Ep 235: Content Planning & Email Marketing For Blogs with Meera Kothand

Jaryd Krause:

What if consistently publishing content was bad for your blog? Hi, I'm Jaryd Krause. I am the host of the Buying Online Businesses Podcast. And today, I'm speaking with Meera Kothand, who is the author of several best-selling books, including The One Hour Content Plan, Selling The Intangible, and The Blog Startup. And since 2015, she's helped over 100,000 small business owners and creatives cut through the noise by radically changing how they approach content, all without being on social media 24/7.

Now, through her programs and courses, one-on-one strategic coaching, and other things that she offers, she's helped clients and customers market their businesses with a content ecosystem that oozes authority, melts resistance, and inspires dream clicks from clients. Now her work has been featured on Business Insider, MarketingProfs, Business News Weekly, and several other sites.

And in this podcast episode, Meera and I talk about where most people go wrong with their content creation and why there is something far more important than consistency, especially for blogging. We also talk about how to create a content plan that covers each part of your users’ journey and how to bridge the gap from content consumption to your readers loving and wanting to work with you.

We also talk about when to use an email list and what types of call-to-actions to use for different types of content. And I share why I believe people don't focus on email marketing or building an email list for their blog, which is just something that is plucked out of the air for me. It was just an insight that I got throughout that podcast.

We also talk about how to repurpose or create content specifically for social media that generates leads and sales, but only when warranted on each platform. And how to create content for each specific platform, knowing which platform to choose to share content on for your actual audience, which is what I share on the pod as well.

There's so much value in this podcast episode. I know you guys are going to love it. If you guys are looking to buy a content site and grow it, this one's for you. Enjoy.

What's up? This is Jaryd, and I am stoked to have you here. Before we dive into the show, I want to remind you that for a limited time, you can get one-to-one voice note mentoring with me to help you buy and grow your online business. I'm opening up just a few slots of voice note coaching to give you one-on-one access to me via Coachvox.

You'll tell me your goals and challenges, and we'll work through them together. I'll ask questions, I'll tell you what I think, and we'll get you ticking boxes and achieving your online income goals. You can message me anytime, and I'll respond within 48 hours. Right now, you can get 20% off by using the coupon code JARYD. That’s J-A-R-Y-D. And I'll drop the link in the show notes so you can find out more. Until then, let's get on with the episode.

Meera, welcome to the podcast.

Meera Kothand:

Thank you so much, Jaryd.

Jaryd Krause:

Did I get the pronunciation correctly?

Meera Kothand:

Spot on. Yes, you did.

Jaryd Krause:

Cool, cool. All right. I just got off your website and had a look. And damn, you have some good copywriting skills. I just have to appreciate that from you. Well done. It's good. Really good.

Meera Kothand:

Thank you. Yeah. It took me a couple of years to learn the skill, though, because it doesn't come naturally to you. But yeah, it's definitely a skill that can be learned.

Jaryd Krause:

Yeah, I agree. I think it has helped me in business and out of business in so many ways. It's helped me become a better storyteller and a better human being to listen to, and I think it's a valuable skill to have. It's a sales skill, right? And all we do in life is sell, market, and sell. We're always marketing and selling ourselves, typically. Whether it's for money or not.

So we might dive back into copywriting later because I'm sure it's going to be a part of this whole process of creating pretty epic content, which is what you do and what you help people do. So where do most people trip up when trying to create a winning content plan that, in your quote, “oozes authority”?

Meera Kothand:

Wow. Yeah. I think the biggest trip up is that people always associate consistency with content. And they think that as long as they're consistent, then their content is good or they have it in the bag, which cannot be further from the truth. Because you can be very consistent. You get an email every week. You have something on social media.

You write blog posts week after week. But it's very likely that sometimes, when you do all of that, it doesn't really contribute to your sales. It doesn't contribute to attracting an audience that's the right fit for you.

So for me, I think this is the biggest thing that I see people get wrong—that they think that they're safe as long as they're consistent. So I think, for me, it's a little bit of a cringe, and it has kind of inspired me to do a lot of the work that I’ve done. Because it's really good meaning, well-intentioned entrepreneurs and creatives who are just on that bandwagon of create, create, create. But they don't really think about it. Okay, am I attracting the right person? Is this the right fit? Should I even do this?

