maybe you’ve come across the term “content marketing” before while you were looking up small business blogging or marketing strategies for your business. or maybe you’ve seen the phrase, “content is king.” but what exactly does that mean?
simply put, marketing using content involves creating and distributing helpful information relevant to your audience (your potential customers) without directly selling your product. it’s essentially providing valuable knowledge to your customers. the content you distribute is anything that your business puts out there for others to see: your website, blog posts, videos, facebook updates, tweets, etc.
sell without selling with helpful blog posts
one of the easiest ways to get started marketing with helpful and informational content is to create a blog for your small business. this will be your place to publish and circulate your thoughts and advice to your (potential) customers. this technique has been successfully employed by big companies and small businesses alike – in fact, you’re reading our blog right now! by consistently generating useful blog posts for readers, your small business can build a reputation as a source for trustworthy information. that trust will translate into interest for your product and in the long-term, promote customer loyalty (something we know a lot about here at fivestars). as an added bonus, all this stuff that you write floating around the internet will make it easier for people to find your website and your product.
whether you’re a seasoned blogger or one that’s just starting out, we can all agree that finding something to write about might just be the hardest part. we all have those frustrating days when a blank page stares back at us for hours and hours. the fast-paced world of marketing is constantly changing, and that means you need be open to learning new things in order to create the freshest and most engaging blog posts for your readers…
the importance of learning in your marketing strategy, via convince&convert:
content marketing is an evolving field based to a large extent around the fact that you can never finish learning. for that reason, someone who is dead set against learning new things, new ways of operating, and new methods of success is not going to make it. they’re simply not a good fit. read more…
staying up-to-date on the latest trends and news may seem time-consuming, but it’s worth it. not only will it give you great material for future blog posts, but it can also provide for stimulating discussions with your readers. in fact, ongoing education is one of the best ways to avoid a common blogging dilemma:
the sound of silence: why your content gets ignored, via marketingprofs:
marketers know that content is vital for building an audience. but sometimes the most relevant and witty content simply doesn’t get traction. it might be the most insightful blog post, but it doesn’t spark interaction or engagement with the intended audience. so what went wrong? for some insight into why content gets ignored, let’s look into a hypothesis called “warnock’s dilemma,” proposed by a man named bryan warnock. he offers five scenarios for why your posts might not gain traction. read more…
it’s always frustrating to spend hours writing a blog post, only to find it receives very little attention from the online community. in moments like this, remember why you started your blog to begin with: to provide your unique view on topics relevant to your readers, while also promoting your brand somewhere along the way too. so go ahead and spend a little extra time researching your topic and audience – the goal is to shape your blog into a credible source of information that your readers can come back to time and time again.
i know, i know, you can’t always have the answers to all the most interesting questions in your field. there may even be days when you feel like you don’t possess enough knowledge to write anything at all (i know i do). breathe a sigh of relief – according to this article, it’s completely okay not to know sometimes:
how “i don’t know” can make you an authority in your industry, via buffer:
there is more than one way to cement yourself in the minds of your followers beyond traditional authority. if we can earn a reputation as a go-to source for social media content by embracing what we don’t know, then the opportunity’s there for you to do the same. find whatever it is you’re good at, and become the best you can be. soon enough, your facebook and your twitter and your blog will be known for the quality, exceptional work you do, regardless of what it is that you don’t know. read more…
so stop worrying about whether or not you are “an authority” on what you write about! not knowing can lead to creativity and innovation, and at the very least, not knowing will drive you to find out and learn (see first article mentioned!).
does your business have a blog? let us know in the comments below!
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