Having a communication plan where you connect with your market strategically and consistently is pretty non-negotiable, and at the heart of that plan is free content.

Content is the “glue” that bonds you to your audience of prospects because it helps build lasting connection and trust between you. Online, a lot of emphasis is placed on building a list of subscribers, which is absolutely important. But it’s not enough to simply build that list, because as we know, the REAL fortune is in the follow-up!

Here are six specific reasons why free content is key to your business success:

1. Free content establishes your expertise. It shows people that you know what you’re talking about!

2. Free content does the “heavy lifting” for you by allowing you to reach many people at once instead of having to reach out to one person at a time.

3. Free content gives you an edge over people who do the same thing you do, especially if they don’t have a big presence online.

4. Free content allows you to help people at all levels, because their investment in it is free!

5. Free content allows you to provide value to your audience, which in turn builds trust. This strengthening of the relationship makes them more likely to buy from you later.

6. Free content reminds people that you exist! (It’s your job to remind them.)

Ultimately, you’re making it easy for prospects to buy from you and refer others to you by staying in front of them consistently.

Don’t worry about giving away “too much”; remember, you make the rules! People can Google everything these days, but will always pay for information that’s delivered in a way that makes their life easier. Your free content should compliment what you offer for a fee.

The best part? Your free content can actually “sell” for you without selling, because you can use it to educate people, and then position yourself as the best solution to their problems! Smart.

These days, your content isn’t limited to just articles or blog posts either. Consider email newsletters, videos, audios, webinars, livestreams or a combination of several of these. The most important thing is to just begin getting it in front of people. Start with one and expand from there.

Finally, remember to make it shareable and easy for others to pass on, as well as action-oriented—you want people to begin getting results from what you’ve shared with them right away.

Pretty soon, you’ll see how keeping in touch can really pay off!

Are you using free content in your business online? What has been your experience with it increasing “KLT?” Let me know in the comments!