Content marketing is a tactic any small business owner can use to promote their business.

Why invest time with content marketing?

Three reasons:

• Web searches: local, social, and mobile searches are increasingly used to find goods and services
• Content that delivers value is a great opportunity to demonstrate competency and showcase how you differ from competitors
• Custom content builds your brand

Example: Real Estate Agent

A real estate agent’s job is more than selling a house—they have to sell the entire package surrounding the house, too: neighborhood, schools, job prospects, investment possibilities, etc. There are fair housing rules to ensure licensed Realtors do not discriminate or comment negatively on, say, a particular neighborhood or street. Within this context a Realtor must sell the buyer on the positive aspects of any particular house or street.

A Realtor could create the following custom content for marketing purposes (assuming s/he stayed within the boundaries of their license):

• Monthly email newsletter highlighting positive trends, area news, or niche-specific expertise (e.g. historic home restoration and sales)
• Video clips that educate prospects on “things to look for when evaluating a home”
• Audio series that discusses area history
• Postcard series that offers bite-sized landscaping, remodeling, or other tips
• QR codes: one Realtor I work with creates QR codes which direct to custom webpages for each of his luxury homes. These codes are distributed on all his web and print content.

Notice that these suggestions are all different media: written, visual, aural, and hard-copy print.

Preferred Content Attributes

Excellent content marketing shares these specific qualities, regardless of output medium:

• Delivers value to your audience—educational aspects are particularly desirable
• Showcases your expertise in a broader, real world context
• Demonstrates how your expertise is relevant to your prospects…but without being “all about me”.

Here’s my quick, recommended content philosophy. If you’re a small business owner sign up for email tips about using content marketing to your advantage.

Uh, oh: Everyone is a Publisher

The paradox: marketing your business online is cheap and effective. But, it is time consuming. The effort involved is a commitment many overworked, independent business owners cannot afford. I can relate! There are too many other things to do to keep the lights on—particularly if your business is so “micro” that you’re the entire marketing department!

Marketing Content Produced by a Typical Small Business

Content marketing is “simply” using content to educate your target audience about your products, services, events, or industry. The content itself can be in any format (text, images, audio, video). Ideally, when the content is strategically deployed online it encourages participation with your target audience/customers.

That’s a lot different than the marketing world where simply announcing a price cut would bring folks inside!

Let’s look at the marketing content required for a small business to wiggle into hearts and minds online (the cheapest and most targeted path to your customers):

• Website content
• Email marketing
• Business blog content/article marketing
• Facebook updates
• Twitter tweets
• Online ads
• …and so on!

Easy? No! Time consuming? Yes!

Did I forget to mention that each of these disparate bits of content must be coordinated toward an overarching marketing message, too?

It’s no wonder that many business owners throw up their hands. Yes, marketing is vital—but add these to a long list of other vital tasks!

It’s Exhausting

Not surprisingly, most independent business owners are so busy they either neglect these marketing needs altogether or hand things off and hope for the best.

Can’t Afford to Hire Someone?

Custom content can be expensive. If your budget (or dogged DIY-independence!) means that you’re the entire marketing team, here are some tips:

Choose wisely.

Invest in the avenues that yield the best results. My husband and I tried producing a variety of content to market our micro-grocery. We experimented and selected a core set of channels, such as Facebook. Then, we automated the process with a regular content production schedule.

Create an editorial calendar.

Planning a calendar ensures that you produce web content frequently enough that it reaches your target customers.

For example, we send a weekly blog post that doubles as an email newsletter for George Bowers Grocery. It is produced on Tuesday for distribution Wednesday. The format and delivery schedule remains consistent although the content itself changes.

Don’t give up.

Content marketing takes time. You’ll need to amass a certain quantity of relevant content, and publish regularly to effectively communicate with your prospective customers. Small business owners should map out a year-long plan and track results as they go.

A solid content marketing plan can effectively expand a local business’s reach and brand awareness.

Radio isn't dead

Solution:
A series of connected radio spots to air early 2010

Client:
Local micro-finance lending agency
—
Script 1: Stream of Consciousness
target: new entrepreneurs
:60 seconds

SFX: SMALL CITY SOUNDS: TRAFFIC, PEDESTRIANS, CONVERSATION, BIRDS, etc. UP & UNDER (:03 seconds)

ANNCR:    Have these thoughts crossed your mind?

MALE 1: No one works harder than me. Why not strike out on my own? It’s time. I have the knowledge. I could—

FEMALE 1: —be my own boss. Why wait for someone else to give me an opportunity? Life is about creating—

OLDER FEMALE: —new opportunities. I had a satisfying career. Now that I’m retired, I’d really like to focus on my dream, which is to open—

OLDER MALE: —a new business. It’s been tough looking for a job. Seems like the perfect time to take control of my future and start a business.

ANNCR: Did you know that some of most successful businesses in the United States were started during a recession?

ANNCR: Did you know the Staunton Creative Community Fund is seeking motivated, dedicated entrepreneurs? You may be eligible for up to $34,000 in loan money to start your own business.

ANNCR: Isn’t it time to be your own boss? Call XXX-XXXX or go to XXXXXXX.com for more information.

SFX: SMALL CITY SOUNDS: TRAFFIC, PEDESTRIANS, CONVERSATION, BIRDS, etc. UP & OUT (:03 seconds)

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