Entrepreneur and marketer extraordinaire Seth Godin famously once said “Content marketing is the only marketing left.” Whether you agree or not, it’s undeniable that content is at the heart of today’s marketing strategies as businesses use websites and blogs to demonstrate their expertise.
That’s all well and good for big companies that have round-the-clock content-generating teams or that can afford to invest in social media agencies or fancy content marketing platforms. But what if you’re running a small business or startup? Your primary focus is more likely your next release, your next round of funding or the joys of day-to-day cash flow management. You can’t afford to spend all day writing blog posts.
While the barriers can seem insurmountable, the fact is that smart content strategies and tactics can have significant impact even on small-business scales. One great example is CorePower, which became the largest yoga chain in the USA using only word-of-mouth tactics. Instead of using TV and print ads, they used social networks to build awareness and establish relationships with customers. They also offered classes online. By 2007, sales were $6.5 million. By 2010, they were $23 million. By 2019, CorePower had over 200 yoga studios throughout the country.
Granted, the services behind the company were high potential (as with advertising, good content will only make a bad product fail quicker), but without strong content platforms, it’s unlikely CorePower would have gained the momentum that propelled to success.
Ready to get busier with content? Here are a few things to keep in mind…
1. Stick to your story.
It’s not enough to simply pump out content indiscriminately. Instead, define the story your brand is telling, and make sure everything you communicate, from your website to your social messages, is consistent with that story, yet tailored to the nature and uses of specific channels. The cumulative effect of consistency will result in a deeper and wider understanding of what your company offers the world.
2. Be selective with channels.
Make sure you’re focusing on the channels your target audiences are using. For example, a software company that’s targeting engineers and financial decision makers may find the perfect storm in a combination of tech blogs, native advertising on business sites and a microsite focusing on financial benefits. Meanwhile, millennial-focused product companies might have success with Instagram or YouTube.
3. Context over quantity.
Once you’ve found your audiences, make sure your content resonates, but in ways that will benefit your business. Posting cat videos might give you a bump in likes, but will unlikely move the needle for business indicators. Make sure you convert opportunities by providing quality content that creates engagement, and then moves to consummate relationships with prospects.
4. Measure everything.
Develop a simple KPI matrix to measure the channel specific and the business results your efforts are reaping. Drop activities that aren’t working and double down on those that prove themselves. Build on success and produce business cases for increased investment.
5. Do what you can.
Content marketing can be time consuming and financially draining. Developing a strategy will take time, as will the day-to-day generation, deployment and measurement of your efforts. This can easily become full-time job for one or more. But until you’ve reached that point where business case warrants additional investment, just do whatever you can.
6. And when you can’t anymore?
Thankfully, there’s an alternative to being a one-man content creating machine. By enlisting remote content marketing experts from the Philippines at very cost-effective rates, you can free up your time to better focus on growing your business while keep those leads coming in.
Remote Staff can help you build your own dedicated content marketing team, but you, the business owner, can make a huge contribution by taking a hands-on approach managing them. After all, you know your business better than anyone else, and you know what your customers want and need.
Find out more about how you can boost your content marketing with the Remote Staff outsourcing platform. Click on the button below for a free consultation with one of our remote staffing experts today.
