Content marketing is all the rage today. You would be mistaken if you think that it is meant for larger establishments. Small business owners have been working on content marketing continuously and seen great results. All one needs is a solid content marketing strategy.
Some of the newer business owners probably haven’t grasped the idea of what content marketing is. In a nutshell, content marketing is when you create content that is worthy of being shared on various social media platforms. It doesn’t necessarily rub the product or the brand name on viewers’ faces, but it is a subtle, yet effective form of marketing.
1. First things first
Before you lay out a marketing plan, it’s best to answer a few questions so you have clarity in what you’re doing.
What is your objective with content marketing?
The way content marketing works these days, it’s important to have an objective, rather than do it because your competition is doing it. Have a purpose and then work towards it. You may want to announce a new product or service, you may have a sale on your website, you may want to trend on social media, and so many other reasons why you might need to focus on content marketing.
Who is your target audience – age, background, sex, etc.?
After you figure out why you need content marketing, you must know whom you are marketing to. Your target audience depends on the kind of product or service you offer.
What are your desired results in a given timeline?
Are you looking for increased traffic on your website or a spike in sales? Is there a special occasion coming up so you want more people availing your product or services? There has to be a specific result you should target at while creating your content marketing strategy.
2. Communication
Once you have answered the above questions, it is easy for you to lay out a plan. You need to know whom you are catering to and where you need to find them.
Creating and executing a plan involves clear communication. Without that, the whole thing might turn into one big Chinese whisper. You intend one thing and the end result is an entirely different one. Assuming you already have a team in place, it’s crucial for the whole team to be communicating with one another and with you at all times and at all stages of the planning and execution.
Set clear goals for each team member and follow up with them at regular intervals. You will save a lot of precious time going back and forth when everything is clear to everyone.
3. Creating buzz
It doesn’t matter that your business is small. What matters is how much buzz you can create. A buzz on social media will easily generate a lot of curiosity in everyone online.
You can do teaser campaigns across platforms that work really well of capturing people’s attention. A well-crafted campaign that is executed diligently is sure a big way to make your presence be felt.
4. Saving costs
Content marketing may overwhelm a few small businesses, considering how expensive it can get. But that is only if you outsource the work to giant agencies. If you have a good team, who can do all the work in-house, you will save a lot of big bucks.
You will need a graphic designer, a copywriter, and a social media expert. These people are your investment. By hiring a tight team like this one, you won’t need to outsource your content marketing work.
5. Quality over quantity
As a small business, you should know that quality is key for success. The same applies to content marketing. No matter what your strategy, if your content isn’t up to mark, you won’t achieve desired results.
With a small business, small mistakes can turn out to be expensive ones. Create content, which is free of errors and plagiarism for best results.
6. Content distribution
Now, it’s not only enough to create and strategize content marketing. It is important to be able to distribute your content on various channels. The first being your social media.
Since your reach would be relatively shorter, it’s best to find various outlets to showcase your media on. Be it popular online content publications or through relevant people that make a difference, it’s a great way to have your content out there that can grab more eyeballs. For a small business, it can do wonders.
7. Email Blasts
Many people will tell you that email marketing is fading away. You don’t need to listen to them. Email marketing has proven to be one of the most effective ways of making people aware of your products and services.
For small businesses, it works out in terms of cost as well. Email blasts to a significant number of users may lead to potential customers. Don’t forget to include this in your strategy and execution.
8. Tracking everything
One of the most important parts of content marketing is tracking your campaigns. You might have a great plan and you might execute it well too. But you won’t know whether or not it has worked if you don’t track the performance of your content online.
As a small business, time is money. You don’t want to be wasting your time planning and executing dead ideas. The sooner you know, the quicker you can strike out ideas that don’t work.
Content marketing may sure seem like a lot to do. When you see your competition do multiple things at once and do them well, you would want a piece of that too. With clear communication and air-tight strategy, you should be able to execute an almost perfect content marketing plan that will help your small business elevate to new levels. Content is king even today and it specifically works for online content. With the right kind of content, you can get the right kind of customers you’re looking for.
