Four content marketing ideas for your small business

The future of marketing is all about content. Consumers want to see exactly what your business has to offer and how it can benefit their lives in a real way.

But what, exactly, does content marketing mean? Literally speaking, content marketing can be defined as a strategic marketing approach which focuses on creating consistent content materials to drive customer and lead generation.

So how can your business get involved with content marketing? Here are four big ideas to get you started.

1. Start a blog.

A consistent and well-written blog hosted by your small business gives you the opportunity to relate to both clients and potential customers at the same time. Dedicate an employee to posting one blog article a week through your website, then share the article via your business’ social media accounts or email marketing.

A blog is an excellent opportunity for your business to show clients its relatability. Write about topics such as how your product or service can improve lives, testimonials about people you’ve served or why your business is a better option than competition. You can even get personal and write about daily news topics or expert tips from your field.

2. Give a guided tour.

Your small business can also utilize technology to record and share a guided tour of your facilities, complete with employee interviews and surprise interactions. Some consumers may feel uncertain about working with a business if they don’t know what’s “behind the curtain,” so make them feel comfortable by opening up with approachable content.

Record a video while touring your facilities and show clients the inner-workings of your business. Afterwards, you can share this video as part of your content marketing plan.n Customers will feel engaged and attended-to, while also gaining a sense of trust for your small business.

3. Host a webinar.

Right alongside a guided video tour is a webinar. While these may sound difficult, they offer a huge opportunity for potential customers to see your business and its expertise in the field. Develop a webinar on instructing clients how to use a specific product or service, offer hands-on training and real-life examples.

The most important part of hosting a webinar is offering real value to people. If consumers feel like your business has something important to offer them, the webinar will be more successful and generate more leads.

Once you’ve given the webinar a try, see about making it a weekly or even monthly part of your business’s marketing strategy.

4. Develop a (blank) of the week.

If your business is active on social media, create a content marketing strategy based on what you post. One easy method is developing a (blank) of the week… product, service, employee, board member, you name it. This type of content marketing allows consumers to get to know your business better and gives them something to look forward to every week.

One specific example is promoting a Question of the Week. Allow customers to write in via email, social media or snail mail with questions for your business, then answer them every week.

This shows your organization’s transparency and eagerness to work with clients on a personal and relatable level.

When it comes to content marketing for your small business, jump on board with these main ideas.

The more content you provide, the more involved your customers will feel, and your lead generation will skyrocket. So give it a try, and give it some content.

Key components of successful marketing videos

When it comes to marketing, staying current on the latest trends has a vital impact on successful lead generation.

Whether it involves a new social media app, a trending topic or an online marketing campaign, a business grows when it stays up-to-date.

Video marketing continues to grow exponentially for online in particular. There are more video posts online now than ever before, and video shares are only expected to increase. If your business wants to stay current on the latest marketing trends, put video to good use.

Interested in getting started? Check out these five key components of how to make a strategic video script which will set your marketing campaign apart and boost lead generation.

1. Get ‘Em Hooked

Like most aspects of marketing, the initial hook of a video script should catch viewers’ attention and draw them in. Let the audience know you are talking to them specifically by addressing them directly. Identify the target audience and brainstorm how you would want to be addressed from their perspective. By giving your video script a strong, attention-grabbing intro, it will draw viewers and set the tone for the rest of a successful marketing video.

2. Connect Emotionally

After hooking the viewer’s attention, establish a personal connection with them. An emotional connection makes viewers feel your company cares for them and the community, thus encouraging them to take immediate action after viewing. As human beings, strong feelings impact our decisions, logic and mindsets; your business can take advantage by connecting with consumers on a deep personal level.

3. Tell a Story

Once you’ve grabbed the viewer’s interest and connected with them, get down to the point. Every successful video marketing campaign should tell a story—the company’s story, the service’s story and benefits or a customer’s story. Use the time to expand and go in-depth on the narrative’s focal points. The goal should be to gain the viewer’s trust and empathy, but take time to give details surrounding the story and lead viewers into the next big point.

4. Share Your Values

When you’ve established a story basis, the time has come to drop a value bomb for viewers. This is the most important part of a marketing video and should be restrained to one short, concise sentence. Until this point, the entire video should be leading up to this moment. The value statement is the main takeaway viewers should get. Keep it values-driven, short and powerful to gain viewers’ attention and make them remember your product or service.

5. Reel ‘Em In

After your business has established its value statement, wrap up with an influential outro. The goal of a video close involves viewers doing something after watching—a call to action.

Depending upon the video’s focus, the call to action could be centered on buying a specific product, trying a service or just stopping in to take a look. Be sure to include information for a website, social media or any upcoming events.

Video marketing is a current and useful option to take advantage of for your business.

A strong video script consists of five key components, each one with a specific purpose, working together to produce a video and generate successful leads.

By utilizing these component strategies, your company can create engaging, successful marketing videos, which will help promote your product or service.

Try it out and see how your business grows.