Jaryd Krause:

Wow. I agree. I can see where people are on the hamster wheel of output and putting content out there. And they're consistently putting content out there, but consistently putting out bad content at times. So consistency isn't always good. Consistency can be one or the other. You can consistently have good content, bad content, or consistently mediocre content. So that's a really, really good distinction between just content and consistency and quality.

So if people are putting out content, they're on the hamster wheel; they're not attracting the money that they want, and they're not serving the people in the way they want to serve them. How do you attract the right people through your content?

Meera Kothand:

So a couple of things For me, I always like to think about who exactly I'm speaking to. And I know we all have heard about doing the ideal, the customer avatar exercise. I know most people are like, “What? Not that again.” But specifically, more than just, okay, who is your ideal client? It's about thinking about where you want to start the conversation.

Because three different businesses might be speaking to the same person but at different stages in their journey. So that person might be someone from maybe two years ago who is completely unaware of whatever it is that you're talking about. Two years in, they might be just kind of exploring their pain points.

Or perhaps one year in, they might be someone who is a little bit more aware. They may have bought into different solutions before, but they're still looking for the right kind of support. So it's the same person, but it's just at different stages in their journey. So it's kind of like the customer journey.

So I like to think about it, and what I always stress is, think about where exactly you're starting the conversation. Are you starting the conversation at the point where, okay, this is someone who knows and identifies with the pain point you're talking about? Is this someone who has searched for other solutions before buying one?

Depending on who exactly this person is, the type of content you write is going to be a little bit different. Because speaking to someone who's just exploring pain points versus someone who has explored a solution and is tired of the solutions out there or tired of the solutions that they've bought into, it's going to be slightly different. So always try to figure out, Okay, where exactly am I starting the conversation? I think that's like the first thing that you can do. It takes the ideal customer avatar exercise a step further. It gives it a little bit of nuance, I would say.

So I think that's the first thing. And then beyond that, you want to think, Okay, so this is where I want to start the conversation. Then what does this person need from me in order to say yes to me down the road? Because your person comes in with lots of things that they need to unlearn. They've got things that they believe that are not necessarily true. There are beliefs that you need to reframe and help shift.

So you need to kind of plot out, okay, this person who is coming into my world, what do I need to help them unlearn? What do I need to help them shift? So this is what I like to call perspective shifting content. So you're not just putting out content that's out there that's all how-tos, tips, and steps to doing something. You want to help shift perspectives. I think that's the kind of content that truly stands out, especially today when there's so much noise.

Jaryd Krause:

And perspective, changing people's perspectives, is that offering, is that content where you're breaking down and proving some philosophies or theories wrong and sharing a different viewpoint?

Meera Kothand:

Yeah, that could be part of it. I mean, in my work with a lot of clients, what I've seen is that many people hold onto misconceptions about the way it should be done or the right way it should be done. And you, who is someone—you could be a consultant, you could be a coach, you could be a service provider—would know that, hey, this isn't necessarily true. What they're thinking isn't necessarily true. So you are telling them to kind of unlearn it and think about it from a different perspective. You're helping them reframe it and view it from a different angle.

So these could be mistakes, myths, or misconceptions. It could also be objections that they have, not to your offer, but to your process or your way of doing it. You could have objections to that. Like some people could say, “I don't think this would work for me because I'm an introvert.” Or “I don't think this would work for me because I'm very new to this.” Or “I've done this before; it hasn't worked. How is this different?”

So what you're trying to do is reframe all of this. And you're trying to change perspectives. So this is what I mean by perspective shifting content. But very often, what people do is, the moment they get them in, they immediately start talking about their solution. “Oh, this is my offer. This is what I do. Sign me up for a call.” And they keep hitting the solution, but they don't think about this person that needs to reframe and shift and all of that.

Jaryd Krause:

So you mean they need a bit more time to digest the perspective shift before they go, “Oh yeah, this is the right person for me or the right service or product that I need at this time.” You're saying that they just go, “Here's my product and you need it because I need to change your perspective,” rather than like, “Let me just leave a different perspective here for you, mull it over, and then come back to me when you think it's right. Or if it is right, then we can help you.”

Meera Kothand:

Yeah, exactly. I think many people think that, okay, the moment someone comes in, they are ready. And very often, that's not the case. If you think about many of the products that we buy, sometimes we think about them, we find more information, we ask a friend, we ask a colleague, and we gather information. We process and we think about, Okay, is this the right offer for me?

