Content Creation 101: Your Guide to Posting Content on Alignable
Congratulations! You’ve joined Alignable and now you’re ready to connect with other small business owners across North America and Canada. So, what do you do first?
One of the most effective ways to build relationships and grow your business on Alignable is to post content. Not sure what content is, how to share it, or what to say? This guide will show you the way.
Let’s get started!
Creating Posts on Alignable
Whether it’s on your Alignable home feed or your local community group, there is always a space for you to share thoughtful and valuable insights for other small business owners to see.
So before we dive into some content examples, let’s start with the basics.
What is Content? What Do I Post?
Think of content as information other Alignable members will engage with: text, images, links, resources. Your ideas and expertise matter—please feel empowered to bring your voice to the conversation!
Here are some examples of the type of content you’ll see all across Alignable, which we encourage you to share as well.
Business success stories
Did your business find success recently? Did you recently grow your team and want to share your hiring success story? Have you noticed a spike in revenue?
Please share your wins with your fellow Alignable members—these stories keep us going and can help other members succeed as well.
Seeking advice
Alignable is an ideal place to seek advice for your business. Maybe you’re looking to upgrade software and you’re curious what other folks use. Or you’ve run into a roadblock with your business or customers and you need help problem-solving.
Whatever the case, maximize your time on Alignable by posing questions, seeking advice, and sharing your insights in an effort to help other members.
Looking for referrals
As a business owner, you may need certain products or services to help you grow, which is where referrals come in. Alignable Groups is a great place to seek them out.
Whether you’re using our referral-specific post type, or you’re simply creating a post from scratch, tap into the power of the Alignable network to build your referrals.
Sharing expertise
Every business owner has an area of expertise. Maybe you’re familiar with email campaigns, hiring strategies, or Microsoft Excel. Whatever it is, share that knowledge with the Alignable community.
By doing so, you’re building trust with your fellow business owners, a key to relationship building. You’re also creating a positive business reputation on Alignable, which means folks are likely to consider you an expert and take note of your business as a result. Win-win!
What Are Some Best Practices for Posting Content on Alignable?
Now that you know what type of content you can share and have an idea for what to post, it’s time to think about how to make it most effective and how to share it. We’ve got you covered!
Below, you’ll find some best practices for sharing content on Alignable.
Value add
First up, offering value to other Alignable members is key when sharing content. As you’re developing your post, think through how it will be perceived by the reader, and how they will interact with the content.
Here are some questions to ask yourself as you’re preparing to post:
- What is the intent behind what I’m sharing? What’s my initial goal for joining Alignable?
- What are at least two points of value this post will bring to Alignable members?
- What action do I want other business owners to take after reading my post? Is there a follow-up question or call-to-action?
- Is this post exclusively focused on promoting my business, and if so, how can I reframe it to add value to the discussion being had?
Follow the guidelines
Please take not of the Alignable site-wide Community Guidelines. Kindly read through them and refer back to them before you post.
These guidelines help ensure that your posts are helpful and valuable to all members and maintain the integrity and quality of the Alignable community.
4 Examples of Great Posts to Get You Started
You want your content to add value, but how do you know if you’re hitting the mark? Take a look at some of the suggestions below as you write up your post.
Example 1: Sharing expertise
Instead of: “Do you need marketing services? Please call me at 555-555-5555!”
Try: What are some marketing strategies that have worked for you in the past? Here are my top five…”
Why it works: Rather than posting something one-sided that doesn’t give other members a chance to engage with you, consider the viewpoint of the reader. Asking members for their input gives you the chance to share your expertise, which will naturally bring more attention to you and your business.
Example 2: Celebrating everyone's successes
Instead of: “GREAT NEWS FROM OUR BUSINESS!!! We just found out...”
Try: “Our business just hit record numbers! Has anyone else had any successes this week they'd like to share?"
Why it works: To kick start conversation and avoid being one-sided, give other members the opportunity to join the excitement and share their accomplishments as well. Before you know it, you’ll have an entire conversation on your post with folks’ successes (and maybe even some more eyes on your Alignable profile)!
