Content marketing institute found that just 21% of content marketers in North America are “extremely” committed to content marketing. You have to spend more time promoting than creating content. In this article, I’m going to explain the benefits of content marketing, give you a few success stories to inspire you, and give you an action plan to get started right now. Benefits of Content Marketing for Small Business Why would you even want to commit to content marketing? Neil Patel found that content marketing leaders experience 7.8 times more site traffic than non-leaders. Content Marketing Institute found that “While content marketing costs 62% less than outbound marketing, it generates more than three times as many leads.” You can create content on a very small budget and still get results. You can get all of this and more, despite being a small business, if you fully commit to content marketing. You see, they tried content marketing. To create an effective plan, you need to figure out: Who you plan on writing for (i.e. your reader persona) What you plan on writing about (i.e. your main content topic) How often you’ll create content (I recommend at least once a week, but no less than once a month) What keywords/phrases your customers are using (search on Reddit, social media, Google, etc.) What your goal is (i.e. brand awareness, traffic, subscribers, conversions, etc.)
Does content marketing really work for small business?
That’s a question I hear all the time — and it’s a good one.
You see huge players like American Express and IBM creating loads of amazing content…
…but they have the resources and money to throw at it.
What about the little guys — the solopreneurs or small businesses of two to ten people? Can content marketing work for them?
I’m here to give you an absolute, undisputed YES!!
However, there are a few caveats (there’s always a caveat, right?):
- You must commit fully to content marketing. Content marketing institute found that just 21% of content marketers in North America are “extremely” committed to content marketing. The other 79%? They’re just wasting their time (and everyone else’s, too).
- You have to spend more time promoting than creating content. One of the biggest content marketing myths is “create amazing, out of this world content, and the readers will come.” This is FALSE! Unless you promote that content, NO ONE will see it, share it, or convert on it — period.
If you’re ready to finally commit to content marketing and stop wasting everyone’s time, read on.
In this article, I’m going to explain the benefits of content marketing, give you a few success stories to inspire you, and give you an action plan to get started right now.
Here’s a clickable index so you can get straight to where you wanna go:
Now, let’s talk content!
Benefits of Content Marketing for Small Business
Why would you even want to commit to content marketing? What can you look forward to if you fully commit?
Oh, there’s a lot. How does this sound:
Increase your traffic by 800%.
That’s right. Neil Patel found that content marketing leaders experience 7.8 times more site traffic than non-leaders. Not too shabby, eh?
Rank higher on search engines.
Without content, it’s going to be very difficult to rank your site on Google or Bing. Content gives you the extra, well, content needed to optimize your site and appear on search.
Establish authority and thought leadership in your industry.
Who do you view as an authority in your niche? If I asked you why I bet I’d know your answer — you see their face on high-quality, authoritative content across the web.
Generate more leads — and more sales.
HubSpot found that businesses with a regular blog generate 126% more leads than those without. With more leads, you get more chances to sell.
Receive big benefits for a small investment.
Content Marketing Institute found that “While content marketing costs 62% less than outbound marketing, it generates more than three times as many leads.” You can create content on a very small budget and still get results.
You can get all of this and more, despite being a small business, if you fully commit to content marketing.
I won’t lie to you — it’s not going to be easy or quick. Some believe it takes at least six months to see results from a content marketing initiative.
Personally, I’ve seen it done in weeks. It all depends on the amount of time and effort you have available to invest.
With the right content and the right promotion, anything is possible.
Small Business Content Marketing Success Stories
What would I be if I didn’t back up my claims with real-life examples? A fraud, that’s what. As such, here are five examples of small businesses using content marketing…
COMMENTS