Unless, of course, it's an impulse buy. You're at the lane in the supermarket, you've got your chocolates or candy, and then that's kind of an impulse buy. You don't need a lot of processing. But for any other thing that you're buying, whether it's a huge television or even a course that you're buying.

Jaryd Krause:

Business?

Meera Kothand:

Yeah, exactly. You need to think about things. You need to see numbers. You need to think about, Okay, is this the right fit for me? You need to be convinced sometimes as well. And this requires some time, and that is where your content can handhold them through the journey, whatever it is that you're selling.

Jaryd Krause:

Oh, you're speaking to people that are having their hands held right now as they listen to this podcast, digesting and processing whether they're buying a business that’s right for them and how much they should spend, when, where, and how. “Should I even use Jaryd's help or can I do it on my own?” Wink-wink, nudge-nudge. If you don't use my help, get somebody else's help.

So that comes to how I like to create content—not in the form of text but in the form of video and audio. I like to create content that helps people digest and process if this is the right strategy for them in their wealth creation journey or replacing their income. And then, through that content—I don't know if people realize this—I allow this content to be a criteria to exclude people and then include the right people.

So with what I say, what I suggest, and stuff like that, I'm pushing people away that aren't right for this method to somewhere else, and I'm harnessing, culturing, and bringing people in that are right for this process through the content we create. Is that what you're talking about when it comes to building a brand and authority in your space?

Meera Kothand:

Yeah. I mean, what you're saying is that you are intentionally repelling some people away by talking about your process and method. Because, yeah, not everyone is going to be the right fit. And sometimes when we shy away from addressing things head on, when we're not being authoritative, when we're not being strong in our message, then we can kind of be attracting and speaking to everyone, which is not what we want because we really want our content to repel some people away.

Make it very clear that, hey, this is not for you if you are X, Y, and Z. But if you kind of fit this criteria, then yes, this process would be the best for you. You would be the best fit to work with me, or something like that. That is exactly what you want your content to say. And it's difficult if you're very wishy-washy or if you're not very strong in your message.

Jaryd Krause:

It's a way of pre-vetting people. So now we know our avatar. We know the different stages of their journey they're on or are going to be on. Do you focus on creating content for each part of the journey? And if so, where do you start with that journey in terms of content creation?

Meera Kothand:

Yeah, so I guess it really depends. So, Jaryd, just to take your example, If someone is looking to buy a business, for some people, they might need to be convinced that this is something that they should do. For others, they might already be considering that, but they don't really know the right steps. For some of them, they might have done it before, but they might not have had a good experience, and they're looking for someone else to help them through the process.

So it depends on where exactly you want to come in. Do you want to help people who even need to be convinced that this is the right step? Or do you want to come in at a point where they're already curious? And then they're like, “Okay, yes, I do want to purchase a business. I know this is right, but I don't know the right steps to take.” So that could be someone else.

So for me, from what I've experienced, it's a lot easier to start talking to people who are at least curious about what it is that you do. They know; they're aware that this is something that they want to explore. They know that the pain points are there, and they're looking for the right solutions. And it's good to start the conversation there. And from there, you kind of plot out, Okay, this is someone; I've spoken to someone like this before. I've worked with someone like this before. What are their stages?

Typically, when they come in, they have a rough idea of what they want to do. The next stage is that perhaps they don't really know the type of blogs or online sites that would be the right fit for them. And then the next stage would be, Okay, what are the things that I need to be evaluating when I am looking to buy the site, for instance?

So you want to create content across all of these different streams. You don't just want to keep talking about pain points because there are going to be people who find you who are a little bit more advanced, who do know that, “Hey, I want to do this, but I don't really know how to evaluate a site, perhaps.” So you want to offer them content from that angle. So when you do it in this way, yes, you will attract people who are more advanced. You will also attract people who are in the beginning stages but are still your ideal clients if you give them a little bit of time and a little bit of hand-holding.

So, yeah, you do want to create content for different stages of the customer journey, but be very specific about where you want to start the journey. So whether it's someone who is aware or completely unaware, be very clear about where you want to start. And from there, kind of plot out the stages.

Jaryd Krause:

Great, great. And once somebody is consuming content, what's the next logical step to take them on their journey? All right, they've read a couple of blogs, and they're like, “Hmm, this is interesting.” What's the next step? Do you sell them a big, fat $5,000 product? Or do you have something else in front of it? Or what's typically the best process to go through to get people to work with you? Because, at the end of the day, people are creating content; it's costing them time and money, and they need to get an ROI. Where do you go from here?

