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.