Tag: strategy

Do you have a content marketing strategy? Content marketing is an extremely valuable way to help build your inbound marketing. Content provides value for your prospects and helps position you as an expert in your field. The challenge for small businesses is that content like emails, eBooks, blogs, etc. can be time-consuming and expensive to create.

Here are 5 simple content marketing tweaks for your small business.

1. Use Guest Bloggers. If you have a blog on your website encourage guest blogs, perhaps from some of your satisfied customers. Share these blogs via your social media channels and other online sources. Ask guest bloggers to create blogs about subjects of interest to them, and they will likely appeal to your prospects as well. You can ultimately build an army of guest bloggers to provide a wealth of content for you.
2. Make Use of Surveys. Interesting survey’s make for good content marketing, especially when you post their results and associated comments. Surveys can be used to engage prospects and clients and exchange feedback. You’ll want to be careful however, to avoid the two hot buttons of conversation: religion and politics. You don’t want your content to get off the rails. Instead, create business or personal related surveys that may spur discussion. “What percentage of your gross revenues do you spend on marketing?” or “How Many Tattoos Do You Have” are very different questions but both could provide interesting insight into your readers. Use this insight to create relevant content.
3. Use Video. Sitting in front of a video camera and talking about a subject that relates to your customers is an easy way to create content that can be very shareable. If you are in real estate, create a two minute video about five quick ways to prepare your home for sale. If you own a Fitness Center, it is easy to demonstrate the proper way to do pull-ups, sit-ups or a variety of other exercises. Lawn Care companies can create a variety of self-help videos on lawn care and gardening. Instructional videos showing how to use your product can help “sell” your product.
4. Use Photos. Photos, especially interesting images, can make for solid content. Have you just acquired a new piece of equipment? Have you remodeled or recently moved? Have you hired a new employee? Photos  can be of interest to viewers, especially if there are accompanied by clever captions. Photos are also a way to interact with viewers either by creating a photo caption contest or asking for submissions on a particular subject.
5. Make Use of Employees. Your employees can be a source of some terrific content. They each have their own areas of expertise and have experience and tips to share with readers. You can make employees a part of instructional videos or blogging. Include photos to add interest.  Employees may ultimately develop their own personas and online following.

Content is a valuable component of online marketing. These tweaks will expand your small business content marketing strategy and provide you with more materials to work with. You can get more mileage out of your content by piecing them together in new ways for different channels.