Meera Kothand:

Yeah. There are a few different options. For me, I used to swear by getting people on your email list. Because for me, I felt like, Okay, the moment I get them on my email list, I know that I can convert them through my emails. I know that I'll be able to get their buy-in. But I think you can do it in a slightly different way, and it really depends on the type of content that you are sharing.

So if the content that you have—the example that I shared just now—is talking about how they can evaluate a site before they buy it, if someone is reading or viewing a video like that, it kind of says, Hey, this is someone who's a little bit more advanced. They're looking at how to evaluate a site before they purchase it. And for that, they might be ready to actually get someone to walk them through the process or to kind of help them with it.

So for a piece of content like that, a call-to-action like “sign up for a free discovery call with Jaryd” or “apply to work with Jaryd”. Something like that might be better compared to “Should you be buying a business?” Something like that would be for someone who is really just exploring that.

So for someone who is reading that kind of content, it would be good to just have a simple lead magnet. Get them on your email list, and then start sending them emails. So I think the call-to-action can be a little bit smart about it, be intentional, and kind of bury those. So I used to get everyone onto my email list, like I said, but now I'm just trying to kind of stagger.

And the key thing is to trust your person. Trust them to do what you want them to do. Because there's no way that you can say, “Okay, this person is going to come to this piece of content and then go here and go here.” There's no way that you can really time it like that. Or you can predict that this is the journey that they're going to take. But as long as you've done your due diligence and you know that, okay, this is for this person, this call-to-action makes the most sense, and you kind of take all of those steps. Just trust in the process that they will know how to come and find you.

Jaryd Krause:

Yeah. I love it. I love it. So tell me about email marketing. Why do most bloggers put email marketing on the backburner or just completely forget about it?

Meera Kothand:

Oh yeah, I know, right? I mean, I've been talking about email for the past seven years, but it's still something that always ends up on the backburner. For me, I think it's because people always see email as something different or separate from their other pieces of content. Whether they're doing social media or they have a podcast or a YouTube channel, they're just not able to integrate email into their other pieces of content. They don't really know how. So email just always sticks out like a sore thumb. So I think that's the reason why it always just ends up being one of those things that never gets done.

But the more you know how to integrate email into your plans, into your business, into whatever it is that you're doing, and into your marketing plans, the easier it's going to be and the better the results are going to be as well. Because most people kind of have a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of approach to email. It's like, “Oh my God, I have to sell something next week.” And then they send an email this week.

That's not the kind of approach that you want. You want to be top of mind with your email list. You want to nurture an audience. And you can actually set up a lot of systems to have all of this done automatically for you. So it might take you a little bit of time initially, but once you have the initial setup done, it's just going to keep working for you day in and day out. So I think that lack of intention and just being really clueless about how email fits into the other pieces of your business is the main reason why people are not able to get onto it.

Jaryd Krause:

I also think, yeah, you're right. It's a big barrier of, Oh, how do I set up my email, and how do I get it all working? And I think people don't realize the value that an email list actually has. For me, I see that having people on my email list is the bridge. I've got the content here, and people are consuming the content. But to start working with me, get on the email list, learn a little bit more, and then build more trust. You'll get more content sent to you.

That helps build that bridge to getting to people and saying, Well, now you're going to get insane value because you're going to work with us. And without that bridge, I feel like you're bringing people in and spending all this money on content creation, and you're keeping people there, but you're kind of like, “Well, hang on. Don't get too close to me because I just want to keep you as cold traffic.”

Meera Kothand:

Yeah. And the thing is, I think email is just not very sexy compared to something like social media. So, yeah, I completely agree. And they're like, “Okay, send me all this traffic,” but then they don't know, “Okay, what do I do with the traffic?” They don't think about the after. It's not about going viral. Going viral, yes. It works for some businesses if you're running ads. For most of us, what would you do with that traffic? You want to be able to do something with that traffic.

Jaryd Krause:

Yeah. I think this could be it, actually. Email is hidden from the public. And social media and your content are not. And we don't get much vanity from our email lists. And that could definitely be the thing. The outward success. I tell people how good my email list is, and people tell me how good my emails are. But the public doesn't know that I don't get likes or recognition for how awesome my emails are. Well, not in the public eye, but I'd get it privately when people email me. But it's not out in the public eye. And I feel that that could be a thing where people are like, “Oh, I need to make sure my business looks good.” That could be a thing.

