11 Immediate Content Marketing Tips for Entrepreneurs

Content marketing has emerged as the dominant digital marketing strategy of the year, with widespread adoption and a track record of delivering tangible results. Recent research conducted by the Content Marketing Institute reveals that 62% of B2B marketers experienced greater success in 2017 compared to the previous year, highlighting the effectiveness of this approach.

This overwhelming success isn't a surprise, as an impressive 97% of respondents in the 2017 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends North America report by CMI deemed their content marketing endeavors as successful.

These statistics are certainly promising. However, they become meaningful only when coupled with a well-structured content marketing strategy.

While I won't craft a one-size-fits-all strategy for you since each strategy is inherently unique, I am here to provide you with valuable tips to enhance your existing approach. If you're an entrepreneur seeking to compete with industry leaders through content marketing, you've come to the right place. Let's dive into these essential tips:

Media outreach is an often underestimated element in achieving content marketing success. Surprisingly, 27% of marketers believe that earned media holds more significance than paid and owned media, as reported by AdWeek.

This forms the foundation of my digital marketing strategy, and it should also play a significant role in yours. Many individuals acquire earned media exposure through guest blogging and appearances in various media outlets.

Guest blogging serves as an excellent method for generating earned media, although it's not a straightforward task. However, I'll reveal a shortcut shortly. Before that, let's consider another compelling statistic.

Think about a recent case study where 44 guest blog posts were published to boost website traffic by 20%. So, what if obtaining a column on renowned platforms like the Huffington Post or Forbes proves to be challenging?

In reality, it's a more challenging endeavor than it may seem, and not everyone possesses the necessary time or resources to commit to it. Fortunately, there's an alternative approach - it's called Help a Reporter Out, or HARO.

By registering as a source on HARO, you will receive regular updates on stories sought by online media outlets, as well as TV, radio, and satellite stations.

Instead of composing an entire blog post, you have the option to provide a pertinent quote for inclusion in an article by a professional journalist.

HARO (Help a Reporter Out) serves as a valuable resource linking PR, marketing, and other industry experts with media platforms in search of trustworthy sources for their stories.

Utilizing this tool can serve as a launching point for your earned-media campaign and can also generate valuable backlinks to your website, a benefit that the next tip won't provide.

It's common to fall into the belief that all content marketing must exclusively occur online.

This assertion is inaccurate. Your offline endeavors play a crucial role in boosting brand recognition.

Furthermore, they constitute a vital component of your localized content marketing strategy. However, it's essential to recognize that online and offline efforts have consistently complemented each other.

Below, you'll find a useful chart illustrating the integration of offline activities with online marketing and its potential for delivering a return on investment (ROI).

Newspapers remain a reliable source of information, and their online platforms play a significant role in earned media strategies. 

However, offline marketing also plays a crucial role in building your social media following.

Social media serves as a vital channel for content marketing. 

When your social community is actively engaged, they are more likely to share your products with their followers.

Micro-influencer marketing is emerging as a prominent trend in digital marketing.

It involves simple activities like showcasing product unboxing videos, as demonstrated by the Geek Ranch YouTube channel.

This approach is an excellent way to expand your reach through content marketing, with the added benefit that it only requires providing a product, and your dedicated fans generate the content for you.

One notable advantage of this method is its effectiveness in light of the declining trust in institutions, a trend observed from 2016 to 2017, according to Edelman's Trust Barometer.

For detailed statistics, refer to the chart provided by Heidi Cohen.

Utilize Trusted Third Parties to Expand Your Content Reach. By leveraging trusted third parties, rather than relying solely on traditional media, you can tap into audiences who have lost faith in conventional marketing techniques.

Diversify Your Content Distribution

Don't limit yourself to digital content alone. Extend your message across various channels to maximize its reach.

While handling  blog posts and generating a significant portion of my content, I also enlist the expertise of professional editors, photographers, videographers, and other creative individuals to enhance my content quality.

Many of these creative professionals operate as freelancers, demonstrating the value of delegation and outsourcing in achieving business success.

As an entrepreneur, it's tempting to believe you can handle everything independently, but in reality, you can't. You are not the only one turning to external help for creative tasks. Recent research reveals that 44% of writing and 41% of design work in marketing are outsourced.

This implies that you're already in competition with ghostwriters and in-house artists.

Similar to the situation, around 70% of marketers typically create their video content by blending in-house and outsourced efforts.

Indeed, outsourcing accounts for almost 20% of all content production, a significant figure that should not be underestimated. If you find yourself lacking the time or specific skills required to generate your content, don't hesitate to reach out to freelance professionals who are readily available across the internet. Upwork is a particularly valuable platform to explore for such freelancers.

This platform brings together a group of highly skilled freelance professionals, each with their unique expertise. You have the option to browse through individual freelancer profiles or post a job to evaluate potential candidates. You have control over your budget, but it's important to keep in mind that quality often corresponds to the investment you make, so choose wisely.

