6 Valuable Reasons to Invest in Content Marketing for Your Small Business

Content marketing is one of the most talked-about methods of marketing your small business. Everyone says you should have a blog, a podcast, social media accounts, or other time-consuming strategies.

But will content marketing really help your business? Or is it just a waste of your time and money?

Like with any marketing tactic, it depends on your business. But in my experience as a small business content writer, content marketing is an incredible tool that’s well worth the effort.

I don’t just want to spout my opinion at you and call it a day. That’s why I'm sharing six reasons you should consider content marketing for your small business in this post. After reading, you'll have the insight you need to decide if this tactic works for you.

What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing is creating and publishing content online to attract your target audience. It's used to get people interested in your products or business before converting them to paying customers.

Common content marketing methods include blogging, social media, YouTube videos, podcasts, and even Pinterest graphics. This post will mostly reference blogging, because that's my specialty, but what I'm going to talk about applies to all of the above.

6 Reasons Content Marketing is Important for Your Small Business

1. It attracts visitors to your website

Having a website is great, but how do you get people besides your mom to visit it?

Content marketing.

Publishing blog posts is a time-tested, low-cost way to attract organic traffic to your website. No need to figure out how to set up an ad campaign or rank for that one specific keyword.

Instead, you can create helpful, interesting blog posts that appeal to your ideal customer and get them on your website. It's the top of a funnel that leads them to signing up for your emails, exploring your website, and hopefully, making a purchase.

2. It has long-term benefits

Posting on social media or sending an email campaign are both great marketing tactics. But they're also one and done. They have little to no lasting value (especially social media posts).

But creating an evergreen blog post or YouTube video? Those are pieces of content that can get clicks, comments, and website traffic for years.

The drawback is that things like blogging or YouTube take time to get started and bring in results. It isn't an overnight success strategy. But once the traffic starts flowing, it snowballs, especially if the content you created is high value.

3. It shows authority

You can claim to be the leading authority on natural pet food or non-toxic candles. But how can people trust what you say?

Creating content. It's a fantastic and simple way to show you actually know what you’re talking about. People can easily browse your content backlog to see if you practice what you preach, so to speak.

For example, I told you at the start of the post that I’m a content writer. If you browse through my blog, you’ll see I talk about that frequently in (I hope) a helpful, in-depth way. By writing these posts, I’m showing potential clients I know the business of content writing, and they can trust me to write for them.

4. It helps you show up in search

Getting onto the first page of Google, earning the featured snippet, and nowadays, showing up in AI overviews, is vital for website visibility and authority. And how can you do that?

Say it with me now: content marketing.

I especially wanted to mention this due to the current rise of AI search. People think this will eliminate the need for content, but where do you think the AI is getting answers from? Content posted online.

By creating high-value posts targeting specific keywords (especially question-based ones), your content and website will have a much higher chance of appearing online, answering search queries, and attracting potential customers.

5. It boosts local SEO

If you have a physical storefront that gets most of your sales, you might think you don't need online content. But let me be the first to tell you that content marketing is just as powerful for brick-and-mortar stores as digital ones.

Creating content for local keywords can help attract local customers to your business. For example, if you have a landscaping company, you could write a post on "the best flowers to grow in [local area]", which helps searchers looking for answers and positions yourself as someone who can help them redo their front yard.

By posting content optimized for local SEO, you'll help your entire website rank better, show up more in search, and build authority with customers.

6. It builds trust

People are more likely to buy from people or companies they know and trust. And, guess what? Content marketing is a great way to do that!

Like I mentioned with the point on authority, content helps people get to know you better. The more they know you, the more they trust you. If they trust you, they're more likely to buy the next time you have a sale or launch a new product.

This is one area where platforms like YouTube and social media shine. Your customers can not only hear what you have to say, but also see your face and hear your voice, which helps show them you're a real person, just like them.

So, is content marketing a good strategy for your business? If any of these points speak to you and are things you want to work on, then you should invest in at least one content strategy, whether that's Instagram or a blog. Content marketing isn't dead, and the businesses that wield it to its full potential are going to reap the rewards of their efforts.

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Do you want to work on your content after reading this post, but just don’t have the time to spare? Do you need someone who can do it all for you, from ideation to publication? I would love to chat and see if we’re a good fit! Click the link below to set up your 15-minute intro call today.

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