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Content marketing: A quick guide for small business owners

Content marketing: A quick guide for small business owners

Posted: Wed 17th Jun 2020

Writing content as a marketing strategy can often be pushed to the bottom of a busy small business owner's list. But content is a powerful way to promote your brand and get new customers.

Here are some tips on how to make content marketing work for you.

What is content marketing?

Put simply, content marketing is the practice of building and maintaining an audience through engaging content. In real terms, this means engaging a group of people that one day might buy your product or service.

Why should I do it?

We've entered an era where every business needs to consider itself a TV station and a magazine. The quicker you figure out your strategic content marketing plan, the faster you can use content to drive meaningful business results.

The difference between content marketing and other marketing strategies is that where a paid advert may be seen for a brief minute, valuable content can be a long-lasting source of qualified traffic to your website.

For instance, if you were operating in a niche market selling oven-element replacement units, the likelihood is that you have a lot of first-time buyers who understandably have little idea what an oven element is.

If you publish a piece of content advising people what element replacements are and providing tips on how to fit them, this will likely become a good source of traffic to your website. This is because people will see you as an authority in an otherwise uncertain situation.

How do I do content marketing?

The golden rule to effective content marketing is to always add value. By creating engaging content your readers will find helpful, you're building a relationship with them.

Once you've built this relationship, you can then kindly remind readers of the products and services you offer and link them to your website or product page.

Only write content if you feel it's something you truly know about and have experience in. Your audience will respect your authenticity if you're offering advice from your own personal experience.

It would be naïve to believe that by just writing a piece of content, people will read it. Your intended audience won't just stumble across it, it's your job to make sure they see it.

Contrary to belief, putting your content in front as many eyes as possible is not a reliable method of building an audience. You need to make it visible to people who are interested and will take value from it. Here are a few tips on distributing your content for maximum effect:

Social media channels

If you already have social media accounts for your business, it's likely that your followers on those platforms will be interested in the content you post. Keeping these channels up to date with fresh, engaging content is a great place to start.

Guest blogs

If you can identify influential blogs or news outlets in your market, don't be afraid to ask to write a guest post for them. If you can get your content posted on a respected source in your industry, it's sure to become an outlet of interested traffic to your website.

Previous customers

A database of email addresses from previous customers could be a goldmine of untapped potential. Sending out a simple weekly or monthly newsletter to your previous customers could remind them of your services and keep you in mind next time they need what you offer.

Relevant resources

Enterprise Nation has helped thousands of people start and grow their businesses. Led by founder, Emma Jones CBE, Enterprise Nation connects you to the resources and expertise to help you succeed.

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