Since the eruption of digital, marketing just keeps evolving. But how do we make it work for our small businesses, so we don’t end up wasting time and money without getting results?

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Thanks to the rapidly advancing digital world, there are so many opportunities for small businesses. Marketing anything — your services, your product or your expertise —  is affordable and results are measurable. Technology providers are falling over themselves to create tools that make it even easier to for us to connect with people all over the world and to understand whether that reach translates into tangible business benefits.

Marketing has never been so simple, but everything comes at a price. Even when the internet is a free-for-all, there is a price to pay to get your business out there. And I’m not just talking dollars and cents, but the added pressure to be consistently visible and the time it takes to do it.

Consumers no longer rely on traditional ‘broadcast’ marketing: billboards, radio, TV and newspaper adverts. They expect digital channels to spoonfeed them with relevant information, and they only engage with what’s important to them.

Marketing is an ongoing digital conversation and if you don’t learn the language, your business will be drowned out by all the noise.

Good news though — small businesses are agile and it’s easy to jump on the content marketing bandwagon. If you have the knowledge, the expertise and the passion for helping your customers, then you can learn simple strategies to get more clients and earn more money with content marketing!

Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Attract readers with content.

With content marketing, you let the customers come to you because you are providing them with the valuable information they need. By creating and distributing content that focuses on serving your potential clients, they will find you – on social media, websites, or search engines – when the information is timely and relevant to them. Get found organically and earn the trust of your reader by creating content that is useful.

TIP: Write for your reader rather than worrying about keywords and technicalities like SEO, but be sure to share your content on sites and platforms where your customer is likely to be.

2. Convert readers into leads.

Once you have captured the interest of your potential customer, you need to take the relationship one step further and convert them from a passer-by to a lead.

A lead in content marketing terms is someone who has trusted you with their data in exchange for your expert knowledge. If they value what you have to offer, they will be willing to share their details with you (name and email) in exchange for your specialist information.

TIP: Develop a valuable content offer that provides more information on the topic they were initially interested in. For example, a downloadable e-guide or checklist.

3. Nurture leads with follow ups.

Once they have opted in, don’t forget to send a follow-up message to thank them and share anything else that might be of interest to them. It could be another article, a subscription to your newsletter or another content offer, like a webinar, event or even a free consultation. You don’t have to sell them anything right away. Build on the relationship and the trust and let that take a natural course as you continue to add value.

TIP: Make sure you let your new subscriber know what you will be doing with their information and how they can remove themselves from any contact lists if they wish to.

4. Turn leads into customers.

Once you have them signed up, it is up to you to build on the relationship. The more committed you are to providing further information, education and entertainment to the customer, the more chance that they will buy from you. Nurture your lead and turn their initial interest in your product or service into a sale.

The key is to help your customer solve their problem. Think about their daily challenges and offer solutions to make their lives easier. As soon as they understand the relevance of your solution to their needs, and they are ready to buy, you will be perfectly placed to close the deal.

5. Stay engaged with customers.

Digital media is continuously revolutionising the way we search, evaluate, and buy, as well as how businesses interact with customers on a daily basis. Content marketing is an excellent way to earn brand loyalty by being a trusted and reliable source of expertise, resulting in long-term business opportunities and more sales.

TIP: Rather than spending money on tacky sales strategies use content marketing to get seen, found, and get talked about by your clients and potential clients.

To find out what tools you need to start a simple content marketing campaign, read Part 3: What Are Content Offers and How To Use Them To Generate Inbound Leads. Or check out Part 1: What is content marketing and how can it help my small business?

If you need more specific help with any of these content offers, join the Connected Women community (it’s free!) & feel free to reach out to our experts in the group!