In the competitive landscape of online marketing, your local business can still stand out and attract new customers with the use of creative, high-quality content. Having quality content has always been important for converting sales, but Google has become even more sophisticated over the years and now rewards content that is of real interest and value to customers.
Creating good content, and sometimes forking out the cash to get it in front of your audience, can be extremely helpful for small or local businesses. Here are the basics for starting a content marketing strategy for your business:
1. Give the People What They Want
Even though it may seem obvious, it’s worth saying that in order to create engaging content, it needs to communicate things your audience wants to know. This can include anything from answering their frequently asked questions and providing information about your product to sharing the latest news in your industry or providing entertainment.
Utilizing more than just text can enhance your content as well. Infographics, video or other images to demonstrate your message can be easily understood and shared.
2. Make Your Content Public
Getting your content in front of your audience begins with posting it online. The best way to contribute to your owned media is to post these on your business’ blog. Anyone can be an author online, and the benefits of posting content are more than just SEO. According to HubSpot, 82% of marketers who blog daily gained customers using their blog.
You can build your brand, authority and credibility through providing valuable information. You can also expand and become featured as a guest blogger for other industry-related websites to gain more of an audience.
3. Pay to Play
The days of free promotion are almost behind us. Even though it is free to post on your company Facebook page and other social media channels, it is almost impossible for your entire audience to see your posts unless you pay to boost them. If your content is good enough to engage people and gain interest in your products or services, paying to promote that content is well worth it. According to Reuters, some small businesses spend an estimated $5 to $50 a day on promoted posts and ads on Facebook. Thankfully, a small amount can go a long way in Facebook post boosting.
Reaching your audience can seem intimidating these days, as your local business competes with big names and bigger budgets. But by developing a powerful content marketing plan and finding the best ways to promote that content, you can reach more people in organic and paid search to build your reputation and customer base.