Content Marketing
for Small Business

If you've poked around in the world of online marketing for more than five minutes, you more than likely have heard that "Content is king." 

What does this mean?

Basically, if you want to build an online business of any kind AT ALL, you need good, quality content. And the more, the better!

Before we delve into "why" content is so important, let's clarify what "content" means. Content is quite literally any piece of information that you create or provide for your visitors in order to help them find the information they are looking for. This may include, but is not limited to:

• Blog posts and/or web pages
• Email marketing and/or newsletters
•  Any written document, downloadable or not, which may include: checklists, guides, reports, ebooks
• Videos (YouTube or otherwise)
• Podcasts
• Courses
• Social media posts
• Surveys / polls
• Memes
• Images

There are currently around two billion websites registered on the internet today. Two billion.

Yet when a visitor pulls up a search engine to look for something, they rarely look past the first page, maybe two, of the results. Google only shows ten results per page; which that unless your website shows up in the top 10-30 results for a search term, that visitor is unlikely to ever find your site. 

So how do you get the search engines to rank you? Unless you have a lot of money to spend on expensive advertising, your only hope is to utilize fantastic SEO. 

Of course, even using the best SEO in the world will never guarantee that your site will show up in the top search results. There are a LOT of factors that go into good SEO; it is a vast, complicated, dynamic topic. Therefore, be very cautious of any agency, writer, or developer who "guarantees" top search engine rankings. They are either lying or using some unethical techniques, which can eventually get your site penalized or even banned from Google forever. 

When it comes to SEO, there are no guarantees except one: without proper SEO, you will most likely never be found. 

This is one of the most complex questions when it comes to online business. The answer is long, complicated, and constantly changing. 

However, there are a few basics:

• Good SEO is based upon "keywords." Keywords are the terms that people use when searching for something. And for the record, yes, a single keyword is almost always made up of multiple words, so it's more like a phrase. Because of this, some people use the term "key phrase," but most of us still use the term "keyword.".
• For example, "plumbing services near me" is a keyword, and "emergency plumber on weekends" is a separate keyword. 
• However, choosing the right keywords is imperative. You want to find a delicate balance between a keyword with a lot of "demand" (people using that term to look for something) but low "supply" (other websites using that same keyword to find those same people). This takes a lot of careful research to plan out your proper keyword-based site plan.
• All content you create should strategically utilize keywords; but there is an art to this. There are certain places to put keywords within your content. And using them too often in your content will get you flagged as "spam" by the search engines; but not enough means it won't register either. 

So, you can see why SEO is such a hot topic in the world of online marketing. It's an imperative step in your formula toward success; but it's a complicated and ever-changing topic as well. 

This is when hiring a professional to help guide you is well worth the investment!

We all have a musician, band, author, or public personality who we just get. And we feel like they get us. You follow them online, and the moment they release a new song, album, book, or podcast you excitedly seek it out, because you already know that you're going to love it. You resonate with them, and you feel like they know you; and everything they put out there is nothing short of gold. 

This, my friends, is the secret to success in an online business. Finding the people who are looking for what you have to offer, and then (through great content) turning them into fans. 

But let's face it, it's not that easy. Unless you have a very, very unique idea for a business, chances are you're going to have a bit of competition. Or perhaps a lot. What will determine why someone chooses you over someone else?

In a word? You. You are uniquely you. Your business is an extension of you. And even if your product or service is somewhat unique, your audience still won't be sold until they know they can trust you.

People are more internet-savvy than ever before. People are skeptical, and rightfully so. Unfortunately there are a whole lot of unethical people out there trying to part people with their hard-earned money. So how do you convince your audience that you're not one of them? 

By building a relationship with them. By showing them (not telling, but showing) that you're real. That you're a good person. And that you have something great to offer that can really benefit their lives. 

But when you're offering something online, that's hard to do. Unless you plan on calling each and every person that visits your site, you need to show them what you're all about. And you do that by creating engaging, informative, and authentic content that reflects you, your personality, and/or your brand. 

• When done correctly, content marketing builds a relationship, which leads to TRUST. 
• The way to develop a relationship when you’re online (not in person) is to develop content.
• Content leads people on a journey from just stumbling across your site into someone who's genuinely interested in what you have to say; and then (hopefully) into a raving fanatic of everything you do! 
• Content marketing is much more effective than advertising; because instead of just pushing your product or service and asking them for a blind investment in you, you are giving something of value to your audience. This helps break down their walls of distrust and skepticism, and turns them into a fan or a dedicated member of your tribe. 

There is a catch, of course, and it is this: not just any content will do. There is a strategy to good content; not only in how it is written, but in how it is delivered (method of delivery, frequency, and what you have to say). Done correctly, you can turn your visitors into customers who are excited at everything you have to share. Done incorrectly, you will lose your one opportunity to help your visitor and create a mutually beneficial relationship.