One of the greatest ways you can help your customers see the value in what you do and position yourself as an expert is by educating them around your industry, service or product. So, let’s have a look at how you can use educational content to share your expertise and attract more of your ideal clients!
No matter how or where you’re putting your know-how to work, regularly planning educational content is essential to any content-led marketing strategy. It not only strengthens your authority but also makes it easier to create meaningful content that connects – whether that’s on social media, in your newsletter or on your podcast.
This post is part of a series of blog posts on the four key types of social media content for small business owners. The others are entertaining content, engaging content and promotional content. You can get an overview in this post exploring all four content types.
Jump to examples:
Explain your industry
Help with common challenges
Share helpful tips, tools and resources
Share your process
Break down trends and shifts
Links to helpful content elsewhere
Recommend complementary services
Help them make the most of your service or product
Why educate your potential customers?
Marketing is about helping your potential customers make an informed decision about whether your service or product is right for them. So, in a world full of pushy promotional content, thoughtful and, most of all, helpful posts are like a breath of fresh air.
Educational content is about showing them how to navigate your industry, explaining what their options are and helping them make the right decision for themselves. Not only will it help them genuinely understand what you offer, but they’ll come to know it VIA you. You will become the trusted gateway into your industry.
It’s easy, when you are so close to your business, to assume that what you do and how you do it are immediately obvious to everyone else. But that’s often not the case.
And it’s a fantastic opportunity to strengthen your reputation. If you’re looking to buy a service or product that you’ve never bought before, who would you trust? The company who is bombarding you with “early-bird offers” and “get it before it’s gone” promotions? Or the one who takes the time to answer frequently asked questions and clear up common misconceptions before offering to sell it to you?
So, now we’ve covered the why, here are some examples of how you can use educational content to establish yourself as an expert in your field!
Examples of educational content for your marketing
1. Explain your industry
The biggest area of educational content is explaining your industry. And if that sounds overwhelming, don’t worry – it doesn’t have to be! No one’s saying you have to cover every aspect of what might be a complex industry right away! But over time, you can build an overview into your area of expertise that will make all the difference to customers who are brand new to it.
The goal of this content is to help customers make an informed decision and manage their expectations ahead of time. That way, when they buy from you, they’re sure of what they need and what they’re getting.
I have a few examples of this type of content on my website which hopefully shows that it doesn’t have to be scary!
After years in marketing, I developed a list of frequently asked questions, and shared this FAQ on my website. Anticipating the things customers will be most likely to want to know at the start means you can provide answers up front, saving them valuable time!
I also created a flowchart to help potential clients find the right marketing support for their small business. It’s a great way to show that you want them to get them the help they need rather than making a sale at all costs. This builds trust and educates them on the range of options available to them.
And, of course, there’s this blog, my newsletter and social media channels! I’ve shared posts including marketing definitions, explaining the different marketing roles and busting myths/misconceptions over the years.
Providing this sort of educational content helps them a) see that you know what you’re talking about and b) gives them a chance to dip their toe in and educate themselves before working with you.
2. Help with common challenges
Another valuable piece of educational content you can share with your potential customers is help with common challenges! Much like creating an FAQ, over time you’ll learn what common issues people run into at the beginning of their journey and what triggers them to look for help.
The goal of this sort of content is simple. Here you want to give them confidence by helping them fix smaller problems themselves. It also shows them that if your free advice is already this valuable, investing in working with you could be truly game-changing.
Unsure of what this content would look like? Think blog post listing how to avoid common mistakes or a YouTube video outlining how to fix a common problem. For example, I’ve written around the subject of what to do when business goes quiet, giving free advice on turning things around at a scary time in your business.
You could also create downloadable resources, perhaps a free workbook to address common problems. If you can provide them with something tangible that they go on to find useful and that really does help them solve an issue, it’s a great jumping off point for working together.
3. Share helpful tips, tools & resources
Another easy type of educational content to create that packs a real punch is sharing helpful tips, tools and resources. Things that you swear by that you know will benefit them.
Here the goal is to share quick fixes and valuable helpers via your newsletter or social media, that will quickly make a positive impact to their lives!
This type of content is less in-depth – rather than a step by step YouTube video or detailed blog, think bitesize! The key is that it offers value every time. Examples of this are quickfire checklists, notes of deadlines (ideal for things like admin, events or finance!), reminders or even prompts to get them thinking.
These sorts of posts can turn into a great series, which doesn’t require a lot of time but makes a real difference. It could be something you offer once a week – something people know to look out for. And if you make it a distinct visual that is really shareable, it can be a great way of educating customers and widening your reach at the same time.
