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How to Use Content Marketing Effectively Without Breaking the Bank
If you're reading this, then I can only assume that you are either a business owner or about to become one. You are probably in the planning phase of your business, and as you have likely researched "smart" ways to market your business—especially with tight budgets—you've stumbled upon the concept of content marketing.
The wealth of information available online or at your local bookstore or library can be overwhelming. Content marketing, specifically how to use it to drive engagement with your brand and products or services, is such a broad and multifaceted subject that attempting to fully cover it in one sitting would be disingenuous on my part. Instead, this is a topic that should be carefully approached based on one's product, audience, resources, and so forth.
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As someone who oversees content generation for my company, I have found a robust content marketing strategy to be highly effective in engaging our audience. We have been able to provide them with guides, articles, and even free online courses on sales and marketing topics.
These formats work well because our audience largely consists of small business owners and solopreneurs who are leaning hard into direct marketing. Podcasting is another format I'd like to tackle, as it would truly resonate with our audience, but for now, until we find the right opportunity, podcasting is on the back burner.
Before diving into content creation, it's important to consider four key points. Let's explore them in detail:
1. Understand the Challenges of Your Audience
The first step in any content marketing journey should be understanding the challenges faced by your potential customers—not just challenges with your product, but the general issues they face in their business. For us, it became apparent that many of our users had no idea what to do with our core product: direct marketing data. So we set out to build free guides and sales and marketing courses through our platform Salesfully Nimble Gimmicks. This initiative has not only helped our customers get more value from our product but also driven considerable engagement.
A report by Content Marketing Institute suggests that understanding the needs and concerns of your target audience is the cornerstone of successful content marketing. Providing value to your audience through educational content has proven effective for many small businesses, creating long-term loyalty and fostering a sense of trust. According to HubSpot, companies that blog regularly receive 67% more leads per month than those that do not.
One of the biggest lessons we've learned is that you have to delve deeper into understanding your audience. This means not just understanding what they need from your product, but understanding the broader challenges they face in their day-to-day operations. For us, creating content like guides and courses relevant to sales and marketing has allowed us to connect more meaningfully with our audience and add value beyond our core product.
2. Tap Into the Emotional Side of Marketing
A common oversight of rookie marketers is failing to tap into the emotional aspects of their marketing. Many small business owners, especially us small folks, tend to see our offerings as just features and benefits, right? We only focus on the functionality of our products and services.
But you'll notice that bigger brands tap into the emotional benefits of their product. State Farm wants you to know that “Like a Good Neighbor,” they are there. Ford has those beautifully shot commercials that take you on a scenic ride in the outdoors, doing super American things like meeting random strangers in the woods, making a fire, and drinking beers for no discernible reason.
Well, it's all about the feeling you get. A Ford F-150 says, “I am a redneck and proud of it.” A Corvette says, “I am a redneck with some money, but still a redneck.” A Tesla Cybertruck says, “I was lame in high school and college, now I got some money, but still lame.”
My point is, do not forget to truly connect (via your content) to the emotional needs of your audience. A recent study by Harvard Business Review found that emotionally connected customers are over 50% more valuable to a brand. For example, a Ford F-150 commercial resonates deeply with its target audience by projecting values of hard work and pride, while a Tesla Cybertruck connects to those who value having a shiny new expensive toy. These are the Status buyers. As a small business, crafting content that appeals to your audience's emotions can help make your brand memorable and relatable.
3. Educate and Empower Your Audience
In content marketing, educating your audience should be a top priority. By providing value, you're not just building authority; you're empowering your customers to make informed decisions. Our experience in creating free sales and marketing content for our users illustrates this well. When we noticed many of our customers struggled with direct marketing techniques, we launched educational resources to bridge the gap—and the impact was clear.
The importance of delivering value cannot be understated. According to Think With Google, consumers today expect brands to be helpful, and businesses that deliver on this expectation build stronger relationships. If your content can make your audience feel empowered and knowledgeable, they'll be more likely to trust your brand and invest in your product or service.
Empowering your audience should also include showing them how they can solve problems on their own, even if it means using your competitors' products. It may sound counterintuitive, but providing unbiased, valuable information helps to build trust. It shows that you are genuinely interested in helping your audience succeed. And trust is the currency of a loyal customer base.
Another important aspect of educating your audience is to be consistent. It takes time to build trust, and it takes time for educational content to be fully absorbed. Creating valuable content regularly—whether through blog posts, guides, or videos—allows your audience to see your brand as a consistent and reliable source of information. According to Demand Metric, content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing and generates about three times as many leads, proving the value of a consistent and strategic approach.
4. Assess Your Resources and Capabilities
When it comes to content marketing, it's essential to assess your available resources and capabilities honestly. It's easy to get swept up in the excitement of all the different content formats you could create—blogs, videos, podcasts, infographics—but the reality is that each type of content requires time, effort, and sometimes money to produce effectively. If you take on more than you can manage, you risk burning out or, worse, delivering inconsistent or subpar content that doesn't resonate with your audience.
Consistency is key in content marketing. You don't need to be everywhere all at once, but you do need to be reliable in the channels you choose. It's better to publish one high-quality blog post a week than to attempt to produce a podcast, video, and blog post each week and end up not being able to maintain the quality or schedule. Remember, the goal is to build trust with your audience, and that requires showing up for them regularly. Assess what you can realistically commit to, and make sure your content strategy aligns with those capabilities.
Take a look at your team (even if it's just you!) and determine what skills you have in-house. Are you a strong writer? Then maybe focus on blogging. Do you have a knack for visuals? Consider creating graphics or short videos. By starting with what you know you can manage and do well, you’ll be able to stay consistent, which is what ultimately leads to long-term success.
A report from Buffer highlights that 92% of marketers agree that consistency is one of the most important factors in building brand trust. It’s not about doing everything; it’s about doing what you can, consistently, and doing it well.
Content marketing can be an invaluable tool for new businesses looking to engage with potential customers and grow their brands on a budget. By focusing on the challenges of your target audience, tapping into the emotional side of your offerings, providing valuable educational content, and assessing your resources realistically, you can foster a meaningful connection that translates into long-term customer loyalty. Remember, a thoughtful and deliberate approach to content creation will yield better results than a hasty, one-size-fits-all strategy.
It's not just about creating content—it's about creating the right content for the right audience at the right time. Understand what your audience needs, connect with them on an emotional level, educate them, and above all, be consistent. That's the key to unlocking the true potential of content marketing for your small business.
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