Michael Epps Utley {kind=image/jpg}
Is your organization falling behind when it comes to content marketing? This guide explains what you must know to become a small business content marketing pro.
Why Your Small Business Needs Content Marketing
Great content that demonstrates your business expertise can help your company stand out from competitors. In most cases, content marketing is the most powerful way for small businesses to compete against companies with bigger marketing budgets. What’s critical is to leverage your unique take on what you do to get noticed. Plus, content is a marketing investment that pays long-term dividends compared to traditional advertising.
Benefits of Content Marketing for Small Businesses
Here are additional reasons why content marketing delivers significant value to smaller organizations.
It makes your business stand out. Differentiating one company from another online can be challenging. Content allows you to highlight your brand values and provide consumers with valuable information. You can create a community centered on your brand.
Build your brand. Goods and services often seem similar. Your brand is what makes a lasting impression on prospective buyers. A solid social and organic search presence gets people to pay attention to your business.
Stay connected with customers. Your blog, social media, and newsletters keep your business top of mind with prospective and current buyers.
How Small Businesses Can Get Started With Content Marketing
It’s never too soon to launch a content marketing program. A slow and steady approach is effective if you consistently add value to your consumer experience. Start developing content so that, over time, you have a library of it to share. Eventually, it will earn search engine optimization (SEO) points and attract organic traffic to your site. Plus, enhancing your business reputation as a thought leader is a great way to generate buzz and elevate your position in your industry.
Before you get started with content marketing, ask yourself:
What am I experienced in? Creating content centered on real-life experiences is critical to content marketing success. Come up with areas where you can provide unique perspectives and advice.
How can I make my content interesting and helpful for my consumers? Consider the interests and preferences of the people you’re targeting. It will help you understand their content needs and deliver material they will engage with.
Which content distribution channels will be most effective? Figure out where your buyers spend time online. Make those channels your primary focus. It will help prevent content distribution overload.
It’s important to remember that content marketing takes time and effort, so it’s critical to focus your efforts on what will give you the most bang for your content marketing buck. Not every channel or topic will be the right fit for your goals.
Here are other foundational things you can do to ensure the success of your content efforts.
Optimize your website for search engines. This will help ensure that your content is found online.
Identify copywriting and design talent. If you aren’t a great writer or graphic artist, hire people to support you.
Consider what you want your content to achieve. Creating content is worthless unless it generates business results. Figure out your goals before you begin developing anything.
Become familiar with marketing analytics tools. Learn about Google Analytics, email metrics, and social media data to help you determine whether your content and campaigns are effective.
Define your brand and tone of voice. Your content will make a more significant impression if it’s presented in a unique way that aligns with your business values.
Research your keywords. Include popular keywords in your content so you get found online in a meaningful way for your business.
- Develop a content plan. Random content development typically doesn’t deliver business results. Take time to document:
Your audience
Goals and metrics
Content topics
Content formats
Content distribution channels
Development and distribution calendar
Focus on stories. The best, most engaging content is centered on real-life stories. Use your life and business experiences to differentiate your content so it stands out. Stories move content beyond mere information sharing. Focus on what makes you, your team, and your organization unique and how you hope to change the world with your content and offerings.
Stay organized. Leverage your content marketing plan to build a development and distribution plan and process and stick to them. Without an organizational structure to back it up, it’s easy to lose focus and have your content marketing efforts fall apart.
Optimize your budget. Small businesses don’t have the big content marketing budgets larger competitors do. Be selective about the material you develop and the media you use. It might make sense to invest in video if the people you’re targeting prefer it; it would be a waste of money if you’re primarily trying to reach readers.
Leverage tools and software. Marketing automation doesn’t come cheap, but investing in it could save you significant time in content development and distribution.
Be brave. Find a niche content area your business can own. Or, find a unique way to present your material. Try writing things in unexpected ways. Timid content typically doesn’t break through.
Repurpose your best content. Everything you create doesn’t have to be one hundred percent unique. Repurposing your materials can extend their reach while reducing workload. For instance, transform a successful blog article into individual social media posts or an email newsletter blurb to extend the reach of your material.
Content Marketing for Small Business: Final Thoughts
Content is one of the most impactful and cost-effective ways to promote and differentiate a small business. If you aren’t currently a content powerhouse, don’t worry. Leverage the tips in this guide to start building your content library. Over time, it could become one of your most valuable business marketing assets.
