9 Proven Content Marketing Tips for Small Business

Published on 31 July 2023 9 min read

Know your audience
Create a content calendar
Optimize your content for SEO
Use social media for promotion
Engage with your audience
Leverage email marketing
Measure your success
Repurpose content
Stay consistent

As a small business owner, you might often wonder which content marketing is best for small business owners? The answer is, there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach. Just like your business, your content marketing strategy needs to be unique, tailored to your goals, and audience. To help you navigate this, here are nine proven content marketing tips for small businesses.

Know Your Audience

The first step in any content marketing strategy is getting to know your audience. This isn't just about knowing their age or where they live; it's about understanding their needs, wants, and pain points. This will allow you to create content that provides value for them and resonates with them on a deeper level. How do you do this? Here are a few tips:

Surveys: Don't be shy to ask your customers directly about their needs. A simple online survey can provide a wealth of information. You can use free tools like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey for this.
Customer Data: You probably already have a wealth of data about your customers. Use it! Look at their purchasing behaviour, their interactions with your website, and any feedback they've given you.
Persona Creation: Based on your findings, create a persona that represents your ideal customer. This persona will guide your content creation process, making sure what you produce is relevant and interesting to your target audience.

Understanding your audience is key to deciding which content marketing is best for small business owners. By knowing who you're speaking to, you'll be able to tailor your content, making it more engaging and effective. So, roll up your sleeves and start getting to know your customers better. It's well worth the effort!

Create a Content Calendar

Next on our list of content marketing tips for small business owners is creating a content calendar. Now, you might be wondering what a content calendar is and why you even need one. Well, a content calendar is a schedule of what content you'll post, where you'll post it, and when you'll post it. It helps you plan, organize, and keep track of all your content activities.

Creating a content calendar can be as simple or as complex as you need it to be. You can use a simple spreadsheet or opt for more sophisticated project management tools like Trello or Asana. Whatever tool you choose, here are some elements you should include in your content calendar:

Content Type: Is it a blog post, social media update, or an email newsletter? Different types of content require different approaches and timings.
Publication Date: When will this piece of content go live? Timing can be critical, especially if the content is tied to a specific event or season.
Title/Topic: What is the content about? Having a clear title or topic will help you stay focused while creating the content.
Channel: Where will the content be posted? Each channel (your website, social media platforms, email, etc.) may require a slightly different approach.

Creating a content calendar will not only keep you organized but also ensure that you're consistently publishing new, fresh content. This consistency is key in deciding which content marketing is best for small business owners, as it helps build your online presence, engage your audience, and improve your SEO ranking.

Optimize Your Content for SEO

When you're figuring out which content marketing is best for small business owners, you can't overlook the importance of SEO—Search Engine Optimization. SEO, in simple terms, is the magic that helps your content appear high up in search engine results. Now, that's a place you want to be!

SEO might sound a bit technical, but don't worry. Here are some simple, practical steps you can take to optimize your content:

Use Keywords: Keywords are the words and phrases that people type into search engines. Use tools like Google's Keyword Planner to find relevant keywords for your content. Remember, sprinkle these keywords naturally throughout your content—don't force them in!
Write Quality Content: This might seem obvious, but it's worth repeating: Quality content is king. Write content that is valuable, informative, and interesting to your audience. High-quality content is more likely to be shared, and shares can boost your SEO.
Use Meta Descriptions: Meta descriptions are short descriptions that appear under your page title in search engine results. They give a brief summary of your content. Make sure your meta descriptions are compelling and include your main keywords.
Use Image Alt Text: Search engines can't "see" images, but they can read the 'alt text' you give them. Alt text is a description of the image, and it's another opportunity to include your keywords.

Remember, SEO isn't just about getting people to your site, it's about getting the right people to your site. By optimizing your content for SEO, you attract visitors who are genuinely interested in what you offer—those are the people who are more likely to become customers!

As a small business owner, you might be wondering, "Which content marketing is best for small business owners?" Well, let's talk about a powerful tool that's right at your fingertips—social media.

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn can be a goldmine for promoting your content. Why? Because that's where your audience hangs out! But how do you use social media to your advantage? Here are a few tips:

Share Your Content: This is a no-brainer, but it's worth mentioning. Whenever you create new content, share it on your social media channels. This can help drive traffic back to your website.
Engage with Your Audience: Social media isn't just about broadcasting your content; it's about engaging with your audience. Respond to comments, answer questions, join discussions. The more you engage, the more your audience will engage with your content.
Use Hashtags: Hashtags can help your content get discovered on social media. Use relevant hashtags in your posts to reach a wider audience.
Share User-Generated Content: User-generated content, such as reviews or customer photos, can be a powerful form of promotion. It shows that real people love your products or services. Plus, it's content you don't have to create yourself!

Remember, social media is a two-way street. It's not just about promoting your content; it's about building relationships with your audience. And those relationships can turn casual followers into loyal customers.

Engage with Your Audience

Engaging with your audience is a key element of content marketing for small business owners. After all, your audience is the heart of your business, right? So, let's discuss how you can effectively engage them.

