When people think of writing careers, they usually consider two avenues— journalism or books. Sounds quite rigid, right? But actually, there are other creative ways to make money with your love of words. Content marketing is one of those pathways.
We spoke to Courtney Ralls, who has contributed to 32 Letter, all about the wonderful world of making your words pop for brands and clients. She dishes below on her initial pivot from blog to full-service creative agency, what she does when business is slow, and her plans for the future.
Tell us about your entrepreneurship journey.
I started Being Bourt as a blog in late 2017 because I wanted to talk about issues in hopes that other people my age would relate. So, for a couple of
I knew since I was little that I wanted to be a “writer” and back in the day that meant writing books and newspaper stories because of course, I didn’t foresee having an online writing business. I started to pitch my writing to websites and realized that I wanted to do this for other people, so “Being
Why content marketing? What was it about this space that pulled you in?
Content marketing pulled me in because at the time it was still a growing asset that brands and businesses could use to their advantage. I think that traditional marketing like paid ads and those pop-ups are still used, but consumers really want a brand to resonate with them and kind of be personable. I like to inject personality in the voice, tone, and coherence of my writing for businesses so that it makes the reader distinguish it from others. Content marketing is on the rise in my opinion because the way that people search for information has changed. If they are looking for information to make a purchase, have an experience, or anything like that content is what brands need to put out in order to place them in their buying cycle.
Versatility is key when it comes to being successful in any field. How have you mastered that with Being Bourt?
With Being
What are your business goals?
My ultimate business goal is to create a media empire out of Being Bourt making it a full-service production studio. It’s been a dream of mine to have a client sign on for content services beyond writing but also for video, podcasting, or even web series/online media production. The goal is to have Being Bourt positioned as an expression of inspiration and creativity for lifestyle brands and businesses who want to leverage content production to reach their audience in an authentic way. I say this because I started my blog to find my authentic voice through writing and just life period. I carry this notion into creating for other brands. I like to be very transparent and relatable in the content I produce so that it resonates with who it’s supposed to and not shapeshift just to create what I think an audience wants to hear. Right now, some of my goals are to produce more digital products that can serve those who need my services passively – they will be products on my website on how to create your own calendar of content or what types of content to produce.
How do you keep yourself motivated when business is slow?
When business is slow I focus on internal improvements like creating different offers, clarifying the value of a content marketer and strategies or creating my own personal content that I can link to Being Bourt like my YouTube series or podcast.
Tells us about your podcast, website and YouTube channel. How are you able to come up with fresh ideas for each medium?
I started my podcast as an idea to express how I switched my corporate career to align with my creative personality. My career journey has taken me to a variety of places and unfortunately a lot of angst and frustration in the process but something just clicked for me over the last two years to seek out a position that aligns with who I really am. My YouTube channel was created to basically vlog about the diary entries that I kept while being on the journey to entrepreneurship. I realized that it was a huge mindset and
What is your secret sauce to picking up new clients?
I have worked off referrals so far! I honestly started out my business the traditional online way of running ads, creating an email list and sales funnel however that got a little inauthentic to me. I fasted from the conventional rules of online business and started to network to meet new people who would potentially need my services. There’s tons of active ways to pick up new clients but I really just go off inspired action. So if I feel like I want to run some ads and create some new offers I will do that but I really like to pick up clients by being referred. My social media has helped potential clients pick up on my vibe as well as my skillset to work with me too.
What advice would you give for an aspiring content marketer?
For an aspiring content marketer, I’d say to stay adaptable and up-to-date on how consumers search for information. There is very much an analytical side to content marketing because you want to create authentically yes, however you want to analyze what is working and what’s not in the optimization phase of a content strategy. Also, I’d just say to be yourself and let your unique qualities show through your business and your creative output!
What are your views on competition and how are you able to make yourself stand out?
I view competition as healthy when you use it to fuel how you and your peers are serving the market. I don’t think there’s a need to put a negative connotation on competition because it’s my belief that we live in an abundant universe. There’s like a billion people on this planet so whether there’s 100 or 1,000 other people doing what I do, I know that the people who resonate with my message and vibe the most will show up. I make myself stand out by also helping my audience understand this: to create from a state of wholeness instead of a state of separation or basically competition. In all the content I create I try to help people understand that there’s really no traffic in your lane when you’re working in your purpose, that’s whole separate topic though, lol. Being Bourt is my purpose because it fills me with energy, passion and freedom to continue to create it into whatever vision I want.
How can business owners work with your brand?
To work with me business owners can visit my website’s about page and book a strategy call or email me at courtney@beingbourt.com to set up a time to speak about their content needs and what problems they face the most with making a consistent content schedule that provides value for their audience. Also, check out by business Instagram page.
I like to work with business owners who are driven by purpose-filled work and the value they create for others!
Keep up with Courtney and her content productions by checking out her YouTube series, Courtney’s Diary and her podcast Cubicle Chronicles.
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