One of the most effective new marketing approaches out there is content marketing. According to the Content Marketing Institute, over 85 percent of brands use it, but less than half believe they’re good at it. In many ways, content marketing is even more important for small businesses.
So what, exactly, is content marketing? Why is it important? And how the heck do you actually do it? I asked three experts to weigh in: Michael Brenner, head of strategy for NewsCred and a Forbes Top 40 social media marketer; Neil Patel, co-founder of KISSmetrics and Crazy Egg and a featured expert in Kauffman’s Founders School; and Shelly Kramer, founder and CEO of V3 Integrated Marketing, who has been recognized by Forbes as one of the top 20 best marketing and social media blogs.
A Layman’s Definition of Content Marketing
“Content marketing is a way for a business owner to educate your customers and potential customers about your products and services,” says Patel. “The goal is to offer tips, help, and education about anything that can be helpful to a customer. This kind of information can be shared in the form of blog, white paper, webinar, video or social post. The opportunities are endless.”
Why Should Small Businesses Invest Time in Content Marketing?
“Small businesses should be even more focused on content marketing than larger brands,” says Brenner. “Small businesses don’t have the luxury of massive budgets that are over-weighted in ineffective advertising. But they also need to drive brand awareness and leads with limited resources. Content marketing is a great way for small businesses to do both.”
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