Ah, content marketing. You know it’s important for your business, but why is it so important?
You’ve come to the right place. Here we will talk about what content is, how to come up with a content strategy, and why you need to be doing it for your business.
What is Content Marketing?
Content marketing is a catch-all term that includes any type of written or digital marketing communications that are meant for the purpose of building credibility for your small business, engaging with customers, advertising new product offerings or services, as well as being THE place for customers to learn about what you do, and offering helpful guidance and tips to keep them coming back to your business for more.
“In short, content is designed to engage, inform, and provide value to your target audience.”
Content marketing is an effective way to meet your customers where they’re at, inspire, persuade, and answer questions, all while promoting strong brand recognition and obtaining those sought-after leads. The best part? You get to sell, without making your customers feel as though they are being sold to.
3 Big Examples of Content Marketing
Now that you have a general idea of what content is, let’s get you some examples of it in action. Some of the best-known content marketing examples include but are not limited to:
- Blogs
- Newsletters/E-Blasts
- Social Media Posts and Management
What Are Blogs?
Here’s a little secret-you’re reading one!
Blogs are a wonderful way to connect with your customers and show them that you have the solutions to their problems. They can be entertaining, or informative, and when paired with some well researched keywords, can do wonders for your online presence.
One of the primary purposes of blogs is to drive traffic to your website, after all, isn’t that what you want? Because the more people visit your website, the more likely your chances of making a sale.
I’m following, but how can newsletters and e-blasts add to the value of my small business?
We’re glad you asked.
Newsletters come in a variety of formats. The ones you may be most familiar with are E-Blasts or E-newsletters. Other forms of newsletters are printed. Imagine an annual report from your favorite charity, or a print copy of a magazine that is full of articles and other fun or interesting information.
Newsletters are important to add to your content marketing strategy, because they open up a direct line of communication from your business to your customers and prospective customers. They can be personalized with the name of your recipient and include exclusive offers for them. Additionally, they help keep your business “top-of-mind” for customers, even if they aren’t ready to make a purchase just yet but want to in the future.
Here’s an example of newsletters in action:
Have you ever received unique access codes or special coupons based on your purchasing or shopping cart activity? Or perhaps you’ve got a cart full of products or services but fail to follow through and purchase. Companies will often offer a discount code, because they’ve discovered they can increase their chances of a sale if the customer checks out within a certain amount of time (usually 24 hours.) How do they notify them? They send them an e-blast or newsletter of course. Makes sense, right?
Don’t Forget the Socials.
Another vital aspect of content marketing and definitely one more tool for your content marketing strategy toolkit is social media posting and management.
This is one of the most-well known types of content. Think about a brand you follow. What do they post? You’ll see a variety of content on their pages, such as written posts with a nice photograph, a holiday graphic, a sale announcement, or a simple infographic that informs them of what they need from your business and why. More recently, businesses have been utilizing video content and video ads to reach their customers.
Posts range from memes, funny GIFs, now hiring posts, to other announcements, such as weather delays or closings, new product or service launches, and sharing blogs or newsletter links that take customers to your website.
This is all CONTENT! Pretty neat, huh?
Most credible businesses have at least one Facebook Business page or Instagram profile, but platforms vary based on the industry your small business is part of. Learn more about our social media services here.
You’ve talked about what content marketing is and gave me some examples, but how do you come up with content people actually want to read, watch, or otherwise engage in?
The process of planning, creating, scheduling, posting, and tracking the effectiveness of your content marketing campaigns is called Content Planning. Seems straightforward enough, doesn’t it?
Actually though, this is where the complexity of content marketing really takes off.
Whether you’re just not very good at planning, or you struggle consistently coming up with interesting and engaging content ideas, content planning is there to help guide your strategy toward the direction you want your small business to go.
It all starts with identifying your target audience, running split or A/B testing to observe the effectiveness of campaigns, running analytics, keyword research, market research, and a whole lot of trial and error to find out what is best for your small business’s marketing goals. Then once you’ve figured out all of the above, it’s time to create a content calendar.
Wait, There’s MORE?
There sure is.
A content calendar is a living, breathing document, and is always subject to change based on what your analytic reports tell you. It’s a spreadsheet, or Word document that outlines the type of content you want to include, relevant to your industry of course, and can include tips and tricks, sale announcements, introducing new staff members, infographics, hours of operation, videos, links to your blog, special holiday posts, behind the scenes business, and so much more.
They are typically done a month in advance, and it’s a great way to plan, schedule, and post, so you don’t have to worry about forgetting or coming up with new ideas every day. It’s time-consuming at first, but once you’ve got your plan, it makes the rest of your marketing strategy so much easier.
Content is Complex, Ever-Changing, and a Lot to Think About
It’s overwhelming, isn’t it?
You may be thinking, “Gee, that sounds like a lot of work. I’m not a writer/graphic designer/videographer etc.”
You’re in luck, because that’s what we at 828Biz are here for. We help you create your content marketing strategy and content creation so you can get back to doing what you love best, which is running your small business.
Wanna Know a Secret?
With a Content Marketing Expert by your side like 828Biz and our experienced team, content marketing doesn’t have to be overwhelming. We’ll take care of it all, from helping you find your brand’s voice, straight down to how you want customers to see you, and keeping them engaged, blog after blog, newsletter after newsletter, and social media post after social media post, time and time again.
Give us a call at 828-412-0444 or set up a FREE 20-minute consultation here!
We look forward to working with you!
