A common question that is asked by small business owners is: How do I generate leads on social media? While social media does help in the awareness of a brand, content creation is about thinking of your consumer first rather than yourself. Your content should answer the buyer?s question when they are ready to make a buying decision.In return, this creates shareable content, because you are identifying the potential client?s barrier to purchasing by addressing their concerns head on.Although, you may be wondering, what kind of content should I be putting out? Here are the 5 types of content people search for when they are ready to make a buying decision.

Content Type #1: Best of Something

Example: Best marketing course, Best Daycare, Best Italian Restaurant, etc.The ?Best of Something? type content is focused on learning from other peers? mistakes and only going with what has been highly recommended in the community. This can be done through word-of-mouth reviews or great testimonials on your website. Also, being featured on other people?s blog as a Top 5 service provider would help you in your marketing efforts to stand out for buyers who are looking for quality over quantity.

Content Type #2: Cost of something

Example: The cost of social media management, the cost of a virtual assistant, the cost of a realtor, etc.Depending on your product, consumers can be price driven. As well, most business owners are in the mindset of making sure their budget can cover the cost of what they need to remain profitable for the year. While I don?t always recommend posting your pricing, what you can do is identify the number of hours it takes to complete a job in your industry multiplied by the average hourly cost. That way, the buyer has a range that they can work with to understand how much they should be setting aside for a product or service.

Content Type #3: Problem type content

Example: Canva remove background problems, problem with Adobe Premiere Pro, etc.A great way to establish yourself as an expert in your field is responding to ?Problem Type Content?, which are frequent problems that can happen in your industry. For myself, there are a few glitches when it comes to some scheduling apps or editing photos for social media. By addressing these concerns, you can build trust with the consumer by showcasing your knowledge in an authentic way.

Content Type #4: Alternative content

Example: Contractor vs. employee, hiring in-house vs. getting a contractor, doing it yourself vs. getting an expert, Mac vs. PC etc.Usually a ?one-or-the-other? type approach, the alternative content is when the buyer wants to know what will happen if they choose to do it themselves or other alternatives to consider. Buyers want to be reassured that they are making the right decision, so making a clear pros/cons list can help them establish their priorities and whether a service or product aligns with the business goals.

Content Type #5: Reviews

Example: Iphone XS review, Canon T3i review, etc.A great way to establish trust with buyers is to provide accurate and trustworthy reviews on products or services that are in your industry. You do not have to completely sponsor a product; however, you can let people know why it was the best for you.Depending on your industry, it is recommended to have a variety of content to answer these questions. Timing can?t make up for bad content. As a metric, timing should only be used to boost Instagram content that is already optimized to perform well. In this case, you can see how well your content is doing by how many shares it?s gotten rather than the vanity metrics of likes and followers.If you have any questions about creating shareable content, feel free to e-mail for more information.

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