How to Use Content Marketing to Establish Your Small Business

Running a small business means constantly looking for ways to grow; content marketing can help you in this area. According to a survey by Semrush, nearly 100% of marketers who used content marketing as part of their strategy in 2023 achieved success.

This means using content types like infographics, blogs, email newsletters, or even social media posts to market your services and offerings is guaranteed to increase traffic to your website and leads.

Of course, content marketing is not all about the “content” but instead the delivery and strategy implemented on it. We will cover all of that in this post.

What is Content Marketing?

It is a form of advertising that uses quality and regular content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.

Every consumer wants to buy from the “best,” and to prove yourself as such; your business must provide some value to the consumer even before they make a purchase. This is where you can use content marketing to build your brand name and establish yourself as an authority in your field.

Traditional advertising is getting old, boring, and annoying (although still efficient), but content marketing is a game changer. No one likes being interrupted by annoying ads when playing mobile video games or watching a YouTube video. In fact, the odds of a consumer clicking on those ads and making a purchase are very low.

Content marketing, on the other hand, is about offering the consumer the information they need and indirectly advertising your services in the process.

Let’s say a consumer is looking for the best color of socks to use on navy blue chinos, and you happen to be selling socks and have some well-optimized blog posts on the topic. The chances are high that the consumer may buy from you after benefiting from your content—that is the power of content marketing.

That said, let’s discuss strategy.

Define Your Content Strategy

Creating content is one thing, but having it reach your target market is another story entirely, and it largely depends on strategy and planning. This is why a well-defined content strategy is a great way to start.

You must first ask yourself:

• What are my services?
• Who is my audience?
• What can I offer that others are not offering?
• What freebies can I use to attract them?
• What information are they regularly searching for?
• What is the best content form to provide this information?
• How can I rank my content above others?

These are the questions to use in forming an efficient content marketing strategy. They cover all your ideal customer’s major pain points, interests, and personas.

Then, there’s the brand voice to focus on. You know that you won’t be the only one in your field hoping to use content marketing to attract new clients, so try to be different in your brand voice.

You could use humor to define your brand voice. Be the brand that knows how to lighten the mood of your potential customers when they read or view your content. This will make them return to your website or channel when they need new information and increase their chances of buying from you.

Provide Compelling & Consistent Content

Building a strategy is good, but you must also invest the same energy in the content you’ll use the strategy on. Your target audience has pain points and questions they need answers to; do not craft half-baked blogs or videos and shove them down their throats; it will not end well.

Take the time and do the needed research on the topic you want to cover. Ensure every area related to that topic is covered, and compose your output in an enjoyable way to view, read, or watch.

According to HubSpot, 89% of consumers want to see more video content than other forms of content. So, make more videos and attach them to your blogs. If the consumer wants to read, good! But if they need to watch a video to understand what they’re looking for, then at least they have that option.

Many small businesses have yet to realize the benefit of owning a YouTube or video channel, but you can capitalize on that and open one for your business. Post well-edited videos and ensure your brand voice is consistent across all your content formats.

Consistency and optimization are also great areas to prioritize for your content. You must post frequently and ensure that your videos, blogs, and social media posts have the right keywords and SEO best practices to rank above other content. You’re competing with other businesses, so don’t be left out.

Don’t Limit Your Content Channels

According to Exults, a renowned company specializing in digital marketing for law firms, many firms and businesses believe having a social media page and a website is enough to promote their brand image, which is wrong.

The channels you use to share your content are just as important as the content itself. Posting your blogs on your website alone is not a smart move when you have a LinkedIn page that you can also post on and attract more customers.

It’s the same as not having a video channel at a time when everyone wants to learn from a video, and “streaming” is a big deal. You must expand your content territories to attract the customers you’re looking for.

Social media apps like Snapchat, Facebook, X, and Instagram are great for B2C businesses, while Reddit and LinkedIn are familiar places to use for B2B businesses before progressing to advanced channels like YouTube, Rumble, and other streaming platforms. The more channels your content appears in, the easier it is to establish your business as an authority and get more leads.

You must also prioritize strategies to build your newsletter community through effective email campaigns. Offer freebies if necessary, but ensure you’re building your email list. These are the people who will patronize you more, so you must colonize them to love and enjoy your brand content.

Wrapping Up

Being a small business owner can be tiring and even complicated at times. We understand these factors and hope you can use these tips to take your business to the next level.