Firstly, it's important to understand that engagement goes beyond just likes and shares on social media. It's about creating a meaningful dialogue with your audience. Here's how you can do it:

Ask for Feedback: Whether it's a blog post, a product, or a service, asking for feedback is a great way to engage your audience. Not only does it show that you value their opinion, but it also gives you valuable insights into what they want and need.
Respond Quickly: If a customer or prospect reaches out to you with a question or concern, respond as quickly as possible. Prompt responses show that you value their time and their business.
Create Interactive Content: Quizzes, polls, surveys—these are all types of interactive content that can boost engagement. They provide a fun way for your audience to interact with your brand, and they can also give you useful data about your audience.
Show Appreciation: A simple 'thank you' can go a long way in building a strong relationship with your audience. Show appreciation for their support, their feedback, and their loyalty to your brand.

By focusing on engagement, you'll not only boost your brand's visibility but also build a loyal audience that loves and supports your business. Remember, engagement is not a one-time task; it's a long-term commitment. So, keep the conversation going!

Leverage Email Marketing

Now, let's talk about email marketing. Some might argue that email is old news in the world of digital marketing. But let's face it: how many of us check our emails every day? That's right, almost everyone. So, it's safe to say that email marketing is far from dead.

The beauty of email marketing lies in its simplicity and reach. You can send a personalized message straight to your customers' inboxes, no matter where they are. So, how can you leverage email marketing for your small business?

Build Your Email List: Let's start with the basics. You need people to send emails to, right? So, start by building your email list. You can do this by offering something of value in exchange for their email address, like a discount code or a free ebook.
Segment Your Audience: Not all your customers are the same, so why send them the same email? Segmenting your audience allows you to send targeted emails based on specific criteria, like their purchasing behavior or their interests.
Personalize Your Emails: Personalization is key in email marketing. Use your customer's name in the email, recommend products based on their previous purchases, or wish them a happy birthday. Personalized emails are more likely to be opened and clicked on.
Measure and Improve: Finally, make sure to track your email marketing performance. Are your emails being opened? Are they driving sales? Use this data to improve your strategy.

So, if you're wondering which content marketing is best for small business owners, email marketing should definitely be on your list! It's a cost-effective way to reach your audience and drive sales. So, why not give it a try?

Measure Your Success

Running a small business involves wearing many hats, but one of those hats should always be that of a data analyst. Why, you ask? Well, because if you don't measure your success, how will you know what's working and what's not? The importance of tracking your content marketing efforts cannot be overstated. But, fear not, it's not as complex as it sounds.

Set Your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Before you dive into the numbers, you need to know what to look for. These are your KPIs and they can be anything from website visits, social media shares, email opens, to sales conversions. Choose KPIs that make sense for your business and your goals.
Use Analytics Tools: Luckily for us, there are plenty of tools out there that can help us measure our success. Google Analytics, for example, can provide a wealth of information about your website traffic and user behavior.
Analyze and Adjust: With your KPIs in hand and your analytics tool set up, it's time to analyze. Look at your data regularly and adjust your strategy as needed. This is not a one-and-done kind of deal. It's a continuous process of learning and improving.

As a small business owner, you might wonder which content marketing is best for your business. The answer lies in your data. By measuring your success, you can find out what type of content resonates with your audience and drives the results you want. Remember, what gets measured gets improved!

Repurpose Content

When it comes to content marketing for small businesses, a little creativity can go a long way. Let's face it: creating fresh, engaging content all the time can be a challenge. But who said you always have to start from scratch? That's where repurposing content comes in.

Identify Top-Performing Content: Look through your previous posts to find what's worked well in the past. These are your gold mines. Maybe it's a blog post that got a lot of shares or an infographic that drove a lot of traffic.
Find New Ways to Present the Same Information: Got a popular blog post? Why not turn it into a podcast or a video? Or take a comprehensive guide and break it down into a series of shorter, more digestible posts. The possibilities are endless.
Reach a New Audience: Repurposing content allows you to present your message in different formats, which can help you reach a new audience. After all, not everyone likes to consume information in the same way. Some prefer reading, others like listening or watching.

So, which content marketing is best for small business owners? The kind that works smarter, not harder. Repurposing content allows you to maximize your efforts and reach more people. It's like getting a two-for-one deal, and who doesn't love a good deal?

Stay Consistent

Consistency—the secret ingredient to a successful content marketing strategy. But what does it mean to stay consistent? It's not just about posting regularly, although that's certainly a part of it. Consistency also refers to the quality of your content, the voice and tone you use, and the value you provide to your audience.

Stick to a Schedule: When it comes to posting content, pick a schedule that works for you and stick to it. This helps your audience know when they can expect new content from you. Whether it's every day, once a week, or once a month, consistency is key.
Maintain Quality: Consistency in quality is just as important as frequency. Make sure every piece of content you put out is up to the standard your audience expects. This builds trust and keeps your audience coming back for more.
Keep Your Voice and Tone Consistent: Your brand's voice and tone should be consistent across all your content. This helps your audience recognize your brand and builds a strong brand identity.

So, which content marketing is best for small business owners? The kind that stays consistent. Consistency helps build a loyal audience, strengthens your brand, and improves your SEO. Remember, consistency is a marathon, not a sprint—it might take time to see results, but the payoff is worth it.

If you enjoyed our "9 Proven Content Marketing Tips for Small Business" blog post and want to learn more about effectively managing your social media content, check out Carolyn Edge's workshop, 'Batch Create and Manage Your Social Media Content.' This workshop will teach you how to efficiently create and manage your social media content, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your small business.