Content marketing has certainly been taking the business world by storm recently. As a small business owner, you might be hearing this term or reading about it all over the place, but how can you make it work for you?
First, it’s important to understand what content marketing really is. As a practice, it has existed for some time; however, the term “content marketing” is relatively new. Falling under the general blanket of inbound marketing, which focuses on attracting business by engaging customers and prospects in a two-way dialogue as opposed to a one-way broadcast message, content marketing is a technique used to attract business through content. It’s a way to educate your customers and prospects. The idea is that if you answer their questions and write about your industry without going in for the hard sell, they will see you as a valuable source.
And when they see you as a valuable source, they want to do business with you.
What is content, you ask? Think of anything you’re creating to help educate your customers and prospects. Here’s a list of some types of content that are frequently used:
- Stories
- Articles
- Case studies
- Interviews
- Images
- Infographics
- Video
- Newsletters
- White papers
- eBooks
This is, of course, a very short list. There’s a lot of content out there!
Let’s talk about blog posts, though. If you want to make a go of content marketing, having a business blog is essential.
What do I post on a business blog?
It’s a valid question. After all, people tend to think along the lines of, “unless I’m having a sale or promotion, I’ve got nothing to say.”
With a business blog, you’re not going to say much about yourself. You’re going to write about your industry and news that affects it. If you’re in healthcare, you’re going to write about medical breakthroughs and what they mean for your patients. If you’re in automotive sales, it means you’re going to write about different cars’ safety features, the latest and greatest, and recalls. If you’re a corner bookstore, you’re writing about authors, books, and news from the literary world. If you’re a locally owned restaurant, you’re writing about health and nutrition and sharing recipes (not your secrets, of course!).
Hopefully you get the picture. No matter what industry you’re in, there is a way for you to write about it without being self-promotional. Note that all of the above suggestions are ways to educate those who are consuming your content. You’re answering their questions, and as you’re doing that, they’re gaining trust in you as a source. You’re building up your authority. Content marketing that is done well is a win-win situation.
Can I post about my own events and offers?
Of course! But use these kinds of posts in moderation. Too many posts that are all about you, and your content starts to lose its educational value.
But I’m just a small business. No one is going to read this.
Not true. There are plenty of small businesses out there who are doing such a phenomenal job of content marketing that they’re getting recognized on a big-business level. People will read it. You just have to keep at it and not give up even when it feels like you’re writing to yourself. Everyone experiences that, and it’s where many good businesses throw in the towel.
Think globally. Write for a larger audience. If you’re based in Maine, there’s no reason why you can’t educate someone in Hawaii through your content. You never know when they have contacts in Maine, after all, and are willing to give references.
Is that it? Just blogging?
Not quite. Blogging is a strong foundation for your content marketing, but you want to vary the approach a bit. It’s not just all text. As you get used to posting, include other types of content, as well. Mix and match. Have fun with it. Try video blogging or creating an informative video with your business. Add some images. Include charts or infographics and discuss what the findings mean for your industry.
How much of this should I do?
This will vary by business, but you want to be a regular presence. Once a week is the absolute minimum, but if you can do more, it’s certainly encouraged. After all, the more content you’re able to produce, the better traction you’ll create. This means more people consuming the content, which can ultimately lead to more leads in the funnel for you.
Remember, the immediate goal of content marketing is to educate. The overarching goal is to build the trust that helps move your content consumers into the funnel. Once they’re in the funnel, you can ramp up the kind of content they have exposure to seeing (for example, maybe you have a guide or an eBook available for download and you offer it in exchange for an email address).
And finally, don’t sacrifice quality for quantity. Good content will sell itself and your business. High volumes of poor quality content not only stand a good chance to hurt you in the search engine ranks, but they also hurt your chances of attracting quality customers.
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Tips Using New Media For Small Business: In this series brought to you by Spark Business℠ from Capital One, we will provide entrepreneurs and established small business owners with a foundation in social media and content marketing – two must-haves for any marketing strategy. As we know the Business 2 Community readers and community take a particular interest in small business topics, articles in this series will also provide tips and tricks, as well as other points of interest for any small business looking to make an impact with their customers and on their bottom line.
This content is sponsored by Capital One. All opinions are 100% my own.
Inbound marketing is a great way to build authority in your space. Directly promoting yourself or talking about yourself can be a really bad move. I have experienced it first hand in the insurance niche. Since insurance is a tough vertical, you have to be really creative with what you talk about and that goes for every other niche. Creating compelling content that is of TRUE value, unique and educational/useful is a great way to create an impact with readers and hold that trust factor. When you think of it, it’s a no-brainer however, a lot of SMBs get it wrong and shove products or services in your face.
Great post btw.
Thanks, Mark! I completely agree with what you’ve said here. Creating valuable content that isn’t self promotional seems so simple, but I think that’s why so many businesses get it wrong — because it’s so simple that it’s overlooked. Appreciate the comment!
- Renee
B2C Managing Editor
Content marketing has worked well for us at Yolk and is really starting to pay off. We combine it with traditional inbound tactics, driving people to our content. A significant aspect of content marketing is lead capture though, try to get signups to newsletters and nurture your leads by providing them with relevant and compelling content.
Thanks for commenting, Jon! Glad to hear that you’re seeing some positive payoff from content marketing. I also like how you say it’s starting to pay off because I think that captures something that a lot of people overlook: it’s a process. It’s not something that’s going to show instant reward, and since there’s no set time on how long it takes, many businesses give up way too quickly.
- Renee (B2C Managing Editor)
Excellent post and all very valid statements. We’re just starting a more formalised social media strategy and your article is very useful thank you. From my understanding it’s very much trusting a none self-promoting option rather than shamelessly plugging away to a far from nieve audience!
Martin
Hi Martin,
Glad you found the post helpful as you get started! You’re absolutely correct that it’s better to give your audience some of value and aim to educate than it is to promote and advertise. Thanks for commenting!
- Renee (B2C Managing Editor)
This was a great article to read, thank you Renee. I know here at ZOG Digital, we take our blog serious and see it as a great way to connect with our followers on different levels. We try to make each blog unique and tailor it towards a certain industry or a hot topic of that week.
We also feature “Learns” every month. They range from infographics to how-to’s on topics that fall within digital marketing. We think its a great way to show our followers we are experts in digital marketing and want to share some of our expertise with them, you can see some of them here– http://www.zogdigital.com/#!/learn/directory.
-ZOG Digital
Thank you so much, Sunny! Blogs really are a great way to connect with followers, aren’t they? :) Very cool what you’re doing with ZOG Digital’s blog!
Very timely, Renee! A couple good examples come to mind from my particular line of work: http://www.misspickering.blogspot.com and http://www.floretflowers.blogspot.com
Thanks, Jen! Glad you liked it ;) I think it definitely applies to what you’re doing!
Great read, Renee. Just to mention also, email marketing can be another area to experiment with and integrate in your content marketing efforts. Like you’ve said, a combination of text and images. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for commenting, Matt! Glad you liked the post. Excellent point about email marketing, as well :)