Here are the four steps you need to master your content marketing strategy to see results, get in demand, and stay booked out as an online creative or web designer. 

Building a content marketing strategy should be step 1 in any marketing plan. If you don’t know where to start or how to start, look no further and start right here. Four years ago, I was doing the same.

Believe me; I know the word ‘strategy’ can be more intimidating than any of the legal and financial stuff in your online creative business. But don’t worry, there’s no need to get overwhelmed. The best content marketing strategies are built on simplicity and authenticity—meaning all you need to do is be yourself and enjoy the ride.

Before you learn about content marketing, you’ll probably want to learn How To Become a Showit Web Designer. Read how I made this transition, and you can too.

Your Content Marketing Strategy Should Be a Funnel

From cold leads to loyal clients, it’s your content marketing strategy’s job to guide your audience through the funnel. The best way to do it? With content that does the heavy lifting for you. 

Here are a few terms you should be familiar with when talking about a content marketing strategy:

• Cold Leads: Cold leads are potential customers/clients who are at the very top of the funnel. They haven’t expressed real interest in your business yet.
• Warm Leads: Warm leads are cold leads that HAVE expressed interest in your business. This can be a like, follow, DM, or subscription.
• Hot Leads: A hot lead is the best type of lead. They’re highly interested in your business and interested in purchasing your product or service. Hot leads are great for your passive offers 🙂

Everything Starts With Reach

Well, here’s a statement you might not like… Instagram is not enough.

It may be in your marketing comfort zone, but it sure as hell isn’t enough to get you the kind of leads that $10k wealthy web designers get. It’s time you reached beyond that (literally) and found new people. 

That’s why ‘reach’ is at the top of the funnel – it’s all about getting new eyes on your business to pull through the marketing lifecycle. And reach is just that. It’s the total number of people who have seen your content.

TikTok is a great place to start. With one billion monthly users and a whole lot of viral potential, this platform is the perfect way to reach a high volume of the right people with quick content. I mean… Some of my TikToks have surpassed 130k views alone, connecting me with thousands of cold leads to draw back to my ‘home’ – whether it’s my website, podcast, or Instagram. 

You don’t need to be everywhere and spread yourself too thin. All you need is to be consistent and connective with your content. Find a platform and the type of marketing you enjoy, then embrace it with both hands. 

Depending on your unique business, other content marketing strategies to boost your reach include:

• Expert keynotes
• Masterclasses
• Webinars
• Lead magnets
• Facebook ads
• Youtube videos
• Instagram carousels

Choosing one to two of these is all you need to bring in more cold leads than ever before.

Focus on Engagement

Step two? You’ve already got this. Engaging with their current audience is where most creatives are comfortable, no matter their key platform. You’re always in the comments, connecting in the DMs, showing up on your stories, sharing, saving, and liking other content. You know how to show your audience a good time, build community, provide value and nurture them, so they feel special. 

Forget just being nice—how strategic are you being with your posts, comments, and DMs? How can you convert your audience? How can you turn them from onlookers to buyers? 

After all, turning those lurkers into leads is the whole point of engaging (not simply to have a chat). The most obvious way? 

Create a high-value lead magnet such as a:

• Services guide
• Checklist
• Webinar
• eBook
• Mini training
• Case study
• Design portfolio
• FAQs or how-to 
• Application form

To create the right lead magnet for your audience:

• Lurk around in the comments of your most recent post, or take note of the conversations you have in the DMs to find the first signs of a qualified lead.
• Capture their details, particularly their pain points, desires, and frequently asked questions. 
• Create a lead magnet that solves one of the above problems and place it behind an opt-in page requiring their email address and name (at a minimum)
• Then, you can delve deeper into your audience’s needs, using the opt-in to subtly uncover who is snooping around your page already. 

If you want to learn how to increase your engagement organically, I recommend reading my Complete Guide on How To Build a Successful Web Design Strategy – you’ll learn exactly how I market my business.

BONUS: The Benefits of Content Marketing

You don’t own your social media audience. But you DO own your email marketing audience. When you collect email addresses, that data is yours to market to and can’t be taken away. 

We know year after year, email remains content marketing king, with an estimated $42 x ROI on every $1 spent. Because once you’ve got that holy-grail email address, you can continue the conversation, hyper-engaging with specific leads and meeting their needs with consistent communication.

Even a simple five-part introductory sequence off the back of your freebie is a great place to start, including:

1. Who you are
2. How you help
3. Testimonials
4. Services
5. Offer/discount

Again, you don’t have to be everywhere at once. When we were first starting our website design business, Bold x Boho we were going hard on Pinterest to build our waitlist. This was the turning point for our success because, by the time we launched, we had a captive email audience primed to buy. We focused all our energy here and saw an instant return. 

You can do the same.

Go all-in on one platform (specifically one you love), master it, and promote your lead magnet like everybody’s watching. 

Aim To Convert

This stage is what business is all about, right? 

And the only way to convert is to ASK for the sale. And it’s all down to three words: call to action. 

How can you integrate a compelling and clear call to action into your content that says, “I need it now”? Add your CTAs everywhere. Including your:

• Stories
• TikToks
• Instagram bio
• DM conversations
• Youtube videos
• Lead magnets
• Webinars

The purpose of a call to action is to always provide an answer to the question, “what next?”. Otherwise, you’re leaving hollow and empty content on the table. 

It also extends the ways people can work with you. Tell them often and show them why. You don’t just exist in an expensive hobby, you’re a business owner and people want to work with you. 

And before your audience is ready to jump on a sales call, it’s time to find your preferred sales method. 

Want some tips to convert? Here are 10 Dos and Don’ts For Beginner Web Designers.

Nail Your Sales Strategy

Some people hate sales calls; others thrive on the phone. Your sales method should be anything that makes you feel most comfortable and confident. 

Sales strategies can include:

• Instagram voice messages or DMs
• Sales calls (via Zoom or Google Meet)
• Live events sales calls
• Emails 

Then, it’s the easy part. Sell yourself. Tell your customers why you’re so great, why they need your product/service, and why they can’t wait to purchase it. If you want to get better at selling yourself, you might benefit from my Wealthy Web Designer Course. You’ll learn everything you need to know about marketing, sales, and running a profitable business.

Retaining Your Clients

It takes five times more energy to acquire new clients than retain existing ones. 

Are you a little too ‘one and done’ when it comes to projects ending, then constantly on the hunt for new one-off clients? Chances are, you’re missing out on easy income from people who already love you. You can easily keep your clients coming back to you by getting creative with new offers, templates, and support that goes beyond a one-time project. 

There are so many opportunities to be agile in what you offer next, such as:

• Assisting with a new project
• Supporting them in another area of business
• Upselling them to a higher ticket offer
• Encouraging them to jump into a retainer or management service
• Offering a passive product like templates

Or better yet, you could offer them a discount on another service in exchange for a testimonial, or provide exclusive, discounted access to a new beta program. For example, if you delivered strategy and branding to a client, you could easily upsell them into a brand new website, whole-of-business coaching, or a mastermind. 

Whatever you do to retain them, be agile in what you offer, and meet your clients where they need you next. 

Interested in learning more about content marketing strategy and marketing your business as a whole? You might benefit from checking out my Wealthy Web Designer Course. Over 500 students have taken the course, and alumni have gone on to hit $30k months. You can be next.