Teach for Reach

Buffer
June 9, 2010 By 9 Comments

Whilst your content marketing might be entertaining, informative, snappy and sexy, you might want to try teaching for reach.

For example, if you run a copywriting agency don’t just bombard clients with ads, banners, testimonials or sign-up forms, set out to actually teach them.

My post last week 10 Tips to Help You Write Better Headlines was a specific example of teaching to reach.

Now I could have saved that kind of post for an existing client who I’m teaching to write better web-copy, but by sharing it with everyone for free, my experience and expertise becomes a way of reaching new audiences.

Giving it Away

For some “old school” business folk giving products or services away for free seems crazy. But as someone who embraces online marketing and communications I know from experience that sharing some of your best tips or suggestions actually brings people in. Not everyone will feel, for example, that they have the skills to craft their writing into web-writing and may then turn to you – say, an experienced, professional copywriter – to help them with their campaign.

Teaching for Reach – Suggestions

A blog is a great place to practice “teach for reach” online content marketing so I’d recommend you use one if you aren’t doing so already. Once you’ve got your business blog up and running, get your mindset around producing content that actually does teach something valuable.

  1. Provide a screencast or video showing some great tips that relate to your product or services.
  2. Develop a podcast that helps people all over the world. (One of my personal favourites is SiteVisibility’s Internet Marketing Podcast.)
  3. Regularly produce How To articles
  4. Write and distribute Ebooks or Whitepapers free of charge. (Pr2020′s free Ebook A Marketer’s Guide to Website Redesign is an awesome example of teach for reach. They even throw in a Web Redesign Checklist (direct download).)
  5. Include calls-to-action when you teach for reach to maximise your chances that your content marketing will work. However, you should do this subtly.

For example, Pr2020 include calls-to-action in their Ebook which drive readers back to their website where you find a more specific call-to-action “Request a proposal.” This is excellent marketing and communications!

content marketing with an ebook

Example 1: The Ebook call-to-action

call-to-action content marketing

Example 2: The stronger call-to-action funneled from the Ebook

Takeaways

So ask yourself: Am I teaching visitors to my website anything? Am I helping them learn? If the answer is clearly yes, you’re well on the way to improving the reach of your business.

Your Turn!

What other ways can we teach our customers to improve reach? Is it just via a blog? Or is there some other channel you are using?

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About Jon

Marketing and Communications Consultant. Head of Jontus Media. Podcaster. Life-long Liverpool FC supporter. Guarded by basset hounds.

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  • freelancerant

    I think the natural aversion to teaching is thinking you're giving away your “trade secrets”. I found it does nothing but win you new fans to your blog and new followers on Twitter. Even if you really do have proprietary secrets, it probably wouldn't hurt to hint out at one or two.

    You see some of the bigger sites in any field always offering great, free information anyway. As a result, they're huge!

  • http://www.jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

    I'm a firm believer in sharing and teaching for reach. If you build trust and awareness people will come to you for work. No doubt about that.
    Unlike sites that “tell” you how good they are, sites that teach “show” how good their skills are.

  • Keith Moehring

    Great post Jon! Thanks for including, “A Marketer’s Guide to Website Redesign.” Our objective with this ebook was to give those do-it-yourselfers an easy to follow how-to, and at the same time educate prospective clients on what’s involved in the website redesign process. This way they can more accurately evaluate whether they have the time, understanding and resources available to tackle such a project. If they can’t, and would prefer to work with someone, our contact information is merely a click away.

  • Keith Moehring

    Great post Jon! Thanks for including, “A Marketer’s Guide to Website Redesign.” Our objective with this ebook was to give those do-it-yourselfers an easy to follow how-to, and at the same time educate prospective clients on what’s involved in the website redesign process. This way they can more accurately evaluate whether they have the time, understanding and resources available to tackle such a project. If they can’t, and would prefer to work with someone, our contact information is merely a click away.

  • Keith Moehring

    Great post Jon! Thanks for including, “A Marketer's Guide to Website Redesign.” Our objective with this ebook was to give those do-it-yourselfers an easy to follow how-to, and at the same time educate prospective clients on what's involved in the website redesign process. This way they can more accurately evaluate whether they have the time, understanding and resources available to tackle such a project. If they can't, and would prefer to work with someone, our contact information is merely a click away.

  • http://www.jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

    @Keith u2013 I really appreciated the guide. It’s just the kind of thing that works well for content marketing. Looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with next.

  • http://www.jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

    @Keith u2013 I really appreciated the guide. It’s just the kind of thing that works well for content marketing. Looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with next.

  • http://www.jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

    @Keith – I really appreciated the guide. It's just the kind of thing that works well for content marketing. Looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with next.