By Amy Olivieri, Constant Contact
Regional Development Director
Content marketing is a hot topic in the marketing world right now. You’ve probably heard plenty about it, including many misconceptions. As a result, you may have established certain opinions or doubts about whether or not creating content is a worthwhile investment. Well, it is! Content is currency on the Internet. It’s what people consume, share, and it’s what can get your small business found.
Before you throw in the towel and give up on the idea of content marketing completely, here are some ways to overcome these common challenges.
- I’m an awful writer—I can’t create great content!
“I can’t create content…” isn’t a sentiment any business owner needs to accept, especially if the reason has something to do with your proficiency as a writer. In reality, great content is all about answering the questions of your audience. It’s why someone visits your website or checks out your content in the first place: to learn more about your business and see what you can do to help them. So whether you’re writing about products, services, events and promotions, or just sharing your expertise about your industry—you already have those answers. Now all you need is a strategy for turning those answers into great content for your readers.
- I don’t have the time! I have a business to run.
Small business owners have never had more access to easy-to-use tools for content creation. Take your smartphone for example. Your smartphone is essentially the modern day Swiss Army knife of content creation. Whether it’s snapping pictures, shooting videos, recording audio or taking notes—business owners have never had access to a more valuable resource for creating content. And with the convenience of a mobile device, you can create engaging content without it disrupting your schedule or taking away from running your business.
- How will creating content get people to buy my product/service?
Not all the stuff you create for your marketing is going to lead people directly to buy, and writing with a sales mentality is a sure-fire way to undermine your content marketing. The real value of content is that it gives your audience the opportunity to get to know, like, and trust you over time. And people do business with those they know, like, and trust. Content allows you to get 85 percent of the way there. That doesn’t mean you can’t talk about yourself or your products. Just keep in mind; people are much more interested in what your products will do for them, than what selling them will do for you.
Facing your content roadblocks
While there may still be plenty of roadblocks along the way, you can create great content. The trick is, not letting those roadblocks or your doubts stand in the way of creating stuff customers will love and want to tell their friends about.
Amy E. Olivieri is Regional Development Director at Constant Contact
Reach her at:
aolivieri@constantcontact.com
(713) 401-2841
www.constantcontact.com/amy-olivieri
