Content marketing has recently taken ground in the world of digital marketing and business. In fact, Hubspot claimed that 70 percent of marketers are actively investing in it, and about 40 percent of them said that it is a vital part of their overall marketing strategy.
For the uninitiated, content marketing entails creating and sharing relevant writing and visual media, whether texts, images, or videos. The ultimate goal is to promote your brand and sell your products or services to your target market. There are various ways to carry out this strategy, such as posting articles on your blog or sharing content pieces on social channels.
However, making it work for your startup will require you to step up your game. In this article, we will share five content marketing tips for your small business:
1. Optimize your content for SEO
Content marketing doesn’t just entail creating random pieces of content because it has to be optimized for your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. As you may or may not be aware, on-page SEO is a vital process that involves writing relevant pieces with appropriate keywords to improve your search ranking, online visibility, and website traffic. To employ this, be sure to conduct audience, keyword, and topic research––in the exact order. Then, strategically incorporate appropriate keywords and avoid keyword stuffing. Also, remember to make your content engaging, insightful, informative, educational, and valuable for your readers.
2. Always keep your brand in mind
When creating pieces of content, the storytelling method is powerful, yet it has to be in line with your brand. Whether it’s an infographic, blog article, or a promotional video, you have to ensure that your visuals clearly represent your brand and upholds your business core values, ideals, and philosophies. In fact, brand consistency is the key to attaining brand awareness and recognition. For instance, it will not be effective to write about plumbing system fixes if your business offers HVAC installation, repair, and maintenance services instead.
3. Use the AIDA model for content creation
As mentioned above, the creation process isn’t about producing random pieces. While you intend to cater to your target market, your ultimate goal is to gain conversion, more than just increasing web presence, driving traffic, or generating leads. To boost your conversion, you have to employ the AIDA model. Here’s what you should know:
- Awareness: Attract attention
- Interest: Maintain interest
- Desire: Create desire
- Action: Take action
4. Publish content consistently
If you want your startup to gain traction in your industry over time, then you should produce plenty of pieces and publish them consistently. You can create a blog for your website where you can regularly publish brand-related articles or share these posts in your social media accounts. At the same time, remember to focus on quality over quantity when creating content.
5. Follow the latest trends
In today’s digital world, content is an impactful method for creating change. One idea can easily resonate with the public, or one video can quickly go viral. As such, check the latest trends in your industry and find a way to incorporate them into your visuals. For instance, many countries are still battling the COVID-19 crisis. If you are a restaurant business, why not create an article about how you maintain and follow safety protocols, such as social distancing, mask-wearing, and regular sanitation?
Conclusion
Content marketing can be a tricky and particularly challenging process for your startup. To make it work for your business, remember to optimize your pieces for SEO, keep your brand in mind, use the AIDA model, publish content consistently, and keep up with the latest trends. With all these in place, you’ll take your digital marketing up a notch and set your startup in the right footing!
We’re a full-service digital marketing company that offers various digital solutions, from SEO to website development to social media marketing down to content creation. If you need help in taking your content marketing to the next level, get in touch with us today to see how we can help!