All payments are facilitated through Upwork, and their system assists in efficiently managing freelancers.

For project coordination and workflow management, you can also utilize Trello.

Trello serves as an excellent platform for fostering collaboration among virtual teams, and I rely on it to ensure seamless operations.

Once you've established the necessary tools and assembled the right team, you'll witness a natural flow of content creation.

When it comes to writing a blog about online marketing, it's impossible not to mention Google Analytics. This is because data analytics plays a crucial role in measuring and quantifying success.

Why invest effort in creating content if you lack an understanding of your audience? To highlight this point, here's a recent report from one of my small business clients.

This audience overview serves as your gateway to understanding the online audience interested in your brand. Please note that it doesn't contain any personally identifiable information, but it can be exported and cross-referenced with Salesforce and other databases.

Remember to focus on catering to your specific niches, as this is the content that tends to resonate and has the potential to go viral. Samsung achieved success this year by specifically targeting its tech-oriented audience through a "Unbox Your Phone" campaign.

With a broad appeal that has garnered 664,970 views to date, their primary focus is on capturing the unboxing enthusiast demographic mentioned earlier.

According to AdAge, the most viral brand video of 2017 at the time was an LG advertisement showcasing two well-known Liverpool football players.

LG has chosen to target sports enthusiasts, particularly soccer fans, with this advertisement. The key to its success in capturing widespread attention lies in its significant appeal to a specific target audience.

Even in the realm of Hollywood, there are various movie and TV genres tailored to cater to distinct viewer demographics.

Rather than attempting to reach a broad audience, it is advisable to concentrate on achieving remarkable success within your niche.

Previously, I discussed the strategy of gaining mainstream media exposure through guest blogging. This path can be more challenging to embark on than it may initially seem, often requiring the assistance of a professional or agency well-versed in navigating the industry.

If you decide to pursue this endeavor independently, Medium serves as an excellent starting point. According to Amazon's Alexa rankings, it currently ranks as the 176th most popular website in the United States and is experiencing growth.

Joining is easy; you can sign up by connecting your Twitter, Facebook, or Google account. Once connected, you'll need to verify your personal information, and then you can begin sharing your content. Simply click on your profile picture located in the upper right-hand corner and choose "New Story" to get started.

From here, you’ll be presented with a simple GUI to copy and paste your story into.

It's just as user-friendly as WordPress, albeit with a more streamlined feature set. However, when you publish your story on Medium, you'll be sharing it with a vibrant and engaged community.

Medium boasts a dedicated readership, and it regularly features articles from professionals across the globe, spanning a wide range of niches.

If your content meets the quality standards, it has the potential to be showcased on the website, which can significantly boost your website's traffic.

Medium can be a valuable platform for driving traffic to your recently established blog. You can easily achieve this by copying and pasting a portion of your WordPress content, typically the initial paragraphs, and providing a link for readers to continue reading on your own website.

This is a widely adopted strategy that allows you to expand your audience and develop your online presence without disclosing all of your content upfront.

Additionally, Medium offers specialized tools for businesses to effectively convey their brand stories.

This is why renowned companies such as REI, GE, Slack, Starbucks, Intel, BMW, and others have embraced its usage. You don't have to be a corporate giant to enjoy the advantages of placing your content on Medium.

By actively participating in this community, or even becoming a member for just $5 per month, you can cultivate a devoted fan base with a strong attachment to your brand.

Subsequently, you can share your Medium articles with other publishers to propose the possibility of having your own column elsewhere. This will significantly broaden your content marketing avenues.

I have a strong affinity for event marketing. It provides a scheduled offline promotional opportunity that goes beyond the confines of the Internet.

While B2B event marketing is a unique endeavor in itself, B2C event marketing falls squarely within the realm of content marketing.

Comedy Central recognized this when they dispatched a street team to promote the latest season of Broad City.

And we’ve all heard a million times about Red Bull’s event marketing tactics.

The 2017 Experiential Marketing Benchmark report from EMI and Mosaic found that 75% of large companies expect a 5:1 ROI for event marketing. You don’t have the $50-100 million budgets these giants do, though.

Still, 98% of consumers will share social content at events.

The study found that branded events are directly impacting the sales experience.

If you're wondering whether hosting a branded event is worth it, consider this: 74% of consumers are more likely to purchase a brand after attending one. So, the answer is a resounding yes – go ahead and organize a branded event. If you have the budget, you can even consider sponsoring an existing event.

Keep a lookout for suitable events that align with your brand and target audience at local convention centers, clubs, and venues. These live events can significantly boost your content marketing and sales efforts.

If you aspire to become a thought leader or create compelling content, it's crucial to have a deep understanding of your industry. There are several reasons for this.

Firstly, staying updated on industry trends is essential to stay relevant. Your blog content must remain fresh to maintain a high ranking on Google's search results.

For instance, take a look at how The Gadget Website is promoting student laptops, especially with the back-to-school season in full swing. This is a prime example of staying attuned to industry developments.

