The Smartest Rules of Content Marketing for Small Businesses

Content marketing for small businesses is essential – but do you know the rules that will lead to real results?

Are you a small business owner looking for new ways to bring in customers? The art of selling without really selling, otherwise known as content marketing, can be a powerful tool when used in tandem with other methods of digital marketing.

It can be difficult to navigate the world of content marketing when it is constantly changing. Never fear! We’re here with the top rules of content marketing for small businesses – and no, it doesn’t involve throwing your hands up into the air while screaming, “Think outside the box!”. Instead, our tips will give you tangible advice on what to do (and maybe even more important — what not to do!) so that your small business’s content strategy helps drive actual customers through your door.

The Pillars of Content Marketing for Small Businesses

1. Know Your Audience

Before you even begin to think about the content, you need to know who your customers are and what they want from your brand. Content marketing isn’t just a means of pushing out information; it’s an opportunity to build relationships with potential customers. Knowing exactly who you’re talking to can give you a better idea of the type of content that will be effective.

2. Be Value-Driven

Your content should offer your audience something of value; it should educate, inform, or inspire them in some way. Content marketing is not about pushing products and services — it’s about providing consumers with useful information that will help them make decisions and build trust in your brand.

3. Strive for Quality, Not Quantity

It’s easy to get sucked into the “publish as much as possible” mentality, but it’s important to remember that quantity doesn’t always equal quality. Instead of trying to produce a ton of content, focus on creating meaningful pieces that offer value to your audience.

4. Utilize Different Content Forms

Content isn’t just limited to written text — there are plenty of other forms that you can use to reach your customers. Video, podcasts, infographics, webinars – the choice is yours! Utilizing multiple formats will help you reach a wider audience and offer your content in different ways.

5. Share Your Content

Creating content is only part of the equation – you also need to make sure people are actually seeing it. Share your content on social media, send out email newsletters, and use other digital marketing tactics to help get your content seen by the right people.

Tips for Small Businesses

1. Don’t Be Afraid to Get Creative

Small businesses have an advantage when it comes to content marketing — they can take more creative risks than big brands. Since there is less at stake, you can try new things and experiment with different ideas without fear of failure.

2. Leverage Your Employees

Your employees are often your biggest asset — use them! Invite them to join in on content creation and tap into their knowledge, expertise, and skills to create interesting and engaging content for your audience.

3. Monitor Your Performance

It’s important to track the performance of your content so that you can see what is working and what needs improvement. Monitor your content’s reach, engagement, and conversions to get an idea of how well your content is performing and make adjustments as needed.

4. Don’t Give Up

Content marketing for small businesses takes time — don’t expect overnight success! Keep producing valuable content that resonates with your audience, and you’ll eventually start seeing results.

How to Get Started

Set Goals. Before you start creating content, set some realistic goals for yourself. What do you want to achieve? How will you measure success? Having a plan in place will help keep your content strategy on track.

Develop an Editorial Calendar: An editorial calendar can help you stay organized and ensure that all of your content is planned out in advance. This will help ensure that you’re producing content on a consistent basis and not scrambling at the last minute to create something.

Get Creating! Once you’ve got your goals and editorial calendar in place, it’s time to start creating content. Write blog posts, create videos, develop infographics — whatever resonates with your audience.