Meera Kothand:

Actually, I love that. Yeah. The gratification, right? I actually never thought of that.

Jaryd Krause:

Well, that just came to me just now.

Meera Kothand:

That’s spot on.

Jaryd Krause:

I was just like, Oh, hang on a second. It's hidden. It's not in the public eye, is it?

Meera Kothand:

Yeah. It's that vanity and the instant gratification that social media gives, that email doesn't. Yeah. I love that.

Jaryd Krause:

I love hidden success and the deep knowing of being successful without having to boast about it or show it. I know maybe it's just me because it makes me a far more confident person knowing that I have my own level of success in what I think is success to me. May not be for other people. But just the deep knowing of, like, yeah, that's a huge win.

And doesn't need to be in the public eye. If you look at my Instagram, for this business, we've got hardly any, and we've got a small YouTube channel. It's growing. But from the backend, people don't understand how valuable a business is until they are in it or see what's going on in it.

But a lot of people are, I feel, focusing on like, “I just need to get all the content out there. I need to be seen on all the platforms.” Whereas if you just had 15 to 50 really good pieces of content on your site and it took people from each stage of the journey and you got them into the backend, you could have a million-dollar business without people even seeing that like, “Oh, how could a 50-blog website have a million-dollar business?” I'll tell you what. There are businesses out there that have fewer blogs on their site but make far more than a million dollars.

Meera Kothand:

Yeah. It's sad that we all judge ourselves by the number of followers that we have on social media. But what you said is really true. There are people who are rarely on social media. They don't really do anything on their profiles or anything like that. But they have six-figure businesses and million-dollar businesses. And it's very lean, very simple. But what they've done consistently is build trust, not just by pushing content but by being intentional about building a connection with the audience.

Jaryd Krause:

So sticking with email lists, what type of email marketing should a blogger be doing?

Meera Kothand:

I think the very basics are that the moment someone comes in, you want to have a nurturing sequence. I think a lot of people don't really have that set up. And it can be interesting that there's been so much awareness about building a welcome email series and nurture sequence, but a lot of people still don't have that set up.

So one of the basic things you want to do is have a nurturing sequence. That does not have to be like a 90-day sequence or a 160-day sequence. It could just be something that goes over seven to ten days. And the reason is because this person is new. They're still getting used to your brand, your perspectives, whatever it is that you have, and what you are about. So you want to give them a taste of what your brand and business are about.

And that's the whole purpose of your nurturing sequence. It's also a great way to build authority. So the moment someone comes in, you want to have a welcome email go up, and then emails after that. So you don't want someone to sign up, and then the next time they hear from you is maybe three weeks later because you just came back from vacation. You want to have your nurture sequence set up on autopilot to just go out to everyone that comes in.

Beyond that, for me, the way that I built everything is that whatever they're signing up for—if it's a lead magnet they're signing up for—I make sure that the emails that they receive in the sequence after that are tied to that pain point. And let's say you're talking about two different things with two different pain points. You want to be able to build pathways to serve different pain points.

And this is something that will not happen immediately. It takes time. I've done this over the years. But for someone who is just starting out, it is very simple, a nurture sequence, and then an email editorial planner. Think about, okay, am I going to send an email once a week or once every two weeks? Kind of fix on a frequency and then plan your email based on that.

For me, I like to plan around a team or a campaign so that I don't have to keep switching topics from week to week. So maybe for the entire month of May, I'm going to just talk about email. Or the entire month of June, I'm just going to do content, blogging, or something like that. And then, this way, it's very easy for me to plan out, Okay, what am I going to do on week one, week two, and week three? rather than keep switching between topics.

Jaryd Krause:

I really love that as a strategic plan and having each month have a different theme that you can say, Oh, I've built out my content for that month. How much emphasis do you put on people creating and banking up content and then releasing it over a period of time so they don't feel so stuck in the business? Is that something you share with people?

Meera Kothand:

Yeah. I mean, I do recommend batching. So I don't recommend writing one email at a time. For me, again, I think it comes naturally. To some people, it doesn't. For me, I like to write at least four to six emails at a time. I would just do the outline. And then another day, I would just batch write all of them. This way, I can look a month ahead and know exactly all of the emails that need to go out. You could do it for up to two months, or maybe a quarter.

