Content marketing: A guide for small business owners
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Posted: Fri 27th Sep 2024
Content marketing has become one of the most powerful tools for businesses of all sizes. For small business owners in particular, it presents a unique opportunity to promote products and services without the hefty price tag of traditional advertising.
That said, many small businesses struggle to know where to start. How do you create content that grabs attention, builds trust and ultimately drives sales? And how do you do all this on a limited budget?
Content marketing doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Whether you're looking to improve your website's visibility, engage with potential customers on social media or build a loyal email list, content marketing is a flexible, scalable approach to business growth.
In this guide, we take you through the basics of content marketing and offer practical advice you can implement immediately.
From creating blog posts to shooting videos, optimising for search engines and promoting your content across a number of different platforms, you'll learn how to build a content marketing strategy that's tailored to your business's unique needs.
What is content marketing?
Content marketing is the practice of creating and distributing valuable, consistent and relevant content to attract and engage a clearly defined audience.
The goal isn't just to promote your business's products or services. It's also to provide meaningful information that addresses your audience's needs, builds trust and nurtures long-term relationships.
This can ultimately lead to conversions – whether that's making a sale, booking an appointment or gaining a new email subscriber.
Why it's different from traditional advertising
Unlike traditional advertising – which focuses on direct sales and short-term gains – content marketing takes a more organic approach.
Rather than pushing products in front of potential customers, content marketing aims to pull people in by offering them something useful, entertaining or educational.
It's about creating value without an immediate expectation of a purchase. Think of it as building a relationship with your customers, so when they're ready to buy, they think of your business first.
Benefits of content marketing
Content marketing can be especially valuable for small businesses, as it provides numerous benefits without requiring a large budget. Here are some of the key advantages:
Build brand authority: Regularly publishing insightful, high-quality content positions your business as an expert in your field. Whether through blog posts, how-to videos or social media marketing, for example, sharing your knowledge helps build credibility.
Improve search engine rankings: Quality content optimised with the right keywords helps your business appear higher in search engine results (Google and Bing, for instance). This means more organic traffic to your website, potentially without spending a penny on ads.
Increase customer loyalty: By consistently delivering valuable content that solves problems or answers questions, you develop stronger connections with your audience, which can lead to repeat business.
Generate organic leads: With useful content available across various platforms, interested prospects can find you naturally, leading to enquiries, sign-ups or purchases without costly advertising.
Save money on marketing: Compared to traditional forms of marketing, content marketing offers a far more affordable way to grow your business. You can do much of it for free or at a low cost, especially if you repurpose content across several channels (see Repurposing content below).
Setting goals and defining your audience
Determine your objectives
Before diving into content creation, you need to understand what you want to achieve with your content marketing campaigns. Setting clear objectives helps guide your strategy and makes sure all your content is working towards your business goals.
Some common content marketing goals for small businesses include the following:
Increasing brand awareness: Making sure more people know about your business, products or services through valuable content.
Driving website traffic: Creating content that attracts visitors to your website, potentially leading to more sales or enquiries.
Generating leads: Offering valuable resources (like eBooks or newsletters), in exchange for email sign-ups or contact information.
Improving customer engagement: Encouraging interaction through comments, shares and likes on your social media channels or blog posts.
Boosting sales: Creating content that educates prospective customers and helps guide them toward making a decision to buy.
Educating customers: Producing tutorials, how-to guides or product demos that teach customers how to use your products or solve problems.
Clearly defined goals will provide a roadmap for your content marketing strategy and help you measure success along the way.
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Create audience personas
Once you've set your goals, you must define your target audience. It's not enough to create content for a general audience – your content should speak directly to the people who are most likely to engage with your business.
To do this effectively, you'll want to develop audience personas (also called buyer personas or customer personas).
An audience persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer, based on data and insights about your real customer base. These personas help you tailor your content to meet your audience's specific needs, preferences and challenges.
How to create an audience persona
Demographics: Start by gathering demographic information such as age, gender, location, income and job role.
