July 3, 2017
Proposals as content marketing
When you publish just about anything, it’s likely to drive people to your site. This is sometimes referred to as “content marketing”.
Whether you are interviewed on a podcast, or guest post on a popular blog, or speak at an industry conference, you can be fairly certain that some portion of the audience will end up on your website.
It doesn’t really matter how they get there. Maybe they’ll google your name, or maybe they’ll click on a link to your website from one of your online profiles, or maybe they’ll just type “yourname.com” into their web browser of choice. Whatever their path, they’ll end up reading your core marketing material.
When I’m in a situation like this - i.e., something of mine is published that drives a particular audience to my site - I’ll usually modify my site to speak subtly but directly to the audience.
How do I do this?
I use “inside baseball” language from their world, I articulate their unique pains, and I use “you focused” analogies and examples.
At times I’ve even gone so far as to modify my site to resonate with a big proposal I’m about to send out.
In a certain sense, sending a proposal is content marketing. It’s a piece of content that you have published, albeit to an incredibly small target audience.
Like other types of content marketing, a proposal can be shared. If the project is a big deal to the person you’re sending it to, odds are good that they will share your proposal with superiors, colleagues, subject matter experts, and trusted advisors before making a decision.
And what will those people do when they receive your proposal?
They’ll research you.
How will they research you?
They’ll google your name.
What comes up when they google your name?
Your website.
What happens when your website speaks directly to them?
They’ll be more likely to trust you.
What happens when they trust you?
They’ll be more likely to hire you (even if your fee is twice as much as the next option).
Yours,
—J
P.S. Would you like advice on rewriting your website in a way that maximizes trust? I’m available for a limited number of 1-on-1 coaching calls each month. Book yours now: https://jonathanstark.com/call