s say you are a wellness consultant. You help people get fit and eat better. You know a lot about preparing healthy meals and what workouts are best for different goals. Here’s a simple plan for sharing what you know:

* Create a blog and an Instagram account.

* Alternate blog posts each week between healthy recipes and easy exercises. The healthy recipe posts could include a beautiful picture of the finished dish.

* Every other week you could share a simple exercise. The exercise posts could have a short video demonstration.

* Share these posts on Instagram (photos and videos) and start to build your audience.

* People will keep coming back to you for your expertise in eating healthy and working out.

* You start to sell more of your consulting packages because people now know you, they see you as the expert, and they trust you to help them reach their goals.

The importance of sharing what you know

There’s a lot of power in sharing what you know; this is why it’s one of the best marketing strategies you can employ. Here are a few reasons why sharing what you know should be your number one marketing plan:

* You become more valuable – sharing your knowledge is a great way to give something of value to your audience. Once they see that you consistently provide something useful to them or help them solve problems, they’ll keep coming back to you for more.

* It builds brand awareness – the more quality content you create and share, the more your brand is seen and recognized. You can quickly become well-known in your industry for providing useful content.

* You build credibility – this is especially helpful if you are just getting started in business. Every time potential customers see you as the expert your credibility goes up.

* It builds trust – by sharing what you know you show people that they can trust you to help them and that you’ll always be there for them. Trust is key to stronger customer relationships.

* It builds brand loyalty – your customers won’t go to your competition if you keep giving them useful content. Keep sharing what you know, and you’ll gain customers for life.

Don’t be afraid of sharing what you know, even if you’re just getting started. Remember that you only need to know a little more than your audience to be considered the expert.