So you’ve built your website and you’re ready to change the world with your business.

But you and I know the truth – the best website in the world  with the best product or service in the world, will lead to zero sales if you don’t have a steady flow of web traffic.

The big question then is “How do I get more people to my site?”

Having a piece of content go viral or “getting lucky” with a random Google ranking is not a long term strategy.

We want a steady, unending stream of new people to your site every day.

Content Marketing is the proven solution to getting regular traffic, and it’s the strategy I’ve built my entire business around.

Create Valuable, Original Content

The secret to growing your business isn’t simply to sell or promote your stuff all the time.

Rather you should give something of value first!

Specifically you should give valuable free content related to your product or niche.

Content could be articles, videos, podcasts, or even social media posts – just as long as it’s original and valuable.

And forget about using scammy SEO keywords in order to get people to find your content – simple create content that people actually want to consume!

Figure out what content your ideal customers are looking for and then create it for them to find.

If you’re unsure what your audience actually wants, you can simply use Google to generate ideas.

Head over to Google.com, start typing in a keyword or two in your niche and then take a look at what suggested search terms Google populates in the drop down menu.

These are actual terms real people are typing into Google. This gives you a major clue as to what people actually are looking for!

You can do the same thing with YouTube, seeing as how it’s the world’s second largest search engine.

In just a matter of seconds you can get a good grasp on what people in your space are searching for.

Armed with this new information you can begin thinking through what pieces of content you could make that would valuable and substantive.

What Format Works Best?

One question I get a lot is about format.

“Should my content be written articles? Video? Podcasting?”

The answer is: yes!

All of those formats work great. What’s more important however is finding which format is easier for you to pull off well.

If you’re a slow writer (or hate writing) then skip articles and just do video content.

If video is overwhelming to you with all the cameras, lighting, and editing then just make a podcast. It’s probably the simplest to execute.

Or if shooting video or audio is impossible because you work in a noisy environment then consider written articles. You can create written content at a coffee shop or on air plane easy peasy!

The point is, the format is less about what’s trendy and more about what you like to do and can pull off well.

That being said, I do see a major shift towards video (just look at Facebook Live and Instagram Stories) so it would be wise to incorporate it in your content to some degree. Even if it’s just on your smartphone.

Make It Regular

Now if the first key to getting traffic is creating valuable content, the second key is to make it regularly.

Consistency is far more important here than quantity.

You do not (I repeat) you do not have to post every day. Or God forbid multiple times a day!

Finding a posting rhythm that you can commit to every single week is far more important than pumping out gobs of material.

Much like a TV show that comes on the same time every week, people need to know when to expect more of your content. 

Don’t start pumping out videos every day for a month, only to drop off all together in 30 days.

Instead, look at your actual life and commit to a content release schedule that is doable for you – right now in this season of life.

Ideally I’d say put out something each week. But you can go as long as something every two weeks and do very well.

Two examples of brands that post every other week with great success are Mr. Money Mustache (a personal finance blog) and my buddy Peter Hollens (a YouTube singer/star)

Both of these guys only post every two weeks but they deliver super valuable content that people love to consume and they have built massive brands around it.

Do The Work Once, Reap The Rewards Forever

Content marketing works because once you’ve put the content out there in the world, it continues to live on and draw people to your site on its own.

As your content comes up in more Google searches, and as people begin sharing it across social media, it begins to spread and do all the marketing work for you – even years after you first released it.

A good example of this for my business, The Recording Revolution is a video I did about a year ago called How To Build A Home Studio For Under $350.

Even though it’s over a year old, this video is still my most watched video every single month and is driving tons of traffic to my site.

And that’s what I love about content marketing – it costs nothing but your time to make and pays dividends for years to come.

Yes, you could use paid advertising like Facebook ads or sponsored Instagram posts, but they aren’t as effective as truly free content. 

This is because people have a much more positive experience with real content than they do an ad.

Real content makes for a much better first impression than a sponsored post, and will most likely drive more traffic to your site in the long haul.

What’s Working For You?

No matter what business you want to start you need a steady stream of traffic to your site.

And the best way to get that is by making content marketing a part of your strategy.

So let me ask you – do you create content for your brand?

If so, how often to you post and what kind of content have you found success with? (video, articles, podcast, etc).

Leave a comment below and let us know what’s working for you!