For small businesses, online marketing is no longer the future, it is the present. Making your small business relevant online is crucial in today’s world to not only flourish, but to survive. While there are some great techniques your business is able to utilize such as email auto-responding, search engine pay-per-click or media-buying, one of the least expensive and effective methods is creating quality content on your website.
James B is a 5-Star writer at WriterAccess
According to the Small Business Administration’s website, advertising can both establish
and maintain a distinct company identity and work as a reminder to your customers and perspective customers about the benefits of your product or service. Having a blog-style portion on your website where you can inform current and potential customers, not only about your services and accomplishments, but sharing content about Do-It-Yourself projects, general tips and industry expertise, can transition people researching into customers and label your small business as an authority in its industry.
Do-It-Yourself Content
The first approach a small business can take when creating quality content on its website is to create a do-it-yourself section. This is often misunderstood by small business owners as they feel it will allow the potential customer to solve the problem on their own, but the results are generally the opposite. Many times customers will research how to fix a problem and after hearing from an authority on how to handle it, they would prefer to pay an expert, rather than make the situation worse.
Imagine you are a local plumber and you create content on how to fix a toilet leak. The consumer researches the issue through a search engine like Google or Bing and comes across your blog entry on how to tackle this problem. The article explains how the person fixing it has to be extremely careful to take actions such as shutting off a water main or to be very cautious not to crack the base of the toilet, otherwise this small issue could turn into a major one for the homeowner. The plumber is now accomplishing two things: First, they are getting the consumer to trust their expertise on the issue and second, they will start to question whether they aren’t better off having this expert down the street fix their problem rather than risk the situation getting worse. Just because you give people information, doesn’t mean you have turned them into an expert.
Give Customers Maintenance Tips
The next approach a small business can take in creating quality content, which can yield additional customers, is to give a reader tips on how to maintain a product or lower their monthly costs. A perfect example would be for an Air-Conditioning company to write an article on how to keep costs down over the hot summer months or how to avoid costly air-conditioning repairs. In addition, to certifying the company as an authority or expert in the field, you are showing costumers and potential customers that you care about them and would like to see them save money.
In writing about how to avoid costly repairs, the small business can explain how maintenance is a key component in avoiding major costs associated with purchasing and installing a new air-conditioner. It is important to let the homeowner know that by scheduling 2-3 routine maintenance visits per year, the air-conditioner will last an average of X amount of years. The air-conditioning business is helping the homeowner by helping to keep their bills lower while also becoming a trusted company to fulfill the routine maintenance requirements.
Give Them Your Years of Experience
Sharing a small business owner’s intimate knowledge of their particular business can prove invaluable for consumers. Owners and employees often share their experiences and knowledge when the customer is in the store to help them make an informed buying decision, so why not offer this same expertise on your website? A great example of doing this is with a small vitamin and nutrition store. Often times people open a store like this because of their passion and knowledge of the industry. Sharing that expertise and experience with current or perspective customers will not only aid the consumer in making the proper buying decisions, but demonstrating that expertise will insure the business will have repeat customers.
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Create a weekly blog entry about the company’s take on nutrition fads such as raspberry ketones and possibly give the consumer a healthier alternative to what they think they may want. Maybe explain how taking traditional iron supplements for a low red blood cell count may have negative side effects compared to another mineral supplement that gets absorbs better by the body. Share the years of knowledge that you have gained with people and they will go to you for their products.
Content is an excellent, cost-effective approach to marketing for small businesses. [Tweet it] It will increase your search engine visibility, present your small business as an expert in the industry and turn consumers doing research into paying customers. Make sure to post on-going, new content at least once per week and you will see your revenues grow tremendously.
5-Star writer James B is an Ivy League-educated serial entrepreneur who has started and run businesses for the past 17+ years. In that time, he has financed and developed a multitude of real-estate projects, raised capital and started 5 different companies.
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