Content is the Newest Secret Weapon for Marketing Your Small Business

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Remember how in cheesy old sci fi movies, the hero would pull out his secret weapon and save the day? Well you can be the superhero for your small business if you know about the newest secret weapon for online marketing:  content.

Content? Huh?

What I mean by “content” is blog posts your write to help your customers with a specific “pain point”. You then share your articles through your social media channels with links back to your website. This is called content marketing and it’s extremely helpful for small businesses, especially those competing with larger, more well-established brands.

Content marketing helps your small business build trust with your customers and demonstrate expertise in your industry.

Here are the top three reasons why your small business should invest in a content marketing strategy.

1. Content Marketing is Cheap

Every business is on a budget, but for small business marketers, there’s no way you’ll outspend the big dogs in your industry. (But hat doesn’t mean you can’t steal their lunch money!) A well executed content marketing strategy will pull traffic away from your competitors and to your website.

A recent study showed that content marketing generates 3x as many leads and saves you over 60% when compared to other outbound tactics. And as long as your not in a highly competitive industry like real estate or insurance, it’s even better than spending money on Google or Bing Ads. Writing blog posts and promoting them on social media is the least expensive way to help your SMB appear in organic search results. (Btw, if you have a a local “brick and mortar” small business and you’re looking to stretch your marketing dollars, check out these 5 ways to improve your local SEO.)

2. Tell Your Brand Story

Global enterprises hire huge public relation agencies to help them get media exposure.

But, hold on! There’s no need for small business owners to worry: the web has transformed the way we share information. Nowadays small companies and solopreneurs can toot their own horn and present themselves as thought leaders via their blog, social media or niche publications.

Content marketing is the newest secret weapon that allows you to control how your brand is perceived – just like the big global behemoths. As your content marketing skills grow, you’ll develop your own distribution channel that will tell your brand story directly to your target audience.

3. Build Relationships

Have you ever thought about why someone chooses you over one of your competitors? Is it because you’re more affordable? Better service? Are you closer? Or maybe it’s that your clients simply prefer your brand vs. the big guys.

The main reason people prefer small businesses is because they feel understood and valued. Content marketing through storytelling is the way to build and reinforce customer relationships through blog posts, videos, email newsletters and social media.

Storytelling is how small businesses can distinguish themselves from their competition. And content marketing is how to weave your brand’s story.

Let Rushminute Help

There’s a lot that goes into creating and maintaining all of your digital properties. We know. We’ve helped dozens of clients in the U.S. strengthen their brands with website makeovers, social media management and digital marketing. If you’re in the process of updating your site or need a “go to web guy” to help you manage your digital properties, Rushminute can help. Contact Rushminute or schedule a virtual cup of coffee and we’ll talk about your vision and how a great website can help you achieve your business goals.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robbie Moore is the founder of Rushminute, a digital marketing agency in Lincoln, Nebraska. With 20+ years of experience in digital marketing, Robbie has worked with dozens of companies and organizations, large and small, around the globe. He also writes extensively about design, development, and business in general.

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