4. Share your process
People are inherently nosy and so a great type of educational content you can offer is to share your own approach and process! Potential customers will love to learn how you do what you do.
The goal? This sort of content is an excellent way of emphasising your unique selling proposition (USP) by showing how you do it. But on top of that, it can be a really effective way of gently suggesting that by reading your content they are learning from a pro. If pushing yourself like that feels uncomfortable (the “I’m so great” vibe of some content makes most of us cringe!) this can be a more natural way of achieving that.
A few examples of this can be sharing how you work with clients, why you do what you do and what makes you different from others in your field. Share your values and how you got to where you are right now. If you have a product, you could also show what goes into making it so people have a better understanding of what they are actually paying for. It could also be giving a sneak peak at where you work or going over some of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned in your time running your business.
And being able to engage with that sort of content can really help them build a relationship with your brand. Knowing they’ll come away from your content having learned something new about you, your products and business can be such a great way to build trust and loyalty.
5. Break down trends & shifts
Things change quickly, in every industry. Nothing stays the same for long! And by acknowledging this and providing context for people who are not overly familiar with the industry, you can really earn the trust of your potential customers.
Why? This sort of educational content shows that you always stay up to date – by encouraging them to do the same, you show that you are the person they can trust to help them stay ahead of the curve. It’s another way of positioning yourself as an expert in your field.
It also helps you become the person that helps them cut through the noise and provide clarity. By sharing your opinion and giving them your perspective on things, you can become their go-to source for this sort of update. And that’s like winning the lottery in terms of leading your competition!
If this sounds like the sort of educational content you’d like to dive in to, a few examples are sharing trends and data, giving clear unbiased facts but giving your perspective as an expert in the industry. You can also share insights based on your experience or comment on and start discussions on current industry topics.
However, this doesn’t mean that you should jump on every bandwagon. This is not so much about following trends and commenting on every subject that seems to make the current headlines. It’s about focusing on what’s relevant and giving people an insider’s perspective.
6. Links to helpful content elsewhere
As is the case in every other aspect of work and life, recognising that it isn’t all about you can make the world of difference to your business! When everything on your platforms feels one way or one dimensional, it’s easy for customers to get a little suspicious.
By introducing your customers to other people in your industry who you admire or offer alternative and complementary products and services, you show that you see the value in a range of opinions. People trust people who are willing to engage with others in their industry, and who can recognise the importance of a range of voices!
How to do this? You can simply share a link to their content. But you could also collaborate with them. Why not do an interview exchange with someone you admire? For example, if you sell camera equipment you could interview a photographer, and have them interview you! If you each share it on your blog or website, and link to each other, not only have you done some great SEO work, but you’ve given your customers a valuable new perspective.
Collaborations like this are a great to way to add complementary expertise to your own. They also have the added benefit from exposing your expertise to a new set of potential customers. (I’ve written about everything you need to know about collaborations in this post.)
7. Recommend complementary services
Building on that, recommending complementary services is something that can make a real difference to your business. It can help your customers get the most out of your product/service by showing how it can fit in in their wider lives.
So, rather than just sharing quotes or interviewing them, you’re actively teaching your customers how they can go on to work with these people before, during or after working with you. Sticking with the camera equipment and photographer example, maybe you could create a special offer with them to give your customers a discount on their photography course.
That way, not only are you giving your customers access to the equipment they need to pursue a new hobby. You’re showing them how they could take that to the next level. It’s educating them on the world outside of just your business, and how the products they’ve bought or services they’ve hired from you fit into that world.
This sort of content is especially good if you can recommend other local businesses, who will then recommend you back. Supporting small local businesses is so important!
8. Help them make the most of your service or product
And finally, you can help your customers to make the most of your service or product by creating a space for them to hang around in and learn even more after the purchase!
Something like a Substack or a private Facebook group for people who have bought from you can be a lovely way of keeping the conversation going after the sale, and ensuring the customer gets the best possible value from their experience with your business.
Creating somewhere you post tailored content with more in-depth advice around your product and inviting only those who have bought from you gives an air of exclusivity that is always welcome! And, with this sort of ongoing educational content, you are more likely to be able to gather positive reviews and repeat business than if you just make the sale and say goodbye!
Help them trust they made the right choice to go with you and your business – neither of you will regret it!
KEEP READING
If you are interested in reading more about this topic, have a look at these:
How to Create a Social Media Content Plan for Your Small Business
4 Types of Social Media Content You Should Focus On
How to Handle the Changes on Social Media as a Small Business Owner
Turn Your Social Media Followers Into Leads
