Content remains king. Like most businesses, your business are probably struggling with time to keep your blog and website content updated, what to post on your blog, and with how to speak to today’s consumers. Content marketing is not a new concept. Content marketing and storytelling are more than advertising, they are about showing your current and potential consumers who you are. It’s about creating content that provides value to your audience that is consuming it.
Today’s consumer receives their media differently than they did a few year ago. Plus, Social Media and Digital communication have transformed how businesses communicate with buyers. Rather than just putting together a brochure to hand out, marketers need to take that brochure a step further and put that brochure digitally in content form on their website. This was previously done by direct mail pieces and advertorial content in magazines. Today it is more important than ever for small businesses to have a content marketing strategy.
Here are 5 reasons your small businesses needs to do content marketing.
1. Boost Organic Search Visibility
Today, marketers are creating more content than they ever have before. Creating a ton of content is good, but what is even better is creating quality content that resonates with your consumers. This is an area that small businesses can level the playing field with their competitors and really stand out from the crowd. By creating content regularly, I don’t mean writing a blog post once a month, I mean posting content on your blog a couple times a week. By creating regular content you can boost your organic search visibility, and propel you to the top of the search results. With a content strategy focus on answering consumer questions and being helpful by providing them with the information that they are seeking, you will be become the authority on the topic and be a source of reference for them. Turning the consumer from a 1 time buyer to a brand supporter for life.
2. Increase Web Traffic
One of the main goals of every business, besides increasing sales, is to increase website traffic. One way to do this is by through content marketing. Creating regular content on your website is a must. The more content that you are able to produce, the more information you will be able to share on your social channels, the more links there will be to your business in the organic search results, and the more opportunities that potential consumers have to find you. Google has a tendency to prioritize new content and give presence to businesses / organizations that add fresh content regularly. Plus, businesses that have an active blog, have more indexed pages on the search engines that ones that do not. If you are not adding updated content regularly, you would be missing out on a ton of organic search traffic.
3. Build Consumer Loyalty
Once a consumer makes a purchase, you don’t want them to disappear and not come back. One way to keep them coming back is by providing great content. They have already bought a product from you so they do not need the hard sell, they want to learn about new products and offerings and to learn something about you that they may not have known before. Be helpful in your content and the consumer will keep coming back. This is the perfect opportunity for you to build a relationship with the consumer. Understand their wants and needs and solve their problem through your story. Consumers want to do business with a brand that they trust.
4. Content Builds your Brand
Everything that you do online is about building your brand. Content is every where today. Your billboard, radio or TV commercial may entice a consumer to come to your website, but your content will keep them on your site longer and keep them coming back for more. To do that, you need to create great content. Content can be anything from a blog post, Twitter post, Facebook or Instagram update, or a YouTube Video, you just have to have it all working together. Creating content is today’s version of word of mouth advertising is a great way for you to introduce your business to new audiences and retain your past consumers. This will also help to get consumers talking and sharing about your business to their networks, which is a huge win.
5. Creates Longer Customer Retention
It is a lot easier to sell to an existing customer than it is to new customer. Once a person buys from you they are more likely to possibly like you on Facebook, follow you on Twitter or sign up for your newsletter. This allows you to keep those customers updated with new product offerings and services, tips and insights, and build a relationship with them, providing numerous upselling opportunities for you. Content allows you to talk with the customer long after they have purchased from you.
Content can be a very powerful tool in your marketing strategy. How are you using content in your marketing plan?
I was recently asked if I would be a conversation starter for the Social Media Roundtable discussion at the PR Council of Lake County meeting this upcoming Thursday. I use to be the chair of this amazing group of people, so it is always a privilege to share my knowledge with the group and learn what they are working on and how we can help each other. Anytime I start a topic on Social Media, marketing, blogging, etc, I always start by asking, who in attendance has a Content Strategy.