As an entrepreneur, there’s a good chance you’ll try your hand at content writing at some point—for your business plan, your website, your pitches to investors, and so forth. However, did you know that content writing, or content marketing in some cases, is actually a prime tool for making you a better entrepreneur?
Content marketing is a subset of overall marketing that helps a business (including startups) define itself, its reputation, and its brand. It can bring in new customers and help with your search visibility. Overall, a business with a good content marketing plan has good digital marketing strategies.
Unfortunately, a lot of entrepreneurs don’t moonlight as professional content marketers. Founders tend to separate themselves from brand content, often outsourcing it or depending on an employee (who may not be a content writer) to take care of it. If you’re depending on a professional, your content should definitely be high quality. However, if you really want to develop yourself as an entrepreneur, try tackling it yourself.
The “Write” Approach
Nobody is better at branding than you, because you designed the brand from the ground up. You know it better than anyone—kind of like how patients know their bodies better than doctors (at least if they’re not hypochondriac!). However, separation from the brand is common. One of the best ways to dig in is by writing the company blog—and don’t worry if you’re not a strong writer. You can always outsource or delegate editors.
Your personality should shine through, allowing readers to see you’re passionate about what you do, which means they will be, too. Writing allows you to reflect, share, and ultimately discover your next direction. You can come up with great strategies for your company while writing, including ones you might not have thought of otherwise.
Juicing the Think Tank
All writers need to brainstorm and plan content, and this can help you get to know your customers better. You’ll be dreaming up blog ideas, and might stumble across a disparity your customers are facing that you haven’t thought about yet. It helps you figure out who your customers really are, what they need and what they want.
To get started, you need some basic understanding and this can come from your big data. Check out your blogging metrics, reviews and see what the competition is doing in terms of content marketing.
As you’re researching content, you’ll also become an expert in your industry. You’ll be digging through piles of external data to help you pick article ideas, and will likely stumble across some choice information for your next investor pitch or even product creation. Writing requires research, and research requires learning new things about your industry.
Writing = Communication
The act of writing itself is also very beneficial. You’re forced to make your thoughts clear and concise. You’ll need to choose the right words, lay out things well, and make sure you’re conveying information in a clear way. There will surely come a time when you can no longer write on a regular basis, but dedicate yourself to doing so at least once a month to stay sharp. Plus, customers appreciate it when a founder takes the time to “talk” to them directly.