But sometimes you want to have a little bit of space in there for any changes. Let's say you want to talk about something else or if there's something urgent that's happening in the space that you want to address, like maybe the AI or whatever it is. And you feel that I need to kind of break my schedule to talk about what's happening. Or something that's relevant for your audience or that's happening in the country where most of your ideal clients are. You want to have a little bit of a gap. And if you have a very, very tight schedule, then it's difficult for you to have that flexibility.

So, yes, batch writing is great, but you don't have to do it two, three, or four months in advance. For me, I like to keep it for like six weeks. I think you're good. In six to eight weeks, you'll be very good.

Jaryd Krause:

Yeah, I like it. And also, if a piece of content is scheduled for two weeks’ time and you're like, “Oh, there's something that I need to share that's an industry update that needs to go out,” you can create that piece of content and then just put it into where it should be in two weeks’ time and then reschedule the one that's two weeks’ time for eight weeks away or the next week that has not yet been scheduled in. You can just plug it in where it needs to go, right?

Meera Kothand:

Yeah, exactly. I think the key thing is that whatever I'm sharing serves my audience. And if something needs to be said right now that is going to serve them better or something that's top of mind, I would say, Yes, absolutely. Do what you did. Just unschedule, plan it for later on and then push this content in. So at the end of the day, that is really what your audience needs to hear from you. And you want to be timely as well.

Jaryd Krause:

So Meera, what are the two to three biggest questions or the biggest things that you help your clients with when they come to you and say, “I want you to help me scale my blog”? What are the two to three biggest things that you work on with them?

Meera Kothand:

I think for me, most people come to me because they want to get organized in a sense. They have lots of different pieces of content, but they don't really know how everything fits within a system that could ultimately be used to sell their products and services. So they've got products and services, and they've got content, but there really isn't a bridge to kind of merge both of those.

So for me, I come in and I look at everything and see how it can be organized and structured and built up into their own sales systems and automated. So it could be an email, or it could be whatever it is that you're sharing on LinkedIn. Or it could even be the type of content that they want to share when they are invited as guests on other people's podcasts. So it's really about building an ecosystem where everything kind of feeds into one another. And when someone comes into your brand and into your world, they have a very nice journey built up for them through content to kind of handhold them through the customer journey.

I mean, that's the big thing that I have a lot of people with. But within that, there are many different pieces. Email is one component. Building out nurturing sequences is another one. But yeah, the ultimate goal is really to have an eye on the customer journey and make sure everything is speaking to that ideal client.

Jaryd Krause:

And so when you've got that ecosystem, are you helping that business owner or that blogger understand the different stages that people are in on their journey and then creating content for each stage to bridge the gap to the products and services that they're wanting to sell and promote? Is that right?

Meera Kothand:

Yeah, exactly. Some people don't even realize that they've got too much of one type of content. So they have too much content that only deals with a person who is in the exploratory stage, who is just curious and trying to find more information. But they don't have information for someone who is further down the customer journey, someone who is actually looking for solutions right this second.

So that is what I view as a content gap. So when you identify that, you know that that's something that you want to tackle, and when you plan your content calendar, you want to write pieces of content that would serve that person. Because any piece of content, specifically for blog posts, takes some time for SEO to kind of kick in, But you want to have all of those pieces there for people to even start finding in the first place. So, like you said, yes, spot on. We want to kind of do an audit in a sense and see where there are gaps and where we want to fit in.

The same thing goes for nurturing sequences. People don't realize that your nurture sequence is kind of like taking them on a journey with it. So if you're going to be talking about the same type of thing within your nurture sequence, it's not doing you, your business, or your ideal client justice. You want to be able to see if your nurturing sequence mirrors their customer journey. And if there are gaps, you want to plug them in with relevant emails. So yes, that's what we do.

Jaryd Krause:

Cool. When you've got all this content created, say, all of these blogs created, how do you go about repurposing those to go out on, say, LinkedIn or different platforms of social media? Is that a thing that you have people do? And if so, how? How do you get them to share it?

Meera Kothand:

Yes, repurposing is important, but I don't like the idea of just taking something and then putting it on different platforms. For me, I don't really see that as repurposing. For me, I would rather you take the gist of it and then kind of tailor that piece of content to a different platform. Because of LinkedIn, there's a different style. Or for Instagram, it's a slightly different style. So you want to actually take the gist of it and then turn it so that it is suitable for the style of platform on which you're sharing.

