by The Computing Australia Group | Content marketing is a crucial facet of digital marketing. More and more businesses are slowly becoming conscious of the content they’re putting out into the world and how to profit from it. This form of marketing is vital, especially for small businesses, as it delivers high ROI for every penny you spend on it and gives you a chance to overtake the bigger opponents. So, what is content marketing? Why should small businesses use it to their advantage? Our experts at Perth explain.
What is content marketing?
Content marketing refers to creating and distributing engaging, relevant and valuable content to attract a target audience and retain their attention to facilitate profitable actions. In simple words, it is the practice of using text or visual stimuli to present your brand and gain the attention and trust of customers. Blog posts, infographics, podcasts and videos are some commonly used content marketing tools.
Content marketing and small businesses
One significant difference between small businesses and big enterprises is budget. While traditional forms of paid advertising can be beneficial in building your brand recognition, it also is an expensive tool that can be difficult to perfect without a high budget. On the other hand, well-planned digital content marketing is a marketing tool that will add value to your business without fail. It will also help you build a trustworthy bond with your target audience.
According to popular surveys, 70% of consumers prefer to learn about a brand via an article. Using podcasts, polls and other forms of content, you’ll be able to create a voice that’s uniquely yours. Content marketing can also help polish your public profile and catalyse positive exposure for your business.
Benefits of using content marketing for small businesses
The benefits that content marketing can provide for small businesses include:
- 1. Build a social presence: Consistently putting out engaging content will give you a solid social media presence. You’ll be able to build a relationship with your existing customers and attract new customers. Content marketing is a powerful tool to create a steady stream of organic traffic.
- 2. A better understanding of customers: One of the main benefits of content marketing is its endless communication possibilities. You’ll be able to have direct contact with your customers and understand what they know of your brand. By interacting with your customers, you’ll get a clearer idea of what the customers expect from you and adjust your marketing techniques to suit that.
- 3. Show your expertise: Content marketing allows you to demonstrate your knowledge in your niche. Giving in-depth information to customers will make them trust you more, and it will also help establish your brand as a thought-provoking leader in your field.
- 4. Cost efficiency: As already mentioned, digital content marketing requires relatively less capital. But be careful when you make decisions on what you invest in and how you invest. Strategic planning and execution will help you create engaging content that will make your brand stand out.
How to create quality content?
Quality over quantity holds true for content marketing. The kind of content you should use in your marketing strategy depends on your business and your niche. Everything you post should adhere to the user’s needs and expectations. Here are three simple tips for creating engaging content.
- Be original
It goes without saying that you must create original content for your brand to create its own space. If you can’t provide something extra, why should a consumer choose your brand over the others? Also, Google’s algorithm is laser-focused and will punish any content that duplicates another. Plagiarising will only leave a black mark on your brand. So, make sure every piece of content you create is original and valuable.
- Show your expertise
- Refer and cite
The internet is a resource mine, for both the good and the bad. Referencing trusted, well-known experts is an effective way to emphasise the authenticity of your content. You can also get in touch with established brands and cite their statements after obtaining permission. If you could create a bond with the brands and get them to reciprocate, you’ll be able to boost your SEO and the value of your brand as well.
How can you create an effective content marketing strategy?
A well-planned strategy is essential to create, share and promote content effectively. While an effective strategy should be unique to your business goals, these five standard steps can help you get started on creating a content marketing strategy.
- Define your goals: Clearly, defining your marketing goals is the first step in building a content marketing strategy. What do you aim to achieve from this marketing campaign? It is essential to identify the long-term and short-term goals and note them down as such.
- Understand your target demographic: Without knowing your audience, you won’t be able to create content aimed to attract them. Do your research and build buyer personas. Learn what the customer expects from your brand to complete a purchase. Try to understand the complaints, the pain points, the positives and the negatives of your brand through the customer’s eyes.
- Create target-specific content: It is vital to create content that matches each of your business goals. A well-written random blog would not do much for you unless it were created with a specific aim. So, aim to produce content that increases brand recognition, demonstrates your expertise and gets referrals.
- Create engaging, shareable content: With the dawn of social media, the significance of shareable content has increased tremendously. Content marketing for small businesses has its core in shareable social media posts. Create content that will give you more clicks and shares.
- Track your analytics and update: You should monitor every step you take in content marketing adequately. Tracking the performance of your campaigns and accordingly tweaking your strategy will give you a better ROI. The total number of visitors, the bounce rate and the conversion rate are some of the most important metrics to evaluate.
Read our blog on Content KPIs to know more about these metrics and why they matter.
Content marketing is a self-sustaining entity that can increase your brand recognition, boost conversions and customer retention rates. It is a powerful tool for small businesses that will help improve business visibility and keep up with the competition. Knowing how small businesses can use content marketing and creating a proper strategy will help you pass your business milestones quicker. If you need assistance creating a content marketing strategy, contact us or email us at sales@computingaustralia.group.
Jargon Buster
ROI – Return on investment (ROI) is a measure of the performance of an investment.
SEO – Search engine optimisation refers to improving the quality and quantity of organic website traffic.
Conversions – The process when a potential customer makes a purchase and turns into a buyer
Buyer persona – A fictitious representation of the target or ideal customers of a business.
