NerdSpeak101: YOUR DIGITAL SANDWICH

Hi, Lisa here from Wheelie Creative, bringing another round of Nerdspeak to your inbox, every Sunday as promised. 

CONTENT CREATION: THE MEAT AND CHEESE OF YOUR WEBSITE SANDWICH 

I've been working with several clients this week on content creation for their websites, so I thought I would gather pieces of our conversations this week and turn them into a Nerdspeak Session. It's good stuff.

I always like to compare websites to sandwiches. Anyone who knows me on a personal level is probably laughing right now because I'm a terrible cook, but these are imaginary, digital sandwiches, so I can't really butcher those by leaving them in the toaster oven until they turn black.

But back to your website.

Your website itself is the bread. 
That's the nerd stuff-- the coding, making sure links work, colors, font choices, menu bar, contact forms, etc. In most cases, you will hire a web developer to bring the bread. The difference between a website that was thrown together quickly and one that was created with thought toward your user's experience is the difference between generic, white bread that costs 88 cents and organic, whole-grain bread with nuts and oats and crack that costs over four dollars a loaf. That's the bread of your website. You want good bread.

Your Content is the Meat and Cheese.
Bread can be delicious, but it's not a great sandwich without excellent ingredients. This is your content. This is what goes inside of your website, what you bring to the table, and what is really going to make your website delicious. 

Content includes words, photos, videos, drawings, infographics, or whatever else you want to share with your audience.

I love creating content. It's where my creativity gathers its most momentum. Content can actually drive your business. The more content you create for your website, the easier it will be for your current and potential customers to see value in your expertise and the things that you sell. When they know you, they will be more likely to pay you for what you do. This goes for both products and services.

A lot of clients ask me how often they should post to their blog. I believe posting one quality piece of content per week is successful, especially if you can commit to posting consistently. Once a week keeps you and your business in front of your audience so that when they eventually do need a new bicycle or a lawyer or whatever it is that you sell/do, they will remember you. And hire you.

Here are three tips for creating content for your website:

1. KNOW YOUR "WHY."
Before you sit down to write a blog post or an email newsletter, know why you do what you do. Why are you in business? Why do you care about your business? What's your bigger purpose? What does it mean to you? Make sure your why is reflected in everything you post. Your customers will connect with you when they understand your values and positioning.

2. READ A LOT.
This can be books, other blogs in your industry, or even your competition. The more ideas you have floating around in your brain, the more quality content you will want to churn out. It also helps your website stay fresh and relevant when you constantly read about your industry.

3. BE YOURSELF.
I'm a vegetarian who can't cook. My digital website sandwich will consist of tomatoes, cheese and a freakish amount of avocado. You might want ham and cheese. You might want PB&J. You might even be one of those people who likes to put potato chips in your sandwich. It's your sandwich. Build it to reflect your personal tastes and voice. 

In your content, you might be saying the same things other people have already said. However, you're the only person who can say it your way. I know, I know, almost all my Nerdspeak emails include something along the lines of "be yourself," but when it comes to small business, that's the best thing you can do for yourself. You have a unique view of the world, and your customers want to hear it.
Share it through great content.

That wasn't too painfully nerdy, right?
Now I'm going mountain biking, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your Sunday, too.

If you'd like to sit down and talk to us about creating content for you, we would love to geek out with you about it. A lot of business owners hire Wheelie Creative to create content for them. You and I sit down and talk about your mission, vision, and values, and we come up with some goals for your content. I have a small team consisting of myself, a kickass web developer, contracted designers, photographers, and public relations specialists as needed, and a few interns. This allows us enough skills and creative brains to accomplish whatever content your website may need.CONTACT US HERE.

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