Hannah O'neill

Content Marketing for Small Businesses: Succeeding on a Budget Small businesses have some distinct advantages over large companies, including providing better customer service and focusing on creating a stronger company culture. Their main disadvantage is, of course, budget. Imagine a small coffee shop in the heart of a bustling town serving locally sourced baked goods and gourmet beans. The employees know regular customers by name and are always willing to help them choose their brew—next step expansion. Appealing to new customers and expanding into different towns are viable options until the owners realise they're competing with brands like Starbucks and Costa. It seems impossible, but a straightforward solution could give this coffee shop the desired growth. Introducing content marketing Content marketing is one of the most viable digital strategies, with many small businesses using it to build their brand. Instead of expensive adverts, cold calling prospects and using traditional advertising means, content marketing isn't about selling; it's about creating true value. Whether it's blog posts, case studies, social media posts, video marketing or anything else that falls under the content marketing umbrella, businesses everywhere are maximising their budget and achieving sustainable growth. According to Digital Marketing Mentor, 72% of marketing budgets in the UK are allocated for digital strategies instead of traditional marketing, and content marketing revenue is estimated to reach $72 Billion (Statista). Only 57% of small businesses utilise a content marketing strategy Yep, it's true. Despite its benefits, just 57% of small businesses invest in content marketing (Service Direct). There's little room for growth if you're a small business in the UK and not doing any content marketing. The great news is anyone can adopt this useful digital strategy and build relationships with their audiences through content creation. In this guide, we'll reveal everything you need to know about developing and deploying a content marketing strategy and show you how to maximise your budget. Short on time? Here are the key takeaways ● ● ● Content marketing can help small businesses compete with their larger counterparts. Being successful with content marketing requires an intricate strategy. Using artificial intelligence can maximise your budget and diversify content output. The Benefits of Content Marketing for Small Businesses Content marketing is a powerful digital marketing strategy that can open up opportunities for businesses of all sizes and ensure they can appeal to a broader customer base. Content creation has many benefits, so let's look at them now. Stand out from the crowd Did you know that there are around 5.5 million businesses in the UK? A report by the House of Commons also reveals that 76% of these businesses are in the service industry. Even if you're in a niche industry, there's a lot of competition, and standing out from the crowd is no easy feat. Creating quality content can make a massive difference to your brand as it demonstrates what you're all about and helps you connect with a target audience. Build a strong brand identity All brands should have a strong identity that demonstrates their mission, story and social responsibility—all of which are central to building and retaining relationships with an audience. Developing a strong business content marketing strategy can help you highlight your brand values and spark emotions in your audience. If people relate to your brand and see you're not just a faceless company, they're more likely to give you their loyalty. Engage with customers Small business content marketing can also help you engage with customers. By being ready to answer their questions and engage with them meaningfully, you can put a face and personality to your business. For example, many brands provide customer service through social media, breaking down the barriers of the classic five-day response emails, leading to higher retention rates. Focusing on personalisation and user-generated content are also powerful methods to boost engagement. Big brands like Netflix already adopt these methods, but that doesn't mean small business owners can't too. Build authority and trust Many brands have found success through educational content, including Dollar Shave Club. The company successfully leveraged social media and video marketing to provide educational posts that help customers get the most out of their daily shave (Narvar). And the result? Dollar Shave Club is a classic David & Goliath story, showing that any small business can create content that educates an audience and leads to more sales. Attract new customers organically Relying on people to walk by your physical business space or magically find you online is basically living on a wing and a prayer. Content marketing involves using search engine optimisation (SEO) to create valuable content that ensures people searching for a particular service or product can find your brand. When they use certain keywords or phrases and see your website as an option, it can lead to more traffic and gives you a chance to turn those leads into customers. Better still, once you put the initial work in, you'll get free leads, as organic traffic is a long-term solution. What to Consider Before Content Marketing So, now you know the value of content marketing; it's time to reveal what you need to consider before developing a strategy. In the past, finding a few keywords and publishing blog posts each month was enough to build an organic presence. However, Google is the undisputed heavyweight champion of search engines, and its priority is giving users compelling content that adds value for readers. To succeed with content marketing, you must consider your strategy and factor in the following components. Build your foundations Strong foundations ensure you can continue to build upon them and create a brand that grows with your goals and audience. Before jumping into the creative stage, you should focus on the following things: Website Your website is so much more than the face of your business, as it's where most people go to learn more about you. The design should reflect what your brand's about, and having a clearly defined audience with personas will help you think about the colours, fonts and imagery. Marketing efforts Are you planning on using an in-house team or agency to support your content marketing efforts? Many large companies have in-house teams as they can afford it, but smaller businesses often use agencies because they can budget accordingly and not worry about paying full-time employees. Defining responsibilities It's also vital to think about responsibilities. If you're a business owner, you might feel more comfortable running the company and letting someone else keep track of marketing efforts. These decisions