small-business-marketing

I recently came across a study that found 82 percent of all companies now use content marketing as part of their B2B marketing strategies. That's more than the number using search engine marketing - and twice as many as the number using print, TV, or radio advertising.

I'm not surprised. You shouldn't be, either.

Content marketing is a simple concept. It's the process of creating original content - blogs, videos, white papers, and other assets - to drive lead generation and promote a company's brand. It also serves to establish a company as a subject-matter expert and a thought leader in its space.

Why is content marketing so popular today? There are a few reasons.

1. It's inexpensive. Or perhaps I should say it's cost effective, since that's just as important. Some of the most effective marketing content you can create - blog posts - cost little or nothing to produce. How much did your last broadcast media campaign cost?

2. You can measure the ROI. In fact, you can measure your content marketing ROI in excruciating detail, using metrics that quantify your lead generation, conversion rates, repeat visitors, and other key indicators.

3. You focus on the customer's needs. Promoting a product or service isn't usually a conversation; it's a monologue. Customers get sick of that fast. Content marketing allows you to serve customers by sharing your knowledge, experience, and thought leadership on topics they care about.

4. It's incredibly flexible. Your ability to conceive, launch, and scale a content marketing strategy is limited only by your imagination - not by your budget. In fact, some experts would argue that the best content marketing takes a deliberately low-budget approach that emphasizes substance over style.

What's the downside to putting content at the center of your B2B marketing strategy? Well, there's a learning curve, but it's really not very steep - especially given the ROI you'll get once you climb it. So get started with content marketing, and discover where it can take your small business!