Content marketing has become a huge factor in earning a solid rank on Google since 2015; however, small businesses have been having a hard time adjusting. Small businesses can sometimes tend to be stuck in their ways when it comes to marketing and stick to the traditional route. Don’t get us wrong, there is nothing wrong with traditional marketing; however, traditional marketing alone will not help you to truly see the results you need.
In this post, we will explain what content marketing is, how it works, and how it can help you take your business to new heights!
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What is Content Marketing?
Content marketing is a form of marketing in which material is shared online to help express interest in a company. This material can include things like:
Blog posts
Videos
Social Media Posts
Newsletters
Online Courses
….the list goes on.
What Makes Content Marketing So Important?
Content Marketing is vital to a small business’ success for a few reasons, actually:
It Establishes Credibility
Content marketing is one of the easiest ways to show your audience that you know what you’re doing! No one wants to hear about someone being an expert in a certain field, only to talk to them and realize that they don’t know anything! Content marketing is kind of like your personal bullhorn to say, “Hey! I’m here and I know a lot about this specific topic! Come check my business out!”
It Establishes Trust
Since the beginning of time, trust has been a big deal in both online and traditional marketing – content marketing helps to enhance that trust! Customers want to know that you are there for them, that you have their back. Build a sort of friendship with your customers and show them that you are real and genuine. If a customer leaves a review, take the time to thank them. If someone reposts your work on Instagram, at least like the post and leave a comment, expressing appreciation for them shouting you out. If someone Tweets you a question, try to answer in a timely fashion. If you interact with your customers, they will interact back with you and become more comfortable approaching you for business.
Content Marketing Is Unlimited
The beauty of content marketing is that you have options! Small businesses can choose what they want to do. Perhaps your budget can’t handle video – try to shoot for blog posts! No time for an online course? Try and take advantage of email newsletters! Content marketing can be customizable, which is why it’s one of the best ways to market yourself! Not to mention that it works – Studies have shown that over 70% of marketers had such great results with content marketing last year that they plan to increase their efforts this year (Source: SnapApp)!
It’s not Overly Sales-y
The whole idea of content marketing is more about showing rather than selling. Rather than traditional marketing, where marketing is seller-centric, content marketing is buyer-centric, giving consumers the option to look at what you have to offer and make the purchase on their own. Content marketing is great because you are never forcing yourself down your audiences’ throats, you are simply feeding them small bits of interactive and engaging content to reel them in.
It’s Affordable
This might be one of the most favorable parts of content marketing – it’s not extremely expensive! Content marketing is all online, so your cost is going to be less than if you took a purely traditional route to your marketing efforts.
Content marketing can be easy, fun, and effective, but only if done properly. The best things always take time, and this is no exception. At the end of the day, consistency is the key to success. J.D. Scribes would love to help you in your marketing efforts. For more information on how we can help you, please feel free to contact us.