And I would suggest just picking one. People like to be all over the place. And it's good in practice, but it's difficult if you don't really have a team to do it for you. And so if you're just one person and maybe you have a VA to help you with it, I would still suggest just picking one other platform where you can repurpose your content. Get that to be a regular part of your process and then you branch out.

Jaryd Krause:

I like that. I totally agree. And for somebody who's thinking, All right, I've got a blog; which platform should I choose? Typically, what I like to tell people is to think about: Where are the people in your niche hanging out? Which platform would they most likely be hanging out on? And also, to add to that, what type of content would they consume? Do they want the video, the audio, or just the imagery, the text, or the short little video snippets? Where are they? How are they consuming the content? And then, I guess, how do you take your blog and construct a snippet or a portion of it into content that fits that medium or that platform?

Say, for example, if it were Instagram or LinkedIn, what would you suggest? Are you suggesting people have maybe one image from the blog post, but then also recreate the messaging and wording from the blog to fit that on that particular platform, say, Instagram, and then, at the end, get the full blog post on the site? How would you do that?

Meera Kothand:

Yeah, I mean, that could be one way. For me, that could definitely be one way. Or you could just pick one point and then do an Instagram Live on it. Or just one point, and then do a reel or something on it. So it's not just getting them to go back, but you are really tailoring that content for Instagram.

So that's something I suggest. But at the end of the day, it also depends, like you said, on where, in what other ways your ideal people like to consume content. If they are not really on Instagram, then why would you want to repurpose them on Instagram? Or if they're not on LinkedIn, why would you want to do it on LinkedIn? So be very clear about where these people are hanging out and what type of content they like to consume through what mediums.

Jaryd Krause:

And do you put emphasis on having them go back to your main piece of content? For example, if you were going to do Instagram Live or Instagram video or reel or whatever it is, and the blog was, say, the 15 best ways to dunk a basketball or something like that, would you have one reel on one of the ways on how to dunk the basketball and say, “That's just one way that I explain how you can do it. Check out the full blog on the website”? Like a call-to-action that way? Or do you just share the content and just keep sharing it there and try to help them keep it all on one platform?

Meera Kothand:

Yeah. The thing is, I mean, I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of social media. I think, depending on the platform, sometimes it just doesn't work very well for you to generate leads. A place like Instagram is good for connecting. Not really good for building an email. It doesn't mean that you can't accept that invitation.

For me, I'm a huge fan of email marketing, so I always, always suggest, yes, do social and whatever else, but always have an invitation for people to get back onto your email list. Because in the event that your account gets hacked, closed, shut down, or whatever, at least you have your people on your email list, and you can send them an email. I've heard horror stories of people having huge accounts shut down for no reason.

So yes, have that invitation, but also be aware that sometimes, depending on the type of platform it is that you're sharing, like something like Instagram, it's better for connection and brand awareness. It might not be as good to build an email list. Doesn't mean you don't send an invitation. Still do, but just be aware of that.

Jaryd Krause:

Don't do it as heavy as some of the other platforms, I guess.

Meera Kothand:

Yeah. I think you should be very clear about the goal of why you're on that platform.

Jaryd Krause:

On that platform, if you see somebody promoting their email list or over promoting something that is not normal on that platform, you're going to stand out and look like a shady snake oil salesman, right?

Meera Kothand:

Exactly. Yeah, exactly. Spot on.

Jaryd Krause:

So where can we send people to find out more about you? Should we send them to your website? But we've also got two different books I'm going to link to as well.

Meera Kothand:

Yeah. I mean, if people are interested in content and email, the easiest way to kind of get acquainted with whatever it is I share is my book, The One Hour Content Plan, as well as 300 Email Marketing Tips on Amazon.

Jaryd Krause:

Great. Great. I'll be linking to them in the show notes. Guys, thank you for listening. Meera, thank you so much for coming on the podcast. I really appreciate you jumping on and sharing some thoughts.

Meera Kothand:

Thank you so much for having me.

Jaryd Krause:

Yeah, welcome. Everybody, I don't typically ask for you guys to subscribe, and I'm not going to do that now either. But what I will ask you to do is share this podcast episode with somebody. Give them the gift of learning how to grow a blog. It's going to help me, yeah. It's going to help Meera, which is great. But most of all, it's going to help the person you share this podcast with. And that's what we're doing this for anyway, isn't it, Meera?

Meera Kothand:

Yeah, absolutely.

Meera Kothand:

Yeah. Cool. Thanks, guys. I'll speak to you soon.