As people continue flocking to Google for due diligence before pulling out their credit cards, creating high-quality and engaging content has become more critical than ever.
According to Demandsage, companies that blog get at least 67% more leads than companies that don’t — which shows the power of being in the right place at the right time for potential customers.
Although small businesses often have limited budgets and resources, which means publishing that frequently might not be realistic, consistent content marketing will always be worth the investment.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the top eight reasons why investing in content marketing is worth it for small businesses.
1. Content marketing is more cost-effective than paid advertising
Content marketing is one of the most practical ways to market your business. It doesn’t need a large budget to get started, and you can create content in-house or outsource it.
Paid advertising, like PPC, is a quick way to drive traffic to your website. However, the downside is that it costs money, so if your ad campaign is unsuccessful, you’ll lose money.
Content marketing, on the other hand, is a long-term strategy. Instead of investing in expensive advertising campaigns or traditional marketing methods, you can use content marketing to reach your target audience through various channels, such as social media, email marketing, and search engine optimisation (SEO).
It can take a while to see results, but when you eventually do, it’s much more cost-effective and long-lasting.
2. Content marketing builds trust with your audience
People are more likely to buy from a company they trust. And when you create high-quality content, you’re giving your audience a reason to trust you.
Over time, this trust can turn your audience into loyal customers who will keep coming back to your products or services (or refer them to their friends and family).
As you create more content and engage with your audience through comments, social media, and email, you’ll be able to understand their needs and preferences better, leading to stronger relationships and a better understanding of how to serve them.
3. Content marketing shows off your knowledge and influence
When you publish high-quality content, you position your business as a knowledgeable expert in your industry. Quality content showcases your authority and helps you win over your audience. This can help you attract new clients and customers, as well as keep existing ones.
When potential clients and customers see your name or brand associated with high-quality content, they’re more likely to remember you when they’re ready to make a purchase or become a client. This can help you build brand awareness and recognition, which can lead to more sales and revenue.
4. Content marketing improves your search engine rankings
Search engines like Google love fresh, high-quality content. By consistently publishing valuable content, you’re giving search engines a reason to crawl your website more frequently, which can improve your search engine rankings.
When your website ranks higher in search results, it’s more likely that people will find and visit your site. This increased traffic can lead to more leads and sales for your business.
Plus, adding relevant internal and external links to your site can up your website’s trustworthiness, helping your SEO even more.
5. Content marketing allows you to target specific audiences
With content marketing, you can create content that speaks directly to a segment of your target audience’s needs and interests. By understanding their pain points and preferences, you can create content that resonates with them and encourages them to take action.
This targeted approach can lead to higher conversion rates and a better return on investment for your content marketing efforts.
6. Content marketing is measurable
Unlike traditional billboard-style advertising methods, where you rarely know if your message has even been seen or heard, content marketing is highly measurable.
You can track useful metrics like website traffic, engagement rates, and conversion rates to see how well your content is performing and make adjustments as needed. This data-driven approach can help you optimise your content marketing strategy over time for even better results.
With a well-defined content marketing plan, the cost per lead can decrease while your bottom line increases. This makes it a viable investment for small businesses with limited resources that need to optimise every pound spent on marketing.
7. Content marketing is versatile
Content marketing can take many creative forms, from blog posts and infographics to videos and podcasts. This versatility allows you to experiment with various types of content and find what works best for your audience.
Not only that, you can recycle old content and make it last longer to reach more people. For example, you can turn a blog post into an infographic or a video. Or, you can take a podcast episode and turn it into a blog post.
8. Content marketing is scalable
As your content library grows, so does your reach. You can continue to publish new content, or you can use existing content to reach new audiences.
Whether your goal is to increase website traffic, generate more leads, or simply establish your brand as an industry authority, content marketing is a scalable strategy you can adapt to fit these specific goals.
Are you convinced about the power of content marketing yet?
As a small business, you definitely shouldn’t underestimate what a solid content marketing plan can do for you. Regular activity will help you showcase your expertise, share your own take on things, and show that you’re in tune with the latest industry trends and best practices.
Investing time and effort into creating valuable, engaging content is worthwhile for building brand awareness, increasing customer loyalty, and driving sales.
Even if the initial effort seems challenging, successful content marketing can help your small business stand out among the competition.
