Content Marketing Ideas for Small Business: As a content marketer, I’ve outlined ideas that are set to take off in 2024.
If you follow my blog, you know I talk about my experiences in small business and digital marketing. I’ve worked in digital marketing for over 10 years, partnering with top US agencies. Now, I’m working on my own digital marketing business.
I often see small business owners and startup founders struggle with making content. They put a lot of work and time into it, but don’t always see the results they hope for. I get that making content is tough, especially when it doesn’t pay off.
So, what’s causing the issue? Could it be that they’re not making enough content, or is the market just too crowded?
I’ve observed that their content marketing isn’t up to par. They create enough content but don’t market it well. In this blog, I’ll present 16 creative content marketing strategies to improve your content significantly.
Let’s get right into it.
Article Breakdown
What is Content Marketing?
Let’s start by explaining content marketing. It’s a way of making and sharing valuable content to attract and keep a specific group of people interested, with the goal of getting them to buy something. In simple words, it means creating good content that your audience likes, which helps lead them to buy from you.
This is how content marketing works:
- Make content that’s useful, related to what people want, and keep it coming.
- Pull in and keep an audience that fits what you’re doing.
- Know what your audience likes and what they’re looking for.
- Help fix their issues or keep them entertained with what you create.
Think of content as the king and content marketing as the queen in the marketing world; both are super important for winning strategies.
Why is Content Marketing Important for Small Businesses?
If you run a small business, you might be curious about why content marketing matters for your success. Here’s why:
- It’s affordable—You can market through content without spending as much as you would on traditional ads.
- It helps people trust you—Sharing useful and relevant information regularly makes you look like an industry pro. This makes customers more likely to buy from you.
- It spreads the word about your brand—Good content can help more people learn about what you do.
- It boosts your online visibility—When your content includes the right keywords, your business is easier to find on search engines.
- It encourages people to buy—Content that clicks with what your audience wants can lead them to purchase or follow your call to action.
8 Effective Content Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses
1. Share your content on social media
Social media is a great way to show your content to potential customers. A study shows that over 3.8 billion people use social media around the world, and this number is expected to grow to nearly 4.41 billion by 2025. That means a huge audience.
Using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to share your content and talk with your followers is a smart move.
Posting content on social media helps more people see it, and you get to connect with your audience. It’s not just about getting noticed; it’s about creating a group of followers who like your brand.
This means more people visit your website, you get more potential customers, and you sell more because you’re talking to a wider group interested in what you have.
Social media is great for getting quick feedback and chatting with your audience, helping you figure out what they like and how to make your content even better.
How to do it:
- Post your blogs, articles, and videos on your business’s social media.
- Use hashtags that match your topic to get more people to see your posts.
- Talk to your followers. Answer their comments and ask what they think or if they have any suggestions.
2. Implement SEO techniques
Most importantly… Putting SEO tricks into your writing makes more people find you online. A recent study shows organic search brings in 53% of a website’s visitors, so it’s really important for small businesses to make their content friendly for search engines.
When you use SEO, your stuff pops up higher when someone searches for it. This means more folks come across your content and click over to your site. Since most people just check out the first few options they get from a search, being at the top is key.
By using smart SEO moves, you can climb up in those search rankings and get more visitors.
How to do it:
- Pick keywords that match what people are looking for and use them in your writing.
- Get links from other trusted sites back to your stuff.
- Make sure your website is quick to load and easy to use on phones.
3. Make Your Content Useful
People like reading stuff that helps them out or teaches them something more than just ads. A study showed that 70% of folks prefer to learn about a business through articles, not ads. This means it’s super important to make content that’s valuable because it not only pulls in customers but also makes your brand look good.
However… Make sure your content is something your audience finds helpful, not just about pushing your products or services. This approach earns you trust and looks good to potential buyers.
Aim to fix an issue or answer a question your audience might have. Content like this tends to get shared more and seen by more people.
How to do it:
- Look into what interests your audience and whip up content that matches what they’re looking for.
- Offer useful tips or information that relates to what you do or your industry.
- Highlight how your offerings can tackle a common issue your target market faces.
4. Try Email Marketing
A study shows that 80% of marketers saw more people engaging with emails last year. This means email marketing is a powerful way to connect with people interested in what you offer, especially for small businesses looking to keep in touch with their customers.