Guerrilla marketing is not dead

Like guerrilla warfare, guerrilla marketing offers low-cost tactics that include an element of surprise. Your business meets potential customers where they stand, while generating leads and saving you money.

So how can your business take advantage of the guerrilla marketing phenomenon? Here’s six ideas to get you started.

1. Personal Invitation

Can you remember the last time you received a personalized letter in the mail? They’re rare, which means they’re a valuable guerrilla marketing tactic.

Try writing letters to current and potential clients, telling them about your small business. Don’t let it be cookie-cutter, though. If you can, include a little message in each letter specific to the customer.

2. Testimonials

A solid testimonial will drive respondents to your store front. Utilize people involved with your business—managers, employees and clients. Ask what they love about the business and how it has benefited their lives. Unconventional testimonials which highlight the importance of your products or services will demonstrate business capabilities.

3. Social Media

There’s no question social media exists everywhere nowadays, and with a strong guerrilla marketing focus, so can your business. Utilize platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to post interactive content with followers. Set up a content plan to educate users on your services and engage with followers by encouraging “likes” and “shares”.

4. Email Marketing

Email marketing is simple to do and cost-effective. Keep emails brief and impactful with up-to-date info on products and services. Include links to videos and interactive media for a user-friendly experience. Be sure the subject line compels the reader to open and always end on a call to action which will grab your viewer’s attention and link to your website.

5. Video Production

Videos marketing doesn’t have to be expensive and time-consuming. In fact, with the social media craze, many users feel more connected to businesses which don’t follow the conventional, unrealistic road of video production. Create your own video to post on social media, share on your website or send out via email.

6. Creative Ads

When all else fails, try guerrilla marketing for your business through creative advertisements. Guerrilla ads spring up in unsuspecting places and draw attention.

They can be inexpensive to produce, but still draw a following. Come up with ideas for ads which can promote your business in the community and generate leads.

Guerrilla marketing offers a cost-effective way for your business to increase its exposure and raise earnings. By making an effort towards a proactive marketing strategy, your small business will generate customer leads and increase revenue.

Eight Tips for Designing Your Small Business Logo

An eye-catching logo gives your business an image and appeals to the target audience.

It shows a visual representation of everything an organization stands for, enhancing potential customers’ first impressions, building loyalty among consumers and demonstrating a professional standard. Think of your logo as an ambassador to potential supporters.

And while logos exist literally everywhere in today’s society (think golden arches, black swoosh or silver apple), they’re not necessarily easy to develop. Start the process by checking out these top 8 tips about designing your small business logo.

1. Hire a professional.

Professional designers have the experience and expertise to design an effective logo. While not hiring a designer may seem like a sound fiscal idea initially, it results in more time loss and headaches for you eventually. Graphic designers in your field have the expert skills to take your business’s vision and make it a reality, while saving you the hassle.

2. Stand out from the crowd.

A lot of logos exist out there, so look at other logos in your field and develop a strategy to make yours stand out from the crowd. When your brand has a fresh and unique design, viewers will be more attracted to it and more likely to get involved with your cause. Conduct research and work with your designer to create a logo which fits your needs while still unique.

3. Focus on your vision.

When developing ideas for your nonprofit’s logo, focus on a specific vision. Consider focal points like what you do, what products or services you provide, what customers like about your group and what you want future consumers to think. If your business works in a variety of different areas, choose a focus topic and target the logo towards it.

4. Develop a tagline.

A tagline incorporates into the logo and sums up your services in 3-7 words. While not necessary, it adds an extra dose of intrigue and interest to a logo design. If your business has a significant phrase which fits in well with your logo as a tagline, work through it with your designer and use it to your advantage.

5. Consider your options.

Once you have an idea to focus on for your logo, consider your options. There are three main types of logos: font-based, icon or symbol logos and a combination logo. No matter which type of logo design your business chooses to utilize, be sure it represents your vision and products or services well.

6. Keep it simple.

When coming up with design ideas for your logo, remember: the simpler, the better. Excessively complex logos can overwhelm viewers and have a negative effect. Choose easy-to-read fonts, crisp colors and a clear design. A creative yet simple logo demonstrates your business credibility, while catching viewers’ eyes and generating more leads.

7. Choose your colors.

Your logo’s color scheme has importance. Color production costs can be excessive and too many colors overwhelm viewers, so keep the colors in your logo to a maximum of three-four. Subconsciously, different colors affect our brains in different ways. Choose colors which represent your organization, but consider different emotions colors can evoke.

8. Remember adaptability.

Adaptability is key in reaching out to a variety of different audiences. Your business logo should adapt to all sorts of different mediums—online, in print or on merchandise. It needs to look crisp and clean whether printed on a business card or plastered on the side of a truck. This means the logo can be scaled and easy to produce, so keep this in mind while working with a designer.

The logo your business chooses takes the first step in marketing your brand and growing your company. A well-crafted logo makes your business or organization stand out from the crowd.

So try it out and see everything a creative logo can do for your marketing.

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