Content marketing strategy guide to level up your small business marketing
When you're building a name for your small business, your goal is to stand out as a relatable and trustworthy industry expert. A robust content marketing strategy uses valuable and engaging information to foster a relationship with your target market and sell products. Popular types of content marketing options include blog posts/articles, eBooks, email newsletters, podcasts, video content, social media posts, infographics, and customer testimonials.
The benefits of content marketing for small businesses
Consumers are more likely to purchase from brands they trust, so utilizing the right content marketing tools can do wonders for your overall performance.
Save on marketing costs
Including a blog on your company website, posting to your social media accounts and sending email newsletters to customers increase brand awareness and revenue without cutting into your budget.
Build relationships with customers
A solid content marketing strategy lays the groundwork to form loyal relationships with customers. Develop content that highlights your brand and products, but also provides valuable and interesting information or advice. For example, if you sell nutrition and fitness plans, create articles or videos that share healthy recipes and exercises. Or, if you’re looking to get your homemade jewelry business off the ground, build an Instagram presence that shows customers how to style your pieces with different outfits.
Drive traffic to your website
Search engines place high-quality content at the top of the search list. Regularly posting quality content brings a constant flow of consumers to your website and social platforms, helping your SEO ranking. The higher your ranking, the more clicks you’ll get.
Establish yourself as an industry expert
Sharing valuable information is a key part of a good content marketing plan and places you top of mind when your audience needs information related to your industry.
Complement your advertising strategy
Ad blockers installed to a user’s browser help filter out traditional ads. Creative content marketing efforts allow you to mention products and services in a more organic way like blog posts and videos.
Get started with a killer content marketing plan
These commonly used tactics can help you develop a solid plan for your business.
Develop a content marketing strategy
Every piece of content you create should be aimed at your specific target audience. Develop several clear and measurable objectives that you can refer back to when brainstorming content marketing ideas. Ask yourself these questions:
- What information do you want to share?
- Who do you want to reach?
- What is your ultimate goal?
Choose your platforms
Pick two or three platforms to start your content marketing journey. Once you get into a routine and start growing your audience, consider adding additional platforms to your content marketing plan. Content marketing examples can include:
- An informative blog
- YouTube tutorials
- Eye-popping Instagram posts
- A witty Twitter feed
Create an editorial calendar
The key to a successful content marketing strategy is consistency, so design a calendar to schedule regular content and track your posts. The frequency depends on which types of content marketing you’ll be using – space email newsletters or podcasts about a week apart, consider posting twice on your blog each week and plan daily social media posts.
Publish content
Your content—such as blog and social media posts—should include a call to action in each piece, so your audience knows what to do next. Link to products you discuss, encourage them to subscribe to your newsletters or provide buttons to share content. FedEx Office has free templates to create attention-grabbing print materials, too. Physical brochures and business cards can supplement your digital content marketing with valuable information, customer testimonials and a call-to-action, like to shop now or share on social media.
Publish content
Your content—such as blog and social media posts—should include a call to action in each piece, so your audience knows what to do next. Link to products you discuss, encourage them to subscribe to your newsletters or provide buttons to share content. FedEx Office has free templates to create attention-grabbing print materials, too. Physical brochures and business cards can supplement your digital content marketing with valuable information, customer testimonials and a call-to-action, like to shop now or share on social media.
Promote your content
The “if you build it, they will come” days are long gone. You need to tell people about your content. Send an email newsletter with your latest blog post. Link to your podcast from your website homepage. Play your product demo video in your store. Tell the media to cover the interesting results from your recent industry survey.
Track content marketing metrics
It’s important to track your content to see what is and isn’t working. A tracking service — like Google Analytics — allows you to see which posts perform the best and if you get more clicks at specific times. Keep that information in mind when creating and publishing your future content marketing pieces.
A strong content marketing strategy increases sales, builds long-term relationships with customers and gives you a leg up on the competition. In addition to your online efforts, FedEx Office can help you create the print materials you need to take your business to the next level.
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