7 Reasons You Need Content Marketing
Small business owners have a lot on their plate. Between training employees, managing the books and serving customers, there’s not a lot of time left over to focus on small business marketing.
That’s why small business owners tend to gravitate toward marketing channels that have the potential to produce fast results, like paid advertising.
Content marketing, as a general rule, won’t produce fast results. It can take weeks or even months to start paying off, and it can be difficult to see why it’s worth your time and energy.
But content marketing is one of the most effective marketing channels available to small businesses. Here’s why:
7 reasons small businesses need content marketing
#1. Lower your CPA and increase your ROI
Paid advertising is great for generating leads, but it can be expensive.
Content marketing, on the other hand, has a much lower CPC (cost per acquisition). Not only does content marketing cost significantly less than paid search, but it has the power to generate a greater number of leads.
The more high-quality content you create for your website and social media profiles, the more visible your small business will be in the organic search results.
This increased visibility will lead to more website visitors and, ultimately, more leads.
Plus, content marketing is about targeting people who are actively searching for keywords related to your business, products or services. That makes them high-quality leads who are a lot more likely to click-through and convert.
With a low average cost-per acquisition, greater visibility and the potential to connect with high-quality leads, content marketing is one of the most effective and efficient ways to increase your ROI (return on investment).
#2. Rank higher in the search results
If you want your website to rank higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs), then you need to create content.
Search engines are constantly crawling websites, looking for new content to index. The more content you have, the more likely it is that your website will be indexed by the search engines.
And, the more content you have, the higher your chances of ranking for a variety of keywords.
One great way to consistently add great content to your website is to create blog posts for your website that contain long-tail keywords.
What are long-tail keywords? They’re simply keywords that are very specific to your product or service.
For example, let’s say you sell shoes. A short-tail keyword would be “shoes.” But a long-tail keyword might be “women’s size 12 black leather dress shoes.”
Long-tail keywords are great for small businesses because they’re usually less competitive than short-tail keywords. That means it’s easier to rank for long-tail keywords, and that can lead to more website traffic and leads.
Plus, people who are searching for more specific keywords, like in the above example, are more likely to be past the research phase and into the buying phase. That means they’re more likely to convert.
So, if you want to rank higher in the search engine results pages and connect with high-quality leads, content marketing is a great option.
#3. Get found in local searches
In most cases, when someone is looking for a great place to grab a bite or for someone who can fix their broken washing machine, they do a “near-me” search on Google.
For example, if someone in Denver is looking for a great Italian restaurant, they might type “Italian restaurants near me” into Google.
Google Maps will then show them a list of the most relevant businesses based on their location. If you want your small business to appear in these local search results, content marketing is key.
One way to do this is by creating a Google Business Profile listing and ensuring that all of your content (on your website and social media profiles) is consistent with the information on your listing.
Make sure to optimize your Google Business Profile listing with content, photos, videos and more. The more content you have on your listing, the greater the chance that your small business will appear in these local search results.
And, keep your Google Business Profile listing up to date by posting updates about your business and getting reviews from your customers.
By optimizing your Google Business Profile listing and regularly adding content, you can increase your chances of appearing in these local search results and connecting with new customers.
#4. Increase your social awareness and reach
Content marketing can also help you increase your social media reach and awareness.
Effective content marketing doesn’t just happen on your website. It should include your social media profiles. Creating content for your social media profiles is a free way to get in front of a wider audience.
When you create content for your social media profiles, make sure to include images, videos and links back to your website. This will help you increase your reach and awareness on social media while also driving traffic back to your website.
In addition, be sure to post content that is relevant to your target audience. If you sell products or services for people with kids, post content that will be helpful for parents.
The more helpful and valuable your social media content, the more likely people are to engage with it. That means more likes, shares and comments, which means more visibility.
Some types of social content keep paying off long after you’ve published it. A Youtube video, for example, could get new views for many years after you first add it to your channel. It’s like the gift that keeps on giving!
By creating content for your social media profiles, you can reach a wider audience, drive traffic back to your website and increase your social media engagement. All of which can lead to more customers for your small business.
#5. Stay top of mind in your subscribers’ email inboxes
Content marketing isn’t just about increasing your organic visibility and getting in front of new, high-quality leads. It’s also about helping you stay top of mind with existing leads and customers.
One of the best ways to do that is through email marketing.
Email marketing allows you to stay in touch with your leads and customers on a regular basis. When done right, it can be a fantastic way to drive traffic back to your website and generate repeat business.
To make the most of email marketing, start by creating a content calendar. This will help you plan out what content you’re going to send and when you’re going to send it.
Be sure to include a mix of content, including blog posts, infographics, images, videos and more. And make sure that your content is relevant and helpful for your audience — and that with every email, you provide value.
Don’t forget to include calls-to-action in your emails! These are essential for driving traffic back to your website and getting people to take the next step in their buyer’s journey.
Email marketing is a powerful content marketing tool that can help you stay top of mind with your leads and customers, while also driving traffic back to your website.
#6. Build trust and confidence in your business
Before someone is willing to schedule an appointment with you or purchase one of your products, they need to know they can trust you.
When you regularly publish high-quality content, you’re helping to position yourself as an expert and thought leader in your industry. This can go a long way in building trust with your audience.
In addition, by providing helpful and valuable content, you’re helping your audience solve a problem or meet a need. This can also build trust and confidence in your business.
Finally, content marketing can help you build relationships with your audience. When people see that you’re regularly publishing helpful content, they’ll start to see you as a valuable resource — not just someone trying to sell them something.
Building trust and confidence with your audience is essential to growing your small business. Content marketing can help you do just that.
#7. Stay ahead of your competition
Whether or not you’re investing in content marketing, you can rest assured that your competitors are investing in it. If you want to compete effectively, you need content marketing on your side.
With content marketing, you can stay ahead of your competition and position yourself as the go-to expert in your industry.
By creating content that is helpful, relevant and valuable for your audience, you can set yourself apart from your competition — and attract more customers to your small business.
An effective content marketing strategy will not only help you outrank your competition in the SERPs, but it can also help you build trust and win them over.
These are just a few of the many reasons why content marketing is essential for small businesses. If you’re not already using content marketing to grow your business, now is the time to start.
Creating high-quality content can help you attract new leads, build trust and confidence with your audience, stay top of mind in their inboxes and much more.
With the Marketing 360® Content app, you can track your organic performance on Google and Bing, including keyword rankings, impressions, traffic and more. Plus, work with a Content Marketing Specialist who can help you get ahead while saving time.
