For small businesses to remain competitive in today’s digital world, simply having an online presence usually is not enough. Small business owners need to think like their corporate competitors, with cohesive content creation strategies that target specific types of consumers.
Content creation is the delivery of engaging, relevant content to potential customers that ultimately calls on them to work with you—whether that means using your services or buying your products. Well-executed content creation strategies increase your business’s brand visibility and public profile.
The following are five effective content creation tips for new business owners:
1) Do your homework
Content creation starts with research. Find out what others in your field have done and what seems to work well. This is a good time to check out what some of the bigger brands in your industry are doing and consider how you can set your brand apart.
Use tools like Google Analytics and Clicky to discover the websites and pages with the most traffic and the top keywords in your field. Most of these tools are free (or low cost) and relatively easy to use.
2) Use images and video
If you are not engaging users visually, then your potential customers are likely to leave your website quickly. According to Hubspot, social media posts that include visual content get 94 percent more views than posts with text only.
It makes sense—the vast majority of human communication is visual. A visual message is simply more likely to resonate with your target audience.
3) Stay current
Linking your company’s message with the latest news in your industry is a great way to keep content fresh. Find out what’s trending on Facebook and Twitter, and weigh in using your experience and expertise.
You may also take existing content and re-purpose it so that it connects better with current events. This technique is sometimes called “newsjacking,” integrating your content seamlessly with what’s going on in the world.
4) Use surveys
Get a precise idea of what potential customers want—and who your target audience is—by conducting surveys. There are many excellent tools available, such as Survey Monkey.
Once you’ve done the survey, you can use the data to develop an infographic. This type of attractive visual feature will set your content creation efforts apart from the competition.
5) Adopt a comprehensive strategy
It’s important to proceed with a well-defined purpose. People are bombarded online with spam, pop-up ads and phony friend requests—so doing the same is unlikely to get you to stand out.
However, if your content creation focuses on providing customers with information, you will begin to develop relationships based on trust.
Your business can stay competitive by having a strong digital presence. These content creation tips should provide you with a great start. If you could use some assistance with your digital marketing efforts, reach out to a reputable copywriting service.