My heart sinks and my eyes are flooded with tears when I think of how unfair the world is to Small and Medium-sized Businesses.
You put your heart into all you do. From the products you make, to the services you render. And what do you get? Peanuts.
Everyone wants to squeeze out whatever cash they can from SMBs. SMBs are not respected, you are cheated and don’t get what you deserve.
You put in blood, sweat and tears to make your customers and clients happy yet they don’t recognize you. They see you as just another option.
But all that will change today because I want to share with you your own unfair advantage – Content Marketing.
Yes, content marketing is a potent marketing tool you can use to stand out from competitors, big or small.
Content marketing is the key to unlocking the hearts of your customers and getting the respect, recognition and recompensation you deserve.
What Is Content Marketing?
First you need to know what “content” is.
What is Content?
Content is anything on the internet or social media platforms that shares information or passes a message to your visitors.
Whether it’s write ups, images, videos, audio etc. Anything on your website/social media that passes a specific message to your audience.
Content is what your customers consume. Like blog posts, informational videos, funny pictures, etc.
Uses of Content.
Content serves 4 main purposes.
- Educate:- Keep your audience updated. Share knowledge to help solve their problems.
- Entertain:- Everyone could use a good laugh every now and then. The idea here is to show your audience that your business isn’t only out for their money, but to make them happy.
- Inspire:- Sometimes all people need is just a word of inspiration. Let your audience know that you’re with them through thick and thin.
- Convince:- In the end, you want people to buy from you. Great content can convince your audience that your business, products and services are the best for them.
Content Marketing.
Marketing is simply telling people about your business with the aim of selling to them.
With content marketing you give your audience something valuable to consume for free (Articles, Videos, Images).
You educate, inspire and entertain them. Then finally convince them to do business with you. You connect your business to the needs of your audience, answer their questions, remove their fears.
When your content speaks deeply to your ideal customers, they will buy from you.
3 Reasons Why Content Marketing is Important.
1. Create and attract new customers.
I say create because there are people who need what your business offers but they are not aware.
Take Dr. John for example. A dentist who runs his own dental clinic.
Everyone needs to see a dentist at least once a year. But not everyone knows that. With great content he can educate people about the need for regular dental check-ups and convince them that his dental clinic is the best fit for them.
That way, apart from attracting people who already have pressing dental issues, he’ll be creating new customers too.
2. Website Ranking
This is important because 75% of users don’t go beyond the first page of google search.
Content is a key factor for website ranking. If your website is empty and lacking quality content you can never rank on Google’s first page.
That means you won’t attract new customers over the internet.
Your website will be a liability.
3. Stand out from the crowd
Every day thousands of new businesses are created. There are so many others out there who do what you do.
To stand out you need to breathe life into your business through content marketing. You need to show your target audience that you know them, their dreams and their fears, that you care for them and that your business is the best fit for them.
Just pause for a minute and think about this. Between a business that only cares about your money and tells you how great their product is and one that also educates, inspires and entertains you, who are you more likely to buy from?
What are the Benefits of Content Marketing
1. Get organic traffic.
Traffic means people coming to your website.
Organic traffic means people who visit your website without you paying for advertisement. You didn’t spend money for them to come.
When you have high quality content that interests your target audience and when your website is well optimized, people will come to you freely.
2. Reduce ad spend
Content marketing reduces ad spend in 2 ways.
First is, since you’re getting organic traffic, the amount you spend to acquire customers will be reduced drastically.
Second, you get insights into what your target audience truly wants. So when you place ads, they’ll be more effective. It helps you know who wants to do business with you so your ads will speak to them directly.
3. Loyal customers
Content marketing is a great way to bond with your target audience. Remember content isn’t only for marketing, but also entertaining and inspiring.
When your customers see that you genuinely care about them, they will love and remember you always.
Your brand becomes their friend. They will tell others about you.
4. Grow your business
Content marketing isn’t a one way street. This is why it’s so powerful.
It helps you get feedback and insights into what your target audience truly needs.
You can offer better products/services in response to feedback and gain even more customers.
