Many entrepreneurs and small business owners believe that they do not need a content marketing strategy, but the opposite is true. As a small business or new venture, you’ll be competing with some big brands and a sea of information that’s available on the web.
More and more internet users are installing ad-blockers that hide pop-ups and banner adverts on sites, so that form of marketing is not the best option. So how do you inform people of your offerings and get the ball rolling on creating brand awareness?
The easiest (and probably cheapest) way to spread the word is through content marketing. Writing informative articles and compiling lists of solutions to common problems in your industry, then publishing this content on your website, is a good way to gain an organic audience. Although time-consuming, content marketing is guaranteed to drive traffic to your site if done properly.
What is a content marketing strategy?
A content marketing strategy is an outline that explains why you’re doing what you do. It defines who your target market is, what format is best suited to your audience, what they need to know about your industry and how you’re going to go about creating this content.
Included in your strategy will be the social media promotion of your content. You need to figure out what platforms are best suited to your content as not all social media is the same (i.e. if you create a job search website, LinkedIn will be a great platform to share your content about the employment industry, but Instagram will be virtually useless.)
Finally, a good content marketing strategy will determine how results are measured and performance will be tracked. The most common platform for tracking your content is Google Analytics, but there are other options available that allow you to track various metrics about your website.
Position yourself as an expert and leader
You’ll need to write about topics that your target market will want to read, and then engage with them on social media when you post the content. You need to create a two-way communication flow with your followers, ditching the old sales pitches with informative content that makes the audience think.
The idea is to position your brand as an expert in the field with valuable information to dispense. By uploading content to your website and social media channels regularly, you’ll get your company’s name out there more often. Your audience will feel more familiar with your brand if they see your content regularly on the social media feeds.
Research is critical for content marketing – publishing false or old information will quickly turn your audience against you. You need to check facts and establish truths; remember, sometimes there’s someone out there who may know more about the topic than you, so make sure it’s true.
Furthermore, if you establish yourself as a business that is willing to help the consumer (free of charge), then you will earn a trustworthy reputation. The more articles you write, the more free information you’ll be making available to your audience. Keep publishing and the followers will grow.
Make the content shareable
It’s all good to write content and publish it regularly, but you also need to make sure it’s shareable. By doing so, your followers can spread the word for you and drive traffic to your site for free.
The more channels directing traffic to your site, the better for your website’s search engine ranking. The easiest way to make your content shareable is to write about current events or provide useful solutions to problems. Your website will stay relevant and potential customers will be more likely to find your business before your competition.
Having fresh content on your website (and social media channels) also makes the user’s experience more positive. Your website and social media is often the first impression for consumers, so having relevant and up-to-date content is crucial if they are going take you seriously.
Content marketing takes time but once an audience is established, the growth can easily compound. Don’t give up and stick to your strategy – refine it along the way and learn from your shortfalls.
In conclusion, every company should promote its offerings in a way that is suitable for their audience. Know who your target market is and where to find them (on which social media platform). Finally, create a solid plan to reach them with engaging content and open up the lines of communication.
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