Let me tell you a little story…
Recently, I was searching around for a specific online service. I saw an ad offering just what I was looking for and booked in for a call.
The sales call was great.
The offer was exactly what I needed.
But before I could part with my hard-earned cash, I needed to make sure it wasn’t a total scam.
Call me old fashioned, but I like to be sure I can trust a person before I send them a chunk of cash online!
So, I went looking for them online, but I couldn’t find anything. No website, no LinkedIn, no Instagram, no online content. I thought I’d spotted a scam!
Long story short, it turns out I was just searching for the wrong name 🫣 and they were totally legit. but it got me thinking about “The Content Gap”.
Check out how I can help here.
What’s The Content Gap?
Maybe you’ve heard of the “Know, Like, Trust” concept. If you’re trying to get clients (without a direct “word of mouth” referral) people need to know that:
- you are who you say you are
- you’re the kind of person they’d like to work with and
- you have the relevant expertise.
Without this, there’s a gap and you’re essentially asking people to take a blind leap of faith.
In order to instill confidence and build trust with your ideal clients, you need to be showing up with accessible, relevant content about who you are, what you do and who you serve.
People make online transactions every day, but when it comes to larger, higher-ticket services, they need to know that you won’t disappear into the night with their money. That’s where content comes in. Everything we consume online is content. The reason there’s so much of it is that it’s a powerful way to build trust and credibility.
Now, more than ever, it’s essential to build trust with your online audience.
How to fill The Content Gap
- Make sure your website is relevant to your service
- If you’re a service provider who offers 1:1 services, there needs to be clear and relatively recent photos of you. People are more likely to trust you if they can look you in the eye!
- Work on your social media profiles. Keep them up to date with fresh content consistent with your core message and offering. Each “touchpoint” needs to be speaking about the same thing.
- Look for other opportunities to showcase your expertise and build your credibility. Collaborations are a great way to do this: Video sessions, podcasts, guest workshops in relevant groups. This is a fantastic way to build credibility and reach new audiences.
- Encourage existing clients and peers to leave reviews on platforms where your ideal client spends time. LinkedIn “recommendations”, Facebook and Google reviews, things that you can’t fake! (Do you read the reviews of a restaurant before booking a table? That’s the idea here, but for your services)
I always encourage my clients to flip the script and put themselves in the shoes of their potential clients. What do they need to see? What will give them the sense that you are the person they want to work with?
The Content Gap is a risky place to be in. With sooooo many possibilities and options and decisions to make a lot of people get stuck tweaking their websites, and posting random pictures on social. It gobbles up so much of your time. And if you’re running your business solo you don’t have a lot of time to mess around!
If you have consistent, relevant content that inspires action…
- The clients you’d love to work will feel more confident about getting in touch with you
- They’re more likely to think of you when the time comes to take action
- You’re more likely to reach new audiences, get more calls and enquiries. You’ll get a better flow of leads.
If you have a content gap and you’d like to show up more for your audience so that you get more consistent flow of leads, check out how I can help here.
Thanks for reading 🙂