Note: This is a guest post written by Dan Martin – Content marketing is a marketing strategy. It focuses on creating and spreading valuable, relevant, and consistent content. This is done to attract new customers and keep your current audience interested in your business.
93% of today’s companies deliver relevant content. It is delivered on whatever possible medium a person can see it on. This is why content is an important part of any form of marketing. These companies do this because the content is an effective way to reach possible customers and drive revenue.
Content can be conveyed organically or through paid advertisement. Organically distributed content can be done through website creation. It can also be done through email newsletters and social media platforms. A paid advertisement, however, includes search engine marketing and sponsored content.
Startup content marketing has become the new normal way of marketing from the consumers’ side. This form of marketing is important because it can build trust, generate leads, and cultivate customer loyalty.
Good content comes in many kinds of formats. Here is a list of ways that a small business can use content marketing.
16 Efficient Ways to Use Content Marketing for a Small Business
- Start a blog.
An obvious starting point for your content marketing strategy is by making written content. A new audience will come to your site if your content is relevant. Your content will also be visible to other people if it is optimized for search engines.
However, creating a blog is only effective if it is attractive to readers. Your blog should be useful and well-written for readers to be attracted to your content.
Simply making a blog is not enough for your article to stand out. Good content should be able to present new information and help customers while also entertaining them. You should ask your customer what they’d like to know if you are having a hard time coming up with a topic.
- Create an email newsletter.
An email newsletter is a great way for a small business to enter the world of email marketing. This type of content marketing for small businesses is a good way to inform your customers regarding a new product.
You can also use this method to inform customers of upcoming events. Also with industry news and other business-related happenings.
Email marketing historically has a high return on investment. This marketing content strategy is excellent for small businesses to use.
Besides a high ROI, email marketing also has other benefits. It can help your small business develop goodwill with your target audience. It can also promote sales, deals, and coupons. Lastly, it will also increase customer value.
- Take advantage of user-generated content.
Content can also be generated through your customer’s efforts, not just your company’s. You can boost your marketing strategy for your small business with the help of user-generated content.
You should share a customer’s post or story about your brand if you are tagged in it. This is highly recommended, especially if your brand is being shown in a good light.
- Build a social media presence.
You most likely have an online presence if you are an active seller of a product or service. However, being present is not enough to maintain your online presence. You should also be active on the social media platforms that your audience is using.
You should be able to know who your target audience is and what types of platforms they are using. You should know this information before you start posting on random social media platforms.
When you post on social media, you are speaking to a specific set of people who have a specific interest. Once you have determined who you are speaking to, you should be able to know how you can reach them.
- Develop a case study.
A small business that operates in a B2B model will have a hard time conveying how its product works. They will also have a hard time expressing how customers can benefit from their business. Creating a case study is a great way to show results regarding your product if you do face such problems.
- Create a content calendar.
Consistently posting good content is the key to small business content marketing success. Placing a clear plan in place will help you deliver consistent content across your different channels.
Your content marketing calendar should show exactly what you should publish and when to publish it. This will help you to be organized while ensuring that your content marketing plan will continually achieve your goals.
A great marketing calendar should be made one whole calendar month ahead of schedule. It should contain detailed information about the different content that you will post across your channels.
- Generate a variety of content types.
However, being able to stand out in a competitive market is important. Having a content marketing strategy is one way for your small business to stand out.
Make an analysis and compare both your content and your competitors’ content. Try to identify which content your audiences relate to more and which ones they don’t. Try to make your upcoming content a success once you establish its effectiveness.
Do not be held back by content that already exists and try to be creative. Content creation possibilities are limitless.
- Collect customer reviews and testimonials.
A huge percentage of local consumers use online media platforms to look for local services or products. The reviews of small, local businesses are what keep those businesses relevant.
Using the reviews and testimonials of your product or service is a good way to draw attention to your business. You can turn those reviews into a social media post and your website testimonials into a blog.
- Work on your foundation.
Content creation is just a small piece of your marketing strategy. It will only function well if other elements of your strategy are working correctly. You should have all your resources in place. It should be done before moving forward with your content marketing strategy efforts.
These resources include:
- Analytics that will help you assess your progress
- Your website should be optimized for users and search engines.
- Conversion and follow-up strategies
- Copywriting and design capabilities
- Record your content strategy and plan from the beginning.
Creating and recording your content marketing strategy should be done early. It is better to be strategic from day one rather than chaotically creating content that gives zero results.
- Place narratives at the center of your content marketing strategy.
Translating your business’s mission, identity, and background can be done with the help of brand storytelling. This can be the foundation of your marketing strategy, which will differentiate you from your competitors.
Telling a story that your audience can understand is the perfect way to connect with them. You will be able to present your customers with information that can be memorable to them.
It will also help you engage your audience with emotion. Using stories can help your small business content marketing to be more goal-oriented.
- Experiment and steer clear of generic content.
Do not be scared of putting your brand on the front line. You are still a small business, which makes your reach limited. It’s also possible that the subject that you are using has already been used by a bigger company than you.
Experiment and be daring with your content. Do not be afraid to do whatever it takes to set yourself apart from your competitors. You can use memes or even pop culture references to attract new audiences. Using such methods can provide a break from the mundane blog posts that flood the internet.
Feel free to share your opinions. It’s more likely that your audience already knows the “top 10 things to know” regarding a specific niche. Share your opinion rather than following what the herd is doing. Express where you stand regarding a topic.
- Include photos and videos in your content.
The human brain can process an image much faster than words. Also, images can easily attract attention. Knowing this, your marketing strategy should include videos, pictures, and other visual content.
The easiest way to incorporate this method is by simply adding pictures to your business’s blog. The photos that you will use should be authentic and not stock images. It is also important that the image be relevant to the subject matter.
- Create infographics.
Adding an infographic to your site would make statistics easier to read and remember. It is also much more colorful and easier to share.
Hundreds of infographic designs are available online. Do not worry if you don’t have the design skills yourself. You can also hire designers to create an infographic for your business. Always remember to cite a reference that can be placed in the infographic and to give it a searchable name.
- Include interactive content.
Asking a customer to do something is a great way to get them engaged in your content. Effective content requires a call to action by itself. You can keep people on your website for longer by creating a set of interactive tools. You can also generate new leads with this technique.
- Properly promote our content.
Content marketing can only be successful if the content is properly promoted. A strong form of promotion is an essential part of marketing for a small business. Simply publishing a blog post and forgetting about it will not get you an audience.
You can start promoting your blog through different social media platforms. You can also send out newsletters to your website subscribers. There are also different strategies that you can apply in this situation. You can do it by sending your content to different bloggers or by repurposing your content.
A good online marketing strategy would always rely on the content that you create. Content creation will help you attract new audiences. It will also boost brand awareness and promote your business as an industry leader. One of the most valuable resources for your marketing strategy is good content.