Example 3: Engaging with other Alignable members
Instead of: “Check out my website and let me know if you need my services: www.mywebsite.com”
Try: “I just finished designing my website. Here are some things I learned along the way…. Has anyone else built a website from scratch?"
Why it works: Rather than posting a link without providing value or a follow-up action, try to write posts that encourage conversation even when you’re celebrating a milestone. This gives members the opportunity to meet, engage, and celebrate with you. And you never know who else has experience with the topic of your post.
Example 4: Introducing yourself and adding value
Instead of: “Hi everyone, I’m Jacob and am new to Alignable. Check out my website if you need these services: www.mywebsite.com”
Try: “Hi everyone, my name is Jacob and I’m excited to be here! I run a marketing agency out of Austin, TX, and right now we’re working on how to better serve our customers and are considering implementing a new CRM. Has anyone used a CRM they’re satisfied with? Would love to connect with you on Alignable to discuss further!”
Why it works: The initial post doesn’t share much about your expertise or what you can bring to the group experience. Try writing posts that highlight your knowledge to bring a whole new element to the conversation, one that maybe wasn’t there before.
And remember to ask a follow-up question and encourage conversation. Seeking advice is a great way to get people talking about what they’re doing and the tools they’re using.
Go create your first, next, and best post
Now that you’ve had a chance to review some best practices on posting, give it a try! Alignable truly make it easy to connect with other small business owners. You never know—your next business partnership could be right in front of you.
Have more questions on what content to share and what not to share? Check out the Alignable Community Guidelines.
What will you be sharing in your next post? We can’t wait to see what you have in mind!
For more ways to succeed on Alignable, check out:
Comments (1-10)
Thanks for sharing Jacob, this is a great help pointing out the examples and guideline for members to actually connect and engage in a conversation. Great content as always!
Another type I love is posting questions about our personalities! What I love about these types of posts is the conversations that unfold like they would naturally standing beside someone. Our interactions depict personality and character in a different context. . The core of who we are becomes playful. We get to know each other better. Those precious nuances show up. We relate to these people is ways that resonate with us. For example, you may or may not want to hire or do business with a “driver type.” Perhaps their type is not conducive to the task or what you need. Accepting people for who they are and working with certain personality types is a difference! For example, I may want an organized person to help me design my website and a playful person to help me plan a party.
I find that posting solutions to common issue(s) shows our expertise without actually coming off sale-sy or marketing in a strict sense. My sense is that if someone reading what I post sees themselves or someone they have come across in the same situation, they will remember us when they need a consultant who can handle these types of issues.
Jacob....I'd be very interested to know what "serious conversations" you have about "fonts"--I worked for a computerized typographer company in York, PA back in the middle 1970's which is where I first learned about "fonts" and how just the right "font" can give added expressiveness to any story or textbook!
This is such great content and examples and I truly enjoyed reading through it! I do need all the help I can get so I certainly appreciate the time and thought effort put into it. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing, Jacob! These are great tips and pointers for connecting and engaging with content that will add value. Grateful for you! Thanks again.
Thanks Eric for the update and insights. As an Alignable Ambassador, protecting the “Brand”, and shepherding the flock on Alignable has its challenges. However, on behalf of all us “lambs” on this platform, the “Wolves” who want to destroy and feed should do so elsewhere.
Article recommendation: Research topics that answer a question or solve a real pain point.
Hi Jacob! Alignable just nixed my post, saying it went against guidelines, yet the email and notification to the guidelines do not lead to a valid page. I shared the recent roundtable video of five people (me hosting and four other panelists) called Removing the Money Barrier because it is helpful advice and conversation for business owners and those in the job market. I can't see my post to see where I could be more helpful.
or Jacob, thank you so much for your kind guidance. I want to stay close to your advice for a while. I am just beginning to engage on Alignable, after several years of being a member. I think I have studied the pieces to online success long enough to be of value to groups here, as I have expertise in Kindle/Amazon research, writing, and marketing. If anyone here has questions about the necessity of research before writing a word or copywriting, let's hook up. I write daily, so talk to me between 6 and 9 pm Pacific. We can chat. send me an email ([email address], I'll look forward to hearing from you. https://facebook.com/bestsellergirl,