12 Things You Should Know On Content Marketing

Most small business owners are so busy trying to keep their heads above water that they forget to look at the horizon. Most of them find themselves at a crossroads they’re too busy to generate and publish content, but they know they should be doing it. 

And most of them are more than willing to throw money at the problem if only you can tell them how your content marketing solutions are going to help. So let’s take a look at some of what you need to know when targeting small businesses through content marketing:

Everything You Need to Know about Content Marketing
Key Takeaways
1. Content marketing builds trust and authority.
2. Understand your target audience’s needs and preferences.
3. Consistency is crucial for a successful content strategy.
4. Diversify content formats to engage different audiences.
5. Leverage SEO to enhance content visibility and reach.
6. Storytelling captivates and resonates with readers.
7. Use data-driven insights to refine and optimize content.
8. Social media is a powerful channel for content promotion.
9. Tailor content to address common pain points of readers.
10. Encourage audience interaction through comments and shares.
11. Quality over quantity: Focus on delivering value.
12. Continuously adapt and evolve your content strategy.

1. Small Business Owners Are Pretty Easy To Spot

Small business owners are pretty easy to spot. They’re everywhere, and they’re not hard to find. Many small businesses prefer working with local vendors over big corporations because they want to develop relationships with the people they do business with.

If you’re looking for a way into the hearts of small businesses, content marketing is an excellent approach. 

It allows you to target your ideal customers without spending a lot of money on advertising and it can also help you stand out from other brands in your industry by demonstrating creativity and thought leadership through well-written articles that promote products or services in a fun and entertaining way (think BuzzFeed).

Starting a business that truly aligns with your passions is a journey worth taking. Learn how to embark on this exciting path in our guide on How to Start a Business You’ll Actually Love.

2. Small Businesses Are An Important Segment Of The U.S. Economy

Small businesses are an important segment of the U.S. economy, representing more than half of all private-sector employment. They also play a major role in supporting the bottom line for small-to-medium-sized companies (SMBs), large corporations, and government agencies alike.

Here are some statistics to consider when targeting small businesses:

  • Small businesses employ nearly half of all people working in America today.*
  • Small businesses are more likely than larger companies to hire employees with disabilities.*
  • Veterans make up 20% of new hires at small businesses each year compared with only 5% of new hires at larger firms.*

3. They Love Free Stuff, Especially Information And Advice

Small business owners are always looking for new ways to improve their businesses, and they love free stuff. They don’t think of themselves as entrepreneurs; they’d rather be creating products than marketing them. 

This means that they trust other business owners over marketing gurus, and will gladly take the advice of someone who’s been there before them.

It’s important to keep this in mind when you’re trying to market your product or service to small businesses: try not to come across as condescending or authoritative — after all, you’re trying to convince them that what you have to offer is worth their time and money! 

Instead of giving out information like some sort of guru or authority figure who knows everything about everything (which doesn’t exist), try providing useful tips about topics related directly to what your product does best.

You’ll find that this approach works much better than just handing out brochures full of facts without any context behind them.”

Embracing the power of the internet can drive remarkable growth for your business. Discover the art of leveraging online opportunities in our article on The Art of Using the Internet to Grow Your Business.

4. They’re Very Accessible, Though Their Time Is Limited

You might think that because small businesses are small, they don’t have the time to pay attention to content marketing.

Think again! They may be busy, but they are also accessible. The key is to find the right channels for reaching these companies in your target audience. Here are some ways you can reach out:

Email – You can send them an email and ask them if you can send a copy of your ebook or whitepaper via email. That way, they can read it at their convenience without having to download anything on their own devices. 

Just make sure that any emails you send contain a link back to your website where they can find more information about you and your business (and hopefully purchase something).

Social Media – Many companies use social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter as part of their marketing strategy, so it’s worth trying posting links on these sites too!

Phone – While this approach isn’t always feasible, calling up someone directly could lead somewhere amazing.

Just remember that not all businesses will respond favorably if approached by someone who doesn’t know them personally (e-mailing beforehand is usually best). 

However, phone calls do work well when contacting local businesses near where one lives in person; often owners will appreciate being able to talk directly rather than communicating through text message or email alone.”

5. These Entrepreneurs Have A Lot Of Money To Spend

The good news is that these businesses have a lot of money to spend.

  • They are spending on their business
  • They are spending on marketing their business
  • They are spending on websites for their businesses
  • They are spending on social media for their businesses (and if they’re not, they should be!)

6. They’re Extremely Busy

Another thing to consider is that small business owner are extremely busy. They’re constantly juggling multiple tasks, so they don’t have time to read long articles about anything. Instead, you should focus on short and engaging content that can be consumed in just a few minutes or less. 

This is especially true for busy owners of startups or small businesses these people don’t have time for drawn-out pieces; they need something succinct and useful.

Yet another reason why short and sweet works best with this audience: Small business owners are always on the lookout for ways to improve their businesses.

So if you can offer them some quick tips through bite-sized pieces of content that will help them boost their bottom line (or standing out from the competition), they’ll be sure to take notice!

Crafting effective content involves understanding essential principles. Dive into our comprehensive list of 17 Expert-Approved Principles to Follow When Creating Content and elevate your content marketing game.

7. Most Small Business Owners Are Men In Their Early Forties With Families

We’ve already established that small businesses are a great target audience for content marketing. But who are they, exactly?

