Dave Pelland has extensive experience covering the business use of technology, networking and communications tools by companies of all sizes. Dave's editorial and corporate experience includes more than 10 years editing an electronic technology and communications industry newsletter for a global professional services firm. |
Generating Leads With Small Business Content MarketingAs your customers and prospects research their professional and personal purchases online, content marketing provides a framework for you to publish information that positions your company as a reliable and informed provider. Developing educational content to help your customers and prospects answer questions, solve problems, and understand emerging industry and marketplace trends positions you as an expert and builds trust in your small business. Producing content consistently helps you attract leads, build brand awareness, and inform prospects so they advance to the next step in your sales process. Increasing your visibility in the market leads to awareness, and then to leads and potentially sales. Publishing content also helps you build trust because each article, video or other asset highlights your marketplace expertise - both individually and collectively as part of a robust library of thought leadership content. Variety of Formats Because people in your audience are likely to have different preferences for how they consume content, it’s important to provide the same information in different formats to reach as broad of an audience as possible. The most common formats for marketing contact include:
And whatever format you choose, it’s beneficial to repurpose that information into other formats to broaden its reach. Similarly, it’s important to provide a mix of general content for prospects who are conducting initial research, as well as more detailed content for customers further in the selection process. Understand Your Customers A critical early step in the content marketing process is thinking about your prospects and customers. Who are they? What are their needs and challenges? What social media platforms do they use? Understanding where they are conducting their online research, and the search terms they are using, can provide valuable insights into where you should be publishing to meet their needs. Develop a Schedule While the idea of producing content on a consistent basis may appear imposing at first glance, developing a process and schedule can make it easier. It will be helpful to:
Most companies try to publish content at least once a week. As you develop content and establish a rhythm, this will become easier. And as your audience grows, you’ll start to see the benefits of an effective small business content marketing program. Read other technology articles |