Getting quality content for your site can be much easier said than done, especially if you have a smaller budget. But Richard Lau, founder of logo.com, uses a popular online networking platform to find writers who are the cream of the crop and can work synergistically with his business. In the end, his One Big Tip comes down to understanding who you’re trying to reach rather than what you’re trying to sell.
Using HARO to Your Advantage
Richard is an expert at identifying valuable web domains and building profitable businesses out of them. Doing this has consistently taught him that content is king when it comes to digital marketing. The only problem is, how to get your voice heard with all the noise going on.
Enter HARO (or Help A Reporter Out), which is an online platform that connects journalists with media sources. It’s filled with talented writers and individuals looking to contribute content for websites and media channels.
When he first signed up for the platform, Richard felt overwhelmed, like many who first visit. However, he soon saw an opportunity to connect with professionals and expand his network all while gaining free, high-quality content for his site.
Richard’s One Big Tip is to “use HARO to create business roundups for your blog because you're getting free, unique content that people are pouring their heart and soul into.” You can do this by putting out a valid question, finding the best answers, connecting with those contributors on LinkedIn, and reaching out to them for a one-on-one interview.
Depending on how picky you are with the contributors, you can have as many or as few options as you’d like. Richard suggests looking for writers with a substantial social media following so that your post will be shared with their network. “There's more free content, free, unique, targeted content out there than you can use if you use this method,” he says.
Match the Audience, Not the Product
While Richard’s One Big Tip involves a unique strategy, at the heart of it lies a core marketing principle that every marketer should take to heart. So many people who are promoting something try to focus on creating content exclusively about that product or service.
A law firm will likely only blog about law-related issues while an insurance company may focus on news and how-to’s relating to insurance. And while having content about what you offer is important, you need to keep your audience at the center of your marketing, not your product or service.
Part of Richard’s HARO strategy is to use the platform to “reach out with valid business questions that match your target audience. They don't necessarily have to match your product.”
Once you realize that your competition is focusing on the same product or service you are, you can branch out and start considering what your audience would want or need to hear about. This is what will make you stand out and build your brand.
To reach Richard or to learn more about his services, you can find him at richard (at) logo.com or find him on LinkedIn at Richard Lau.