I always stay vigilant within my industry to stay updated on current developments and activities. This approach helps me discover emerging digital marketing agencies that are making a significant impact.

Moreover, certain events transcend industry boundaries, such as the recent summer solar eclipse. BMW of Orland Park effectively leveraged this opportunity to create compelling visual content.

This type of timely content tends to quickly gain widespread attention and go viral. By staying informed about your specific industry, you can craft more engaging content that resonates with your target audience.

Creating content that genuinely connects with your audience is crucial for building a successful business.

Regardless of the content you produce and share online, it must consistently maintain high-quality standards. Even the creation of a seemingly straightforward e-commerce website can be a complex endeavor.

It necessitates the ability to craft persuasive copy that effectively converts website visitors into satisfied customers.

You require additional content to boost website traffic.

As per data from the Content Marketing Institute, 81% of content marketers utilize blogs, with 93% concentrating their efforts on social media. The following chart from Smart Insights provides a visual representation of these statistics.

To maintain a competitive edge, you must produce outstanding blog articles, informative webinars, captivating infographics, and more.

In today's digital landscape, virtually everyone can effortlessly stream content from their mobile devices. With so many individuals actively creating content on social media, your content needs to stand out.

Airbnb's confidence in its travel knowledge and content quality is so high that it introduced Airbnbmag earlier this year.

Similar to John Deere's original content marketing magazine aimed at farmers, Airbnbmag serves as an essential guide for its customer base. In 2017, Airbnb achieved remarkable success in content marketing by launching a high-quality physical magazine.

While you may lack the resources for producing and distributing a physical magazine, you can still create valuable content.

As previously mentioned, you might need to enlist the help of professionals to achieve this.

What holds greater significance than your perception of your brand? The perception of your brand by other trusted sources.

A recent study reveals that user-generated content is 50% more reliable than traditional media, particularly in the online realm.

If you understand how to leverage influencer marketing, you’ll gain a lot of traction for your business.

Engaging with influencers necessitates active participation in your local community, which is particularly crucial for emerging brands. To locate nearby businesses, the most convenient approach is to connect with your local Chamber of Commerce. This is where you're likely to achieve the greatest results.

Every company should officially register with the local chamber of commerce, which can provide valuable opportunities to connect with influential individuals.

Furthermore, do not hesitate to participate in local events held in parks, museums, and other communal spaces within your community. By actively engaging with your community, you enhance the visibility of your name and the brand you represent. This increased visibility will also lead to the formation of new business relationships, which is a crucial aspect of a successful content marketing strategy.

There may be times when your outreach alone is insufficient. Partnering with other brands enables you to expand your brand's reach. For instance, take a look at the collaboration between Kellogg's and Netflix, where they joined forces to promote Eggo waffles on Twitter.

Initially, waffles and movies may not appear to have any connection, but it's quite common for people to enjoy waffles while watching movies. This form of cross-promotion proves to be highly beneficial for both the participating brands.

In 2017, to generate excitement for the new season of "Billions," Showtime collaborated with the Wall Street Journal to produce a podcast series.

Although this podcast is marked as sponsored content, it provides valuable information. The podcast hosts do discuss topics related to "Billions" and its Wall Street morality storylines, but it doesn't come across as a blatant advertisement.

This collaboration delivers high-quality content that resonates with the target audience of both brands. Co-branding content can effectively double your marketing budget, resources, and reach, benefiting all businesses involved.

Here's one more valuable tip:

If you're putting in the effort to create and publish content, why not monetize it? While conversions are essential, consider the possibility of incorporating ads into your videos and blogs.It's straightforward to enable both text and video ads for monetization.

To begin, navigate to your video manager and click on the "Edit" button. Next, select the option for monetization by checking the corresponding radio button.

To enable this feature, you'll require a Google AdSense account. If you don't already have one, YouTube will guide you through the process of setting it up.

Once you've completed these steps, you'll notice that the previously gray dollar sign has now turned a vibrant green, indicating that your channel is now monetized.

If you're selling your products on Amazon, you have the option to utilize Amazon Affiliates for creating backlinks to promote your merchandise. Certain websites where you share your content might have policies that prohibit direct links to your brand's website.

Amazon Affiliates provides a solution to circumvent this restriction, allowing you to obtain valuable backlinks through your content.

To get started, simply click "Join Now for Free" and you'll be able to set up your account and even connect your personal one.

Utilizing platforms like Amazon Affiliates, Google AdSense, and various advertising methods can assist you in generating revenue from your content without coming across as too sales-focused.

Consider collaborating with other brands to advertise within each other's content, maximizing your reach and return on investment.

In conclusion, content marketing is currently a prominent trend in the digital marketing landscape. However, starting in this field can be more challenging than it appears. The captivating online content you encounter is typically the result of a team effort involving creative professionals.

Don't hesitate to explore new horizons, establish fresh partnerships, and push the boundaries of creativity. Exceptional content has the power to drive product sales and help you establish your brand through well-executed initiatives.