How Content Marketing Has Changed Small Business by Brian Newmark

What do you see?

Even today, in the most prime retail locations – the stores and their showrooms are packed with customers and their shelves are stacked with premier brands. But, in many retail locations you see empty store fronts or former stores are now restaurants, as they are the only retail locations which seem to have been rapidly growing in this digital age. For those of us old enough, we remember when you didn’t have a choice, if you wanted to buy something there was no choice. Sadly and happily at the same time, we now have so many choices. One problem, the deep pocketed big box stores and chains have squeezed the mom and pops off the real estate and their reach on the web is having a similar effect. They can sell cheaper, they can advertise more and offer better promotions. But this does not mean the end of small business, just an end to those who won’t adapt to a changing digital landscape. How, well they need a solid strategy for content marketing and creating value to the consumer.

Content marketing has placed small business on the front line where only brands occupy the best seats.

Here are 5 ways in which content marketing is changing small business.

1) Top placement in Search Engine – To reserve your spot at the top of the SERPS, the most important requirements are:

Great Content – This is how it starts.

Natural Anchors – Let editors choose their anchors

Naturally acquired backlinks – That is, links earned without any influence of any kind.

Social Shares – Shares and votes from the social media.

All of this is possible with content marketing. You need a great piece of content to start with. Next, you need to promote it so that it gains some backlinks and social shares. If the content is really good in the first place – then it will snowball with viral intensity and bring home plenty of social shares, links and mention.

This is what the search engines want – all of it, and in return they will place you among the top brands – at the top of the SERPS.

2) Mention from News sites – On the Internet, if you are mentioned by news sites – (even the smaller ones will do), – you will get featured on Google news, Yahoo news along with many other smaller news sources. This is an instant route for Internet Popularity.

There are larger news sites like the NYtimes, HuffingtonPost, TechCrunch etc. and if you are lucky – you can indeed get published on these huge sites. Here are a few tips by which you can get published on top News sites: Press release – this can work if done properly, although the value of a press release is diminishing rapidly. If you are going to use them, make sure you get help from a marketer. You must promote the content instead of the business, you will get more success.

Editorial contacts – if your networking skill is good, then give it a try and get some editorial connection from news sites. Once you have successfully built a connection with an editor, all you need to do is – use that connection to place your posts on that news site.

News Release is a new strategy which connects companies directly with news distribution outlets. – Call me, I’ll explain.

There are certain sites on the internet that provides such a platform where you can exchange data or content and get mentions and links in return.

Infographics – Plenty of news and media sites re-publish infographics.

3) Linked from A-list blogs – Mention or links from popular blogs on the internet helps in spreading the word about any online business. It builds a brand out of a small business and helps to reach greater heights and visibility. The easiest way to do this is to guest post for them. You do need a good reputation to do this; otherwise it is likely that your pitch to an A-list blog will get rejected.

4) Viral coverage on the Social Media – With the help of content marketing – you can promote your best content on the social media where it will get virally shared. For a small business – a Tweet or a Like from someone popular with plenty of followers can help spread the message about the small business on the internet very effectively.

5) Long term conversions and repeat sale – The best thing about acquiring a new customer is that it can get you repeat sale. That is, if you make your customer a loyal fan of your small business – he or she will spread the message which is free promotions and a personal recommendation helps more than anything else.

Everything you do via content marketing is only effective if you are getting sales. There is perhaps only one thing which is better than getting a sale – and that is repeat business. Content marketing makes your customers your fans – which helps a small business generate repeat sales.

Small business has a limited yet targeted audience. The requirements are very specific – one needs to reach the target audience and make them their loyal customers. If you fail to do this – the market will leave you.

Content marketing helps greatly in this regard and places the small business – right in front of their audience and show them why they should buy from it. This personalized marketing helps small business to stay one step ahead of the bigger brands and keep a strong hold in their markets.

Let me know if you have any questions – Brian Newmark

“Image courtesy of [Master isolated images] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net“