Content Marketing Strategy For New Entrepreneurs

Even if you’ve never heard of content marketing before, as an entrepreneur or business owner, you’ll definitely have encountered it.

And it’s something you need to be dedicating your time to, because when content marketing is done right, it can take your business to the next level and beyond. Great content creation can help you stand out from your competition and make you more visible and relevant to your ideal audience. 

All at a lower cost than traditional advertising – a big bonus if you’re a new entrepreneur and your resources are limited. But if the thought of creating a content marketing strategy is leaving you quivering in your boots, then read on.

In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know to make your strategy a success.

Why is content marketing important for a small business

“Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and acquire a clearly defined audience with the objective of driving profitable customer action.” – Content Marketing Institute

Let’s be real.

Content marketing and having a solid content strategy are essential for every business – no matter how big or small.

The challenge is often that, when you’ve just launched a brand new small business, having a solid content plan is crucial for getting seen, heard, and talked about. And you need all this if you’re going to start converting those potential customers and clients.

Especially if you’re trying to compete with the big companies in your niche.

So, why is small business content marketing so important?

Because it provides value to your customers. It isn’t about selling. Providing meaningful and valuable content helps build trust with your customers, allowing you to build an actual relationship with them. 

Content marketing shows your audience how your services (or products) can solve their problems. 

Quality content marketing also adds to your authority in your industry. This makes you appear knowledgeable and up to date – giving customers the confidence that you are the place to go when they need answers. 

Not to mention content marketing can be hugely cost-effective and deliver a higher ROI than old-school advertising. It can increase conversions, improve brand awareness, boost your revenue and so much more. 

What does a content marketing strategy include?

Everything you create that is seen as valuable and educational for your audience is considered content. 

The content to consider in your strategy includes:

• Blogs
• Emails
• Newsletters
• Podcasts
• Videos
• Social media posts
• Lives, stories, and reels
• Lead magnets
• E-books
• Infographics 

Great content marketing is something that we invite into our lives. It isn’t traditional advertising that rams itself into our faces and asks us to buy something. It’s a way of sharing information and engaging with our audience. It’s permission-based and should feel natural, authentic, engaging, and tailored to your audience. Something we seek out and enjoy consuming, and even share with our friends. 

Tips for creating a winning content marketing strategy for your small business

1. Know your audience

There is no point in spending hours creating amazing content if it doesn’t serve your ideal audience.

So, before you even start brainstorming your content marketing plan, you need to do your research. In-depth, nitty-gritty research on your audience, to make sure you completely understand them, their needs, their interests, and their buying habits. 

There are several ways you can do this, but the most effective include:

1. Conduct questionnaires with current customers and ask their opinion on your services as well as asking questions to understand who they are (purchasing habits, age, income, interests, etc)
2. Ask questions through social media. You can run polls, surveys, Q&A sessions
3. Send out a questionnaire via email and offer an incentive to make it worth their while
4. Research your competitors’ audience and see what content they utilise
5. Hang out where they hang out – social media/forums/Reddit, etc and make notes of what they’re talking about, what pain points they have, language used, etc

The more you know and understand your audience, the better the content you create for them will be.

2. Create a company blog

We’ve harped on about it before, but a blog is one of the best and most cost-effective ways to provide consistent, valuable content for your audience. 

Creating quality blog content focused on your ideal client’s needs is a brilliant way to keep your audience engaged, curious, and wanting more from you! Don’t be afraid to share your knowledge and write interesting and entertaining content that speaks to them. 

Blogging also boosts your search engine optimisation (SEO) rankings and efforts, giving more people the opportunity to find you. 

Digital content is often the first impression consumed by your audience. If your blog offers value, solutions, education, and represents your brand, then you’re on to a winner. Just remember to choose the best blogging platform for your needs and to post consistently. 

3. Don’t try and be everywhere

We know how tempting it is to blast your content everywhere – on every channel, every platform, and every medium. But, you can’t be everywhere. And, more importantly, your ideal audience isn’t everywhere. 

When it comes to social media presence, build it on the channels and platforms your audience uses. If your ideal clients hang out on Instagram and TikTok, then don’t waste your time trying to reach them on LinkedIn. 

Don’t forget, it’s not enough to just have a platform and post content. You need to be active. That means engaging, creating conversation, and being present. So, before you start posting anywhere, make sure you identify your ideal audience (by doing your research) and speak directly to them. 

You can use helpful online tools such as Google Analytics to help determine consumer behaviour online. 

Choose the platforms that work best for you. This includes social media, but also consider things like starting a YouTube channel or podcast if your research shows your audience enjoys consuming this kind of content.

4. Build a content calendar

It’s very easy to get overwhelmed by creating quality content. And the worst thing you can do is scramble around at the beginning of each month firing off bits of content without a solid content marketing plan.

You need to be delivering relevant content in a measured fashion.

Build monthly calendars that you can share with your team (if you have one) to keep you organised and on track. Fill your calendar with your content plan and try and keep ahead as much as possible to give you more time. Add your social media posts, blogs, emails, newsletters, and anything else you want to include in your plan. Most content calendars allow you to assign tasks, comment, move stuff around and add files.

This will keep your plan and content organised, as well as set a precedent with your audience about how often you post and where. 

Consistency is key!

Your small business content marketing done for you

We understand how overwhelming it can be when you’re starting up a new business. And now you know just how vital content marketing and content creation is, it’s like adding a whole new heap of work onto your (already overflowing) lap. 

Content marketing is a must. Your audience wants valuable content from your business. So why not let us help?

Take a look at our bespoke content creation packages, and let’s have a chat about how we can take that overwhelm away – all while giving you business-changing results. We’re so confident in the quality of our work that if you don’t like it, we’ll pay you.