Guest post by Megan Totka
It seems that all businesses have their eyes peeled for a creative and honest marketing strategy. More businesses than ever have turned to content marketing over the last few years as a strategy for success, and it remains a high priority for marketers. In fact, 9 out of 10 marketers report that they use content marketing, according to the 2013 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends report. Here are some formats that can help you get started in your efforts to content market your business:
Blogs. If you’ve yet to start blogging, you don’t know what you are missing! Blogging is a wonderful opportunity that allows you to introduce yourself to prospective customers and make search engines happy. Blogging gives you the opportunity to create fresh content every day, and is also easy to share across a number of channels (think social media). In addition, blogs are a great way to establish leadership within your area of expertise, build a community of supporters, and increase awareness of your business. So check out some blogging platforms and write, write, write!
Webinars. Webinar is a combination of the words “web” and “seminar.” Knowing this, you won’t be surprised that a webinar is actually a digital presentation. Usually webinars are a live event. This form of content marketing gives businesses a major opportunity to talk about topics related to their areas of expertise. Think ahead: record the webinar so you have it accessible for future views.
Videos. Every second, nearly 24 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube. It’s obvious that videos are a star player in the game we call content marketing. Videos are also fun and easy to create if you take advantage of the editing tools preinstalled on the majority of computers. Videos are effective tools for product demonstration and are also sharable. They give businesses the unique ability to establish brand personality by putting a face with the name of a business.
Podcasts. If you’re someone who doesn’t know what a podcast is — and a lot of people don’t — I will tell you: podcasts are files (audio or video) that you can simply download and play back on a mobile device, MP3 player or computer. You can better understand a podcast if you think of it as a place where experts join one another and talk about topics of importance, kind of like a radio talk show. To launch a podcast, all it takes is recording equipment and the capability to upload your audio or video file. This method of content marketing is most effective when done consistently and when you have an audience that is familiar with podcasts.
Microblogging. We can thank Twitter for revolutionizing microblogging as a way to share content with others in 140 characters or less. By microblogging, businesses can promote recent blog posts and build relationships in their industries. Another benefit of microblogging is that it allows businesses to keep up with trending topics and gain business exposure in the social sphere while corresponding with fellow microbloggers any hour of the day. Some great news; microblogging doesn’t cost you a penny.
As you explore the options of content marketing for your small business, keep in mind how it can help you succeed. Approach marketing with an open mind and a willingness to make sure your business meets your customers’ needs. Engage your customers to foster an emotional bond and relationship that will establish a loyalty to your brand.
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Megan Totka is the Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. She specializes on the topic of small business tips and resources. ChamberofCommerce.com helps small businesses grow their business on the web and facilitates connectivity between local businesses and more than 7,000 Chambers of Commerce worldwide.
This post Content Marketing and Your Small Business was first published on the Big Ideas Blog.