Step 3 to Small Business Marketing Success–Publish Educational Content

Do you want to know about a simple practice that can help your small business in many ways?

A daily act that can help your small business build authority, increase brand awareness, and accelerate business growth?

Of course you do. Well then, read on…

Your content is based on what you do best

If you run a small business or you are looking to start a business you have some kind of expertise. Now, think about the know-how you’ve accumulated over the years. The client fires you’ve put out. All the presentations you’ve given. The detailed emails you’ve sent.

I could go on, but if you stop and think about your business smarts—all the knowledge in your head, you’ll quickly understand that putting those thoughts out there for your ideal clients to see might not be that hard after all.

I’m not here to tell you that creating content on an ongoing basis is easy, but it’s not as tough as you might think.

Content that educates and builds trust is an essential component in your marketing success

So, what type of content am I talking about. As I mentioned in the 7 Steps to Small Business Marketing Success content is King and it comes in many forms like blogging, ebooks, on and offline workshops, videos, white papers, etc.

As John Jantsch mentions in this post—an oldie but a goodie, “… people today have come to expect to find information about any product, service, company, individual, cause or challenge they face by simply turning to the search engine of their choice.”

Meaning your ideal customer is looking for content that gives them the information they need. THIS is how you build trust and get them to come back. You’re teaching and building trust at the same time.

And that is what this post is about—educating and building trust by incorporating some type of content production into your daily schedule.

Here’s a quick rundown of the type of content that educates and builds trust:

• A company blog
• Social media content
• Customer testimonials in the form of reputation marketing
• Workshops and seminars
• Video
• A details FAQ page
• A print or email newsletter
• And more

You need to think about which of these practices is best for your business, then start thinking like a publisher.

If you want to tell people about your business and get them to like, know, and trust you, and then buy from you, there is no better way than creating a consistent stream of content that educates and builds trust.

Okay you’ve got the message. Now you are wondering how to start. Here is what I would do…

Think about your customers, and their wants and needs. Take 30 minutes from your busy day and start writing down the top questions they always ask, or the questions you think they need answered.

Don’t stop until you have at least 20 questions. Once you dive into this, you’ll realize it’s not so tough. And the magic? These questions and your answers become the foundation for blog posts, videos, eBooks, and more.

In fact I think you should start with a simple blogging plan based on the above. If you want more reasons read this post on why your company should start blogging. Here are the additional reasons…

1. Blogging is one of the best ways for Google to find your company.

2. Blogging is the best idea-generator for your ongoing marketing.

3. Blogging works to continually clarify your brand.

4. Blogging is the best way to find and engage those who love your products and services.

And that is just from blogging—a powerful practice by itself.

So today think about making content, ongoing content a part of your marketing system.

Pick several of the disciplines mentioned above and start building them into your marketing plan. Craft a system to create, publish, and publicize each. As a Certified Duct Tape Marketing Consultant I’m a big believer in a strategy before tactics mindset. And producing content on a continual basis might be the best strategy of all.

So today, start building your small business content strategy.

Take a look at the 7 Steps to Small Business Marketing Success Ebook written by John Jantsch, creator of Duct Tape Marketing. It is a great introduction to effective small business marketing and has everything to do with the post above.

This is just one step in a series.

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