How to create a recession proof content strategy for your business for 2023 (and beyond)

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:: 00:00

You know, which types of businesses I predict will see growth in the next two years in person networking groups, because the easiest and quickies way to get new clients is to get out there and meet people in person, which thankfully we can now do again, not sit at home, creating social media posts and writing email lead magnets.

Now this might sound surprising coming from the host of a content marketing podcast. The fact that it might sound surprising, I think is an even more compelling reason to listen to this episode because I've got such an important message to share. I'm Janet Murray, I'm a content and online business strategist.

I'm also the creator of the courageous content planet and content kits, along with a whole host of content kits that will save you time and help you make more money in your. In this episode of the courageous content podcast, I'll share my

:: 00:50

thoughts on how to create a recession proof content strategy.

So my husband knows nothing about online business, but earlier this year, he asked me if I thought the bottom had fallen out of the industry and by the industry, he meant my industry for once for better way of putting it the internet entrepreneur industry, the online course. And I said to him, yes, I think it has now don't get me wrong.

I'm not saying that it isn't possible to make money from selling digital products online. I think it absolutely is. I just did a digital product launch that generated 555 sales, 31,000 in sales in seven days, I will be giving you a debrief of that in an upcoming episode. So I

:: 01:40

do believe it's. To make money setting digital products online one to many, but as someone who has been doing it successfully for a number of years, now, I can tell you it was good authority that it's going to get even harder to make this your sole income stream in 2023.

But I am seriously worried because business owners seem to be slow on the uptake about this. Case in point after seeing amazing email clickthrough rates for my last digital product launch, my courageous content planner and kits. As I say more on that in an upcoming episode, I am not seeing the same for in person invent tickets and the very people who should be looking at my event.

They're not. And my worry is that some business owners have been so brainwashed by internet entrepreneurs telling them they can make squealing pounds overnight. They can have a six or seven figure business just

:: 02:30

by making a few online courses that they are completely out of touch with business trends.

And they're not looking at what is actually happening in the market and what people like me are saying and have been saying for a long time. And if you want to know more about that, I have a number of podcast episodes on this topic. I'd recommend the best one to start with is, is it time to shake up the online coaching industry?

And I will link to that in the show notes. And what really worries me is that some business owners will continue to sit at home writing social media posts, creating email, leave magnets, complaining about lack of engagement, complaining that they're not getting enough email subscribers and their list isn't growing fast enough, hoping their luck is going to change.

Until it's too late because the market has changed. The industry has changed. I'm telling you

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as somebody who sells digital products online at scale one to many, which is the dream for many, that it is going to be even harder for you to make this your sole income stream. What's going to be more typical, I think.

And that's certainly the signs that I'm seeing and actually it's quite a healthy way to do business. Always has. Is that digital product sales may be one of a number of income streams that you see in a business. But I think we're going to see less of these big internet entrepreneurs who are solely making income from flogging online calls, partly because of the economy.

But partly I think because people are wing up to it and they're realizing that investing a couple of grand. An online, cause that doesn't bring them very much money into their business or sometimes none at all is not a wise

:: 04:10

investment. The key to surviving and thriving in challenging economic times is planning.

siness owner needs going into: 2023

If you're not fully booked for the foreseeable future, if you are even the slightest bit worried about where you're gonna get your customers or clients from these are the two key things that you need, not another lead magnet, not more social media posts. And I know this might be surprising. To hear this from a content strategist and

:: 05:00

somebody who loves content creates a lot of content sells digital products online.

But remember, I've also been in business. I've had my own business for well over 20 years now I have weathered a number of challenging economic times. I've pivoted I've changed, I've responded. And so the one thing that I can tell you with a lot of confidence is that you need to stop and take stock right now.

ness to survive and thrive in: 2023

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profitable 2023.