According to a recent study by the National Small Business Association (NSBA), most small business owners in the U.S. fall into two categories: men in their early forties with families and white males in their mid-twenties to early thirties. 

The average age of an entrepreneur is 43 years old, while almost half (48%) of all entrepreneurs have at least one child under 18 years old living in the home with them.

The survey also found that more than 70% of small businesses had revenues between $50,000 and $500,000 per year, which means there’s plenty of room for growth (and thus potential customers).

8. They Trust Other Small Business Owners

Small business owners trust other small business owners. They’re more likely to buy from someone they know, and if you can get a referral from an existing customer, that’s even better.

They also want to know that the person who recommended you has had success with your product or service. If your customers aren’t happy with what you sell, then how can they expect their customers to be happy?

To make this work for you:

Build relationships with local businesses that are likely to refer clients your way (and vice versa). These can include professional organizations like chambers of commerce or industry associations.

Focus on helping those in the same industry as yourself – so if you run a tech company targeting small businesses, focus on finding local companies interested in technology products and services.

9. They’re Using Social Media More But Not Effectively

Small businesses are also using social media more than ever before. In fact, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, 85% of small businesses have a presence on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. 

And while this is great news for your company, it’s not all good news: many small businesses aren’t getting the results they want out of their online marketing efforts. 

Why? Because they don’t know how to use these platforms effectively. Here are some tips for targeting and engaging with small businesses through content marketing:

Choose the right platforms. While every business needs an online presence now more than ever, not every platform is right for every business or industry.

And that goes double when it comes to targeting specific audiences like those belonging to small organizations (think realtors). 

For example, if you sell specialty kitchen supplies and would like more visibility within that niche market segment then Pinterest could be an excellent choice.

Because nearly half of users on this site are women between the ages of 25-34 who live in urban areas with household incomes over $75k per year ($100k+ for men), according to Pew research findings published last year.

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10. They Like Content Marketing As Much As You Do

The good news is that you don’t have to be a marketing genius to reach small businesses. Small business owners are often open to new ideas, looking for ways to grow their business and save time and money. 

They’re on the lookout for content that can help them achieve those goals and they’ll listen if you’ve got something new to say.

To effectively target your audience, here are 25 things you should know about targeting small businesses through content marketing:

11. They’re Still New To Content Marketing

It’s important to remember that small businesses are still learning how to use content marketing. Many of them don’t even know what it is, or they think it’s an expensive form of advertising that won’t work for them. 

Others are unsure if they should use it because they’re not sure if it will help their business or not.

Once you’ve identified which small businesses you want to target with your content, the next step is figuring out how to position yourself as a trusted resource for them so that you can start building rapport and trust with your audience (which we’ll talk about in more detail below).

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12. It’s Easier Than You Might Think To Get Them On Board With Paid Advertising Programs

As a small business owner, you know it’s tough to keep up. You’re trying to grow your business while keeping an eye on the bottom line and that’s not always easy.

For some reason, many people think that small businesses are unwilling to experiment with new ideas or spend money on marketing campaigns. 

As someone who works with smaller companies day in and day out, I can tell you this couldn’t be further from the truth! 

I’ve found that most small businesses are looking for ways to save money and increase sales without investing too much additional time or money into their endeavors. 

They want something that will help them reach more customers without taking away from their daily operations.

Small businesses are also open to new ideas because they often have fewer resources than larger corporations do; this means they can use some outside help to take advantage of opportunities as they arise (or even before they arise).

Conclusion

Hopefully, we’ve got you more excited (and maybe a little less nervous) about embarking on a plant-based lifestyle. We know the struggle, and we came to these tips even the one about watching badminton! through our trial and error. 

Remember that the important thing is to keep on trying. As we covered earlier, you don’t have to go super hard on yourself for slip-ups, because this journey can take time and looks different for everyone. 

Plus, don’t forget that the best way to keep yourself on track is to keep it fun, keep positive, and keep yourself engaged with the people and the world around you. After all, caring about others is a great reason to switch to this lifestyle in the first place!

Further Reading

Content Marketing: A Comprehensive Guide Learn the ins and outs of content marketing and how it can benefit your business.

Choosing the Right Content Marketing Agency Discover 12 essential factors to consider when selecting a content marketing agency.

Supercharge Your Content Marketing with ChatGPT Explore 12 tips to enhance your content marketing strategy using ChatGPT’s capabilities.

FAQs

What is content marketing and why is it important?

Content marketing involves creating valuable and relevant content to attract and engage your target audience. It’s essential because it helps build trust, establish authority, and drive customer engagement.

How do I choose the right content marketing agency for my business?

When selecting a content marketing agency, consider factors such as their industry experience, past client successes, team expertise, pricing, and their ability to align with your brand’s voice and goals.

Can AI like ChatGPT improve my content marketing strategy?

Yes, AI can enhance your content marketing efforts by generating ideas, improving content quality, automating tasks, and providing data-driven insights to optimize your strategy.

What are some key components of a successful content marketing strategy?

A successful content marketing strategy involves thorough audience research, well-defined goals, a consistent content calendar, diverse content formats, strong distribution channels, and a mechanism for measuring results.

How can I measure the effectiveness of my content marketing campaigns?

Measuring content marketing effectiveness involves tracking metrics like website traffic, engagement rates, lead generation, conversion rates, and social media shares. Regularly analyzing these metrics helps refine your strategy for better results.