Small and big businesses are very different, and when it comes to their content marketing strategies, there is no exception. According to the Content Marketing Institute’s new study, “B2B Small Business Content Marketing: 2015 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends-North America,” only 9% of small business marketers believe their content marketing is very effective. If you feel like your business is in the other 91%, then this post is perfect for you. Read below to find out the three characteristics of small businesses that employ effective content marketing.
1. They have people who work solely on content marketing
As the report states, 69% of the most effective small business marketers have a dedicated content marketing group. For a content marketing strategy to be effective, it must have employees who are developing the strategy every day. When the same employees are working on content together, a unified goal for the strategy can be realized. With a single vision and system of values, it will be easier for your audience to identify the content your business creates.
2. They allocate more of their budget to content marketing
With more money comes the ability to invest in projects you are passionate about. However, receiving more money to spend on content creation isn’t just about the money itself. It’s also about creating a culture of content in your company that content marketing is important. By making everyone in your company aware of your strategy, it generates a focus on the vitality of content marketing. Now that you have the money, make sure you’re spending your time on content that yields the biggest return on your investment. For example, if you’re spending most of your time on social media but you see a higher return from white papers, refocus your efforts.
3. They consistently publish content
In order to organically build an audience, it’s important to constantly create quality content. Keeping a content calendar to organize your content will ensure your business is always publishing content. As cited in the study, the top challenges marketers are facing are producing engaging content (58%) and publishing content consistently (53%). Create a documented content marketing strategy that will allow you to strategize your content creation.
While it’s only a small percentage of businesses that believe their content marketing strategy is effective, don’t think that your business can’t be one of them. By identifying these characteristics, your business can now be in that 9% and continue to generate great content going forward.