tl;dr version: there's like a TON of benefits to content marketing and you desperately need it in your life ASAP
Let's face it: 2020 is f'ing crazy. And yes, the profanity was necessary. Someday we'll hopefully look back on this year and laugh (cry?) about how insane everything was. But for now, we're still living it and it has taken its toll on us all. I personally know I'll look back on it and laugh at the irony of leaving my corporate job and starting my own business right before all of this started. Yeah, the timing hasn't been ideal for my wallet, but I'm also grateful to not be sitting on 87 Zoom calls a day.
Like many small business owners, I have felt the weight of what's happening in the world this year. How can we not? But the best thing we can all do right now is ADAPT. Small business owners are creative by nature, finding our strengths and plugging them into a need that someone has. It's what we do. Managing a small business through these times doesn't have to be terrifying if we can all learn to adapt.
One way to do that is to embrace this online world we are living in and make the most of it. More than ever, your next potential customers are online and if you want to reach them, you have to be online too. One easy way to do that is through CONTENT MARKETING.
What is content marketing?
In simple terms, content marketing is the creation and sharing of relevant, useful, and consistent content to attract and retain customers. It is giving your current and potential customers info they want in order to drive your business, even when that info has no direct connection to your business.
Why do I want to do that?
If you're a small business owner, an independent contractor, a real estate agent, any number of the professions that involve drumming up your own business.... I have to ask why you WOULDN'T want to dive into content marketing.
Below are just a few of the benefits of content marketing, in case you need to be convinced:
Helps you be seen by prospective clients by increasing visibility of your brand
This one seems pretty obvious, right? We all know that saying: "all publicity is good publicity." If you're trying to grow your business, what could ever be bad about reaching more people? If you reach 1,000 new people and only 2 of them take action, make a purchase, call you, etc., that was two more leads than you had before. And while those other 998 may not have taken an action right away, they still know about you now and are more likely to recall you later. Winning.
Helps to build trust in your brand
One of the greatest things that content marketing does is to allow you to build trust in your brand by providing current and potential customers with content that they want and need - for FREE no less. Wow, that's like, super cool of you. Now they like you and are more likely to convert to customers.
Greater return on a smaller investment
Don't get me wrong, paid advertising still is and will always be a thing. But the biggest investment you usually need to put into content marketing is your time. Sure, that might be in tight supply for you, especially if you're also currently working as a part time teacher for your kids. But if you're trying to grow your business, then chances are you're ready to put time in. And the ability to make progress with content marketing without needing to put any cold hard cash into it is definitely appealing. Also, it's important to remember that content marketing can be farmed out. I, along with about a billion other individuals, am sitting by my laptop waiting for you to ask me to help develop and share content.
Boost organic search visibility
For those who aren't well-versed in the lingo of SEO (search engine optimization), you can absolutely appreciate a good ol' Google search. Creating and regularly sharing new content from your social media accounts and website makes it more likely that you're going to get more hits on searches, ultimately driving more visits to your business.
Establish your brand as a resource
Similarly to the trust you are building in your brand, being a resource to your current and prospective clients will keep them coming back. You and your business will be top of mind when they are in need of something, and that is never a bad thing.
Hopefully this intro to the What and Why of content marketing has been helpful and convinced you of why you need it in your life like, yesterday. Be sure to come back next week when I dive a bit further into the HOW.
And if you're ready to get started with content marketing, and need help getting your feet wet or want someone else to just do it for you, feel free to reach out. I can help you develop a strategy, or discuss your goals and help you manage it regularly.
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