As a small business owner you want to get the best bang for your buck. You’re willing to spend money on marketing, but you want to know that what you’re investing in will get you results – and not just the illusion of results in the form of fancy charts and graphs – but a real, legit return on investment in the form of leads and customers. Utilizing content marketing services is the surefire way to give your ROI a boost.
Bright shiny objects
First, you need to attract your target audience with bright shiny objects. When it comes to content marketing, these objects are:
- Website content
- Blog articles
- eBooks
- Social media posts
- Email nurturing campaigns
As a small business owner who loves to learn, you stay competitive by being informed of the latest industry trends, try the tactics you think will work, and adopt the ones that do. You’ve had a website for years now, but is it time for a redesign?
For content marketing to work, your website has to be well thought out and executed correctly to fit your company’s needs because it acts as home base for all of the other content marketing services you invest in.
It’s standard now to see a blog tab on nearly every website you visit. If you don’t have a blog, you look like you’re behind the times. A blog will help you attract customers if you’re writing to the topics they want to know more about.
B2B companies that blog generate 67% more leads per month than those that don’t. (Social Media B2B)
Your blog articles can also be pushed out to your social media accounts. The platforms you choose will depend on your industry and the amount of time you have to commit to social media. Having some kind of social media presence online is important so that you’re engaging with potential customers, following thought leaders in your industry, and responding to any customer feedback – both positive and negative.
The topics of your blog articles and the kind of social media posts you create can be easily established by talking with your current customers and doing some basic keyword research.
Seal the deal
Learning the questions your target customers have and the information they are searching for online will also help you create eBooks and email campaigns to seal the deal and convert your leads into customers. Your eBooks and the email nurturing campaigns attached to them must be more than just eye candy and jargon.
They need to actually provide valuable information to the person who downloaded the information. You’ve already got their attention, now you seal the deal by guiding them – and qualifying them along the way – to becoming a customer.
34% of all leads generated by marketers in 2013 come from inbound marketing sources. (HubSpot)
Measure your success
Of course, none of these content marketing services matter if you have nothing to show for it. In order to stay a step ahead and not just do the same thing everyone else is doing, you need a holistic strategy and proven software to help you measure the pieces and parts.
This is where an inbound marketing agency can help because it’s not just about creating content. In order to see a return on your investment, you’ll need a systematic approach that asks:
- How are people learning about you?
- Are people interested in what you’re offering?
- How serious are the leads you’re getting?
- Are your efforts helping you get more customers?
- Are people coming back?
Content marketing services allow you to understand where your money is going and how it’s being used. It’s a great way to measure your ROI and with the right strategy, see a positive ROI.
If you’re ready to get started and learn more contact us at Half a Bubble Out.
Since 2002, Half a Bubble Out has been dedicated to providing marketing, advertising and small business consulting that meet the needs of our clients. We specialize in powerfully telling stories through Inbound Marketing to grow your business filled with more passion and provision. Based in Chico California, we serve clients throughout Northern California and across the country to New York.