With email marketing, you can easily reach out to those interested in your brand. By building an email list, you can update both potential and current customers about what’s new, share special deals, and provide fresh content regularly.
It’s a smart strategy to make sure your brand stays in their minds for when they’re ready to buy something or need your services.
Here’s how:
- Give something away or provide a special deal in return for their email addresses.
- Regularly send newsletters that include updates, deals, and new stuff.
- Tailor your emails to fit your audience’s interests, making them more engaging and relevant.
5. Work with other companies or famous people
Teaming up with other companies or well-known people in your field can help more people learn about your brand.
When you join forces with others who aim for a similar audience but aren’t your competition, you can attract their followers and get your brand noticed more. It’s a win-win because both sides can get more website visitors, more social media fans, and sell more.
A study showed that 89% of marketers think working with influencers brings in as much or more money compared to other ways of marketing. This shows how powerful these partnerships can be for your business.
By collaborating, you can both benefit from shared content that promotes what you offer.
How to do it:
- Look for companies or famous people who share your brand’s values and aims.
- Plan a project together or make something together.
- Share what you’ve created on your social media and theirs.
6. Use What’s Popular
Staying on top of what’s happening now and using popular topics can make your content hit the mark with your audience. A study here showed brands that keep their content up-to-date saw a 73% boost in how much people interacted with them compared to those that didn’t. This shows that adding fresh, trending stuff to what you share not only makes your content interesting but also helps you connect better with people by being part of the big conversations going on everywhere.
By catching on to what’s trending, your content has a better chance of being shared more and reaching more people.
How to do it:
- Always know what’s going on in your field or what people are talking about.
- Make content that fits with these hot topics and links back to what you do.
- Use the right hashtags and get involved in social media chats about these trends.
7. Make Content People Want to Share
Create content that looks good and shares useful or fun information so people want to pass it on. When more people share your content, it helps more folks see what you’re all about and boosts your brand’s reputation. A cool study found that content with great visuals gets 94% more views than those without, showing how important nice design and presentation are for share-worthy content. Making your content easy to share means it can pull in more visitors and show off how great your brand is in the online community.
Think about using cool graphics, videos, or fun quizzes that people can easily share on places like Facebook or Twitter.
How to do it:
- Add awesome visuals to grab attention.
- Share something valuable or fun in a unique way.
- Put sharing buttons on your site so it’s super easy for people to share your stuff.
8. Make a content plan
Getting your content ready ahead of time helps you keep a regular flow that fits with your business goals. Having a plan for your content isn’t just about being organized. It’s about making sure your content does the best job of pulling in and keeping your audience interested over time. A survey found that 69% of the most successful marketers write down their content strategy. This shows that planning is crucial for being an effective marketer compared to those who don’t plan as much. When you plan your content, you can mix things up, share posts that go along with current trends, and keep a constant presence that captures your audience’s attention. Creating a content calendar helps the team work better together, making it easier to share tasks and collaborate.
How to do it:
- Pick a spreadsheet or online tool to organize your monthly or yearly content.
- Think about key dates, holidays, and events that could matter to your business.
- Set up your posts ahead of time for regularity and to manage your time better.
How to Check if Your Content Marketing is Working
It’s really important to see if your content marketing is doing well. This means looking at what’s doing great and what needs to be better.
Here’s what you should look at:
- Website visits: Use something like Google Analytics to see how many people are coming to your website and how they got there.
- Social media likes and comments: Watch how many people like, share, and talk about your content to see if they like it.
- Email opens and clicks: These numbers show if your emails are grabbing people’s attention.
- Leads or sales: Keep an eye on how many people are buying stuff or signing up because of your content.
Wrapping Up
Content marketing offers small businesses a great opportunity to stand out. Using the tips we discussed can attract more attention to your brand, keep your audience engaged, and support your business’s growth. Begin with small actions, experiment, and continue with what’s effective for you.
Tools to Help Along
To help with your content marketing, here are some handy tools:
- Canva for making cool graphics
- Mailchimp for sending out emails
- WordPress for blogs and managing your site
- Hootsuite or Buffer for handling social media
- Google Analytics for keeping an eye on your site and campaigns
P.S. Getting good at content marketing takes time. Be curious, creative, and keep talking to your audience.
