4 Reasons Content Is Your Captain When Marketing Your Small Business

You’ve heard it before, and you’ll hear it again: as a small business owner, sailing the vast, open seas of online marketing, content is king your captain.

Although much older than you may think (over 100 years in fact), content as a marketing strategy has made it’s way to the mainstream as a means for brands to stand out and get noticed. Simply type “content strategy” into Google and get ready to be smacked in the face with endless articles singing the king’s praise.

But as a small business owner, you’re curious, hesitant, and wondering, “why is this content-thing so crucial as a strategy for marketing my company?”

Let us break it down for you in these four ways.

1. In the Driver’s Seat. Creating and sharing content (e.g. social messages, videos, e-newsletters, blog posts) drives the discovery of your brand and your product or service offerings across multiple channels. When published on a regular basis, quality content serves to attract new leads, inform current customers and encourage repeat visits to your social media channels and website. Simply put, content is now a crucial ingredient in helping you achieve key business objectives like building brand awareness, increasing lead generation, and driving your website traffic. A recipe for longevity, wouldn’t you say?

2. SEO Made Simple. Rewind five years and get dizzy listening to your web or marketing team explain the need for “meta this” and “keyword that”. Today, SEO is more simplified in that it is quality, consistent content that helps your ranking and the discoverability of your brand across search engines. Every time a new page is published on your website (e.g. a blog post), it results in one more opportunity for your website to show up in search engine results and then drive more traffic to your website. Plus, every blog published helps a brand get discovered on social media – people can then share your new content across their social channels, which helps to expose your brand in front of a new audience you may not yet know.

3. Show & Tell Your Brand Story. Content as a marketing strategy is more than advertising – it’s about showing your customers who you are, rather than just telling them. Today’s consumers want to know that there are real people behind a brand – a company rich with authentic experiences, growth, failure, and success. Emotion is a key driver of why people share content; therefore using content to showcase your brand culture invites consumers to take part in the evolution and growth of your company – helping to prove that your brand is one they can get behind.

4. Community & Customer Loyalty. Getting and keeping customers’ attention today is no small feat. When you invest in ongoing quality content, it has a greater chance of getting consumed, liked, and shared. Content, when delivered through social media, also allows for feedback. You can then gauge your customers’ attitude and get to know their needs and demographic much better. Plus, publishing quality content on a consistent basis can inspire discussion, allegiance, provoke thought and get everyone talking. The result? A community of loyal followers who have a reason to invest time into your brand and keep coming back for more.

Got milk questions? Interest piqued but not convinced? We love chatting with curious small business owners about all things content. Connect with us today and we’ll dig in together.