What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Content Marketing?
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Content marketing is highly effective and saves money. But it also has its downsides.
Advantages
- Increase brand awareness
- Save money
- Stand out
- Build KLT factor
- Loyal customers
Disadvantages
- Slower than paid advertising
- Requires more work (content creation)
Who needs Content Marketing?
EVERYBODY!!!
Every brand, business, anyone. So long as you need to attract people to what you offer, you need content marketing!
Sorry I got too loud.
I needed to let you know you can’t do without it.
Even if you have millions of dollars to spend on ads, content marketing will help a great deal in breathing life into your business and earning the trust of your target audience.
Paid ads put people off sometimes. It’s like all you want is their money (which is actually the case most times). How do you feel when an ad interrupts your YouTube video or disrupts a game you play?
To grow your business and attain massive success you need to build strong relationships with your customers.
It doesn’t matter what you sell or what services you render.
One thing that separates winning businesses from starving ones is effective content marketing.
People buy from whom they know, like and trust. Content marketing is how you develop that bond.
How to Use Content Marketing to Grow Your Business.
Whether you sell clothes, software, perfume, skin care, hair, courses etc. or offer services like consulting, medical, legal, advertising, event planning etc. You can use content marketing to reach a wider audience and scale your business.
Follow the 6 easy steps below.
1. Know your audience
This is the most important part of content marketing. If you don’t get your audience research right, everything else will fail.
Ask yourself;
- Who is the ideal customer for my business?
- Who can I serve best with what I offer?
- What are their interests and how is it connected to my business?
- What are their desires and how can my business help them?
- What are their fears and pains and how can my business take it away from them?
- Where are they located and on what social platforms can I find many of them?
When you know your audience inside out you can speak to them directly, strike their nerves and create a bond.
2. Create a compelling message.
Now that you know who your target audience is, what they love and how to find them, create an offer they can’t resist. How can your product or service make their lives better?
Your message should speak to their underlying fears and desires. Check out this case study at the end to understand better.
3. Brainstorm content ideas.
You know your audience, and you have a compelling message. How can you use blog posts, videos, infographics, memes, etc to attract your audience and pass your message to them.
Good content ideas should do two things.
- Be interesting enough to attract your audience.
- Be relevant to your business so you can convince them to buy from you.
You can also turn to your competitors for ideas that are working.
4. Create a content marketing strategy.
Put your ideas to paper and set goals.
What would you like to achieve with your content over the next 30 days and how will you do it?
a) Decide the channels you’ll use to catch your audience’s attention and draw them to your Business. e.g. Blog, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest etc.
You don’t have to pick all. Only the ones that will give you the best results. Consider where you can find a greater number of your target audience.
b) Create a schedule so you stay consistent.
How often will you post content? At least once daily is recommended.
It is also advisable to stick to a particular time of day when your target audience is most active.
c) Set key performance indicators. This will help you know if your content marketing is effective. For example
- Increased follower count across social media
- Increase in number of visitors to your website
- More enquiries about your products/services
5. Create content
If you do everything above right, this should be easy.
Always have your audience and your goals in mind when creating content.
Other tips to note
- Use attention-grabbing headlines
- Use words your audience understands.
6. Promote.
Share your content and engage with your audience.
Conclusion – Start Now
No matter where your business is or what forms of marketing you use to attract customers, content marketing can scale your business to the next level.
To build a business that will stand out in today’s world you need content marketing.
You now have everything you need to start an effective content marketing campaign.
Use it to your advantage and stand out from the crowd.
If you need help with setting up an effective content marketing strategy book a free call now.
Frequently Asked Questions about Content Marketing
How long does it take to get customers with content marketing?
It depends on your online presence and the resources you have.
If you’re starting from scratch, without a website and active social media accounts, and if you don’t have spending power, it will take at least 1 to 3 months to see results.
Is content marketing worth it?
Investing the time and resources needed to get you a consistent inflow of free traffic and long-term customers is absolutely worth it.
Anything else you want to know? Contact us.
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