Number one top priority. Take stock of your products and services. Look at what's selling well. What are people approaching you for without you even having to offer it? What are people asking you for that you don't offer? That's where you should be putting your focus at the moment? Now is not a time for vanity projects while you might want to teach something online, might while you might think it's really important that people learn something, unless you have evidence that people actually want to buy at that product or service now is just not the time.

tinue to help them throughout: 2023

:: 06:40

absolute best move that you ever made. But you need to do that before you even think about your content strategy, because in order to understand what kind of content you should be creating in 2023 and beyond, and indeed in the last part of this year, you need to understand what you're gonna be selling and when you're gonna be selling.

Secondly, look at how you're currently spending your time online. What activities, if any, are getting you the best results are helping you to sell those particular products or services that you've identified as being the best ones to focus on. That's where you need to focus your content strategy. You also need to think about what type of content you might need to focus on at different parts of the year.

So I did go into this in much more detail in some of my other episodes, but there's three types of content you should be creating as a business owner. So there's audience growth, content, nurturing content and cash generation content. Audience

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growth is typically the type of content you create for people who don't know about you yet.

So that's going to take quite a bit of time to convert. Nurturing is people who know about you, but typically haven't invested. So again, there's a longer lead time there when you need to bring money into your business, fast cash generation content, high touch emails, voicemails messages, a lot of business owners don't even have any content in their content strategy for.

They're so busy writing Instagram posts or creating email news letters that they've never even thought about how they write that kind of content, how they reach out to prospective clients, how they follow up, how they book in meetings. And I think that type of content outreach emails, messages follow up messages, how you put together an offer.

How you follow up in an email with somebody after a meeting, how you put a proposal together? I

:: 08:20

think that type of content, which I would class as cash generation content, that's where a lot of businesses are going to need to put their focus. Finally, once you've gone through those two steps. So taking stock of your products or services, thinking about where you need to focus with your content, by the way, I do have a podcast episode that can help with this.

It's called what is cash generation content? I will link to that in the show notes. The next step is to create a content strategy and create one that supports the products or services that are actually going to sell. Lastly, I would really consider about where in person events are going to fit in. I think we are going to see a growth in, in person networking groups, in people going to live events, because thankfully we can now go to them again, because I think we're going to need to, I think we all know that.

We prefer to spend money

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with people we know like, and trust. If you meet somebody at the event, even with a, in a few minutes of talking to them, you can often get a sense of whether you think you would be a good fit to work together, or as the case might be not. I don't think as business owners, we are going to have to invest more time and possibly more money in, in person opportunities.

your business or otherwise in: 2023

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in place.

chieve your business goals in: 2020

There are very focused sessions on podcasting, YouTube, TikTok, SEO, Pinterest, all the things that you would expect at a content marketing event, but it will very much be focused on tying the content you create to achieving your business goals. You'd also get two days of networking, so you'll get the chance to build connections with experts.

Influencers,

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prospective customers and clients. So if you haven't checked it out or you've already checked it out and you saw, oh, it's in Newcastle, that's ages away, or, oh, I can't take two days out of my business. I think you'd be mad not to take a look investing a couple of days in creating a really robust content strategy for the coming.

lly be crucial for success in: 2023

If you've ever tried to host an event in London, you'll know it's not just much more expensive to higher venue, you have to pass it on in the event tickets, but it also costs people more to attend. As I'm recording this in

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September, 2022, you'd currently be looking at at least a couple of hundred pounds a night for a hotel room.

When I checked in Newcastle the other day, 50 pounds in premier in you can get from London to Newcastle for 50 pounds on the train. And it's a lovely, lovely train ride leads is an hour. Edinburgh's an hour, really great links from Yorkshire right across the UK, even great if you are international, but whatever you do, even if you don't join, meet a courageous content.

art of your marketing mix for: 2023

I'm a big fan of content marketing. I'm a big fan of digital product sales. I

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really wouldn't say if I didn't mean it. And if you'd like to join me at the event, I will put a link in the show notes.