are important as they ensure everyone knows what they're doing. Marketing tracking How will you track your content marketing strategy? Some people prefer to use Google Analytics, which tracks engagement and lets you measure valuable metrics. However, gaining customer feedback through surveys is also helpful as it enables you to gather qualitative data. Planning your content strategy To break through the noise and reach your audience, it's essential to carefully plan your content marketing and think about the best channels to utilise. Knowing how to divide your budget ensures you create high-quality content that resonates with readers. Gather content marketing ideas Whether it's blog content, social media posts or any other form of content, putting your ideas down will help in the creation stage. Many brands use a content calendar because it makes creating content easier and ensures everything stays on track. Blog ideas Blog posts are still highly relevant, but it's more about quality than quantity today. As Neil Patel puts it, posting multiple blog posts each month can boost your traffic, but only a quality blog post that offers value to readers is what will ultimately result in conversions. Social media presence Social media is integral to successful content marketing. Used by around 4.9 billion people worldwide, it's one of the best places to reach an audience and interact with them (Forbes). However, to utilise your budget effectively, using the right channels is essential. For example, you won't find many senior citizens on TikTok or Instagram, as these platforms are most popular with younger generations. Lead magnets Lead magnets give people a freebie in exchange for their contact information—usually an email address. Magnets can rev up your email marketing efforts, but they must be enticing enough to make people want to give you their contact information. Creating a magnet that offers readers valuable tips and informative content is central to any successful lead magnet, so they often require a lot of planning. Defining your priorities There's no set content marketing blueprint for brands, as it depends on where your audience is and the kind of budget you're working with. While larger companies can afford to test different strategies, small business content marketing involves intricate planning. Deciding which channels to focus on will help you create an online marketing strategy that delivers fantastic results. How to Create Outstanding Content Of course, having a detailed strategy will help you with the content creation process, but the sheer competition even small businesses face today means everything you create must be outstanding. It might seem daunting, but there are plenty of ways to impact your audience. Let's look at them now. Get creative Enter a search term on Google, and you'll see a range of results. If you click on each, a pattern will emerge; each blog article you read will have similarities to the other top-ranking content. Originality always wins, but creating something epic requires out-of-the-box thinking. Consider your audience and what will make potential customers sit up and listen. Also, look at existing content that ranks well and ask yourself one question; what can I do better? That's all you need to get creative with any content marketing strategy. Utilise AI Artificial intelligence is becoming a real game-changer for brands on limited budgets. With various tools, you can speed up the research process, generate outlines for relevant blog articles and analyse your content to see what you can improve. At ACE, we leverage AI to produce content on a larger scale for our clients, giving them more output for their budgets. Whether you want to leverage user-generated content, create thought leadership blog posts or make your business stand out with social media, our expertise allows us to use AI ethically and effectively. Our free eBook lets you learn more about how to use AI for your business. Keep it engaging While AI offers numerous benefits, it relies on existing content and data to function. Unfortunately, relying solely on artificial intelligence means your content won't be original and engaging for readers. As Google's Double E-A-T now considers reader experience an integral ranking factor, focusing on delivering entertaining and informative content is more important than ever. Yes, some AI-generated content can increase brand awareness, but engaging content can set you apart as a thought leader. Be consistent Consistency is key for your brand story, content creation and distribution. As a small business owner, much of your success will depend on how you connect with a target audience, so use the same tone of voice across your social media channels, blog posts and email marketing. Remaining consistent with your marketing strategy will also ensure you continue relationships with current customers, leading to higher retention rates. Final Thoughts on Content Marketing for Small Businesses Content marketing isn't something any small business can afford to ignore, and while it might seem like a significant effort, the results far justify the means. The average cost of content marketing depends on whether you keep it in-house or use an agency, but Expert Market suggests that a monthly retainer is just over £1000. At ACE, we make your money go further by utilising AI content writing tools for the entire creation and distribution process. However, our expert writers can bring your brand to life through original website copy, blog posts and anything else you need. Our unique process also saves you money and gives you measurable results so you can see your business flourish. Please feel free to get in touch today or download the free eBook. Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business Content Marketing How do you do content marketing for small businesses? Small business content marketing should always follow five steps: ● Audience Research: Learn about your target audience's preferences, behaviours, needs and pain points. ● ● ● ● Quality Content: Create valuable, high-quality, relevant content that stands out and addresses various problems and interests. Consistency: Maintain a regular posting schedule across your chosen content channels, such as blogs and social media. Promotion: Promote your content on social media or with email marketing to ensure people can find it and share it. Measure and Adjust: Use analytics to track the performance of your content and make adjustments based on what works best for your audience. Does content marketing work for small businesses? Yes, as long as you're willing to put the time and effort in or outsource to an agency. What is an example of content marketing for a small business? A small local DIY shop creates content for its social media channel that shows videos of employees teaching people how to use tools and fix items.