Behaviours and interests: Identify what your audience does in their free time, what kind of content they consume (for example, blogs, videos, social media) and where they spend most of their time online (for example, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube).
Pain points: Understand the common problems or challenges your target audience faces. What keeps them up at night? How can your product or service help solve these issues?
Buying habits: Look at their purchasing behaviours – do they make impulse buys or do they take their time researching? What factors influence their buying decisions?
Communication preferences: Consider how your audience prefers to receive information. Do they like reading blog posts, watching videos, listening to podcasts or interacting through social channels?
Examples of audience personas
"Steven"
Age: 30–40
Works: Tech start-up founder
Challenges: Limited budget, needs guidance on digital marketing
Consumes: Business blogs, YouTube tutorials on digital strategies
Preferred content: Blog posts and infographics that offer quick insights, email newsletters with practical tips
"Brenda"
Age: 40–50
Works: Owner of a local retail shop
Challenges: Time-poor, needs efficient marketing solutions
Consumes: Social media content, podcasts on business growth
Preferred content: Short videos on Facebook or Instagram with step-by-step solutions, weekly email updates
Once you've defined your audience personas, you'll be able to create content that speaks directly to their needs, addresses their pain points and keeps them coming back for more.
You can gather this information by doing customer surveys, using social media insights, reviewing Google Analytics and paying attention to customer feedback.
VIDEO: How small businesses can create buyer personas
Find out what steps to take to build buyer personas from scratch and why they should be a fundamental part of your marketing strategy:
Types of content you can create
Content marketing is versatile, allowing you to engage your target audience through various formats, each suited to different platforms and purposes.
Here's a breakdown of the most effective types of content for small businesses and how to use them.
Blog posts and articles
Blogging is one of the most accessible and effective content formats for small businesses. A well-maintained blog can position your business as an expert in your field while also improving your website's search engine rankings. (This last process is known as search engine optimisation, or SEO for short.)
Regularly publishing blog content that answers common customer questions, provides tips or shares insights into your industry can help drive organic traffic to your site.
Top tip: Research keywords your audience is searching for using free tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest, and focus on creating long-form content around those topics.
Examples: Blogs titled "5 ways to use [your product] to save time" or "Top trends in [your industry] for 2025".
Videos
Video content is increasingly popular and a fantastic way to engage your audience. You don't need a big budget or fancy equipment to create effective videos – simple product demos, behind-the-scenes clips or customer testimonials can go a long way in building trust and educating your audience.
Platforms like YouTube, Instagram and TikTok allow you to share quick, engaging videos that resonate with viewers.
Top tip: Keep videos short and to the point, ideally under two minutes for platforms like Instagram or Facebook (Meta). Even short clips, like a 30-second product demo or a customer review, can make a big impact.
Examples: Product tutorials, FAQs or a "day in the life" of your business.
Social media posts
Social media offers a wide range of opportunities to share bitesized content that can engage your audience and drive traffic to your website.
Whether it's a behind-the-scenes look at your business, updates on new products or a thought-provoking question to spark conversations, social media posts help you stay visible and connected with your audience.
Tip: Tailor your posts to the platform. Instagram and Facebook favour visual content like images and short videos, while LinkedIn is great for sharing articles or business tips. Use tools like Buffer or Hootsuite to schedule and manage your posts efficiently.
Examples: Instagram stories showcasing new arrivals, LinkedIn articles on business growth, or X (Twitter) updates about upcoming sales.
Email newsletters
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to build relationships with existing customers. Regular newsletters can help you stay top of mind, provide value to your audience and share promotions or updates.
The key is to provide valuable content that your audience finds useful, rather than solely focusing on sales.
Tip: Segment your email list based on customer behaviour or preferences to deliver more personalised content. For example, if a customer has previously bought a certain product, you can send them recommendations for similar items or tutorials on how to get the most out of their purchase.
Examples: Monthly newsletters with industry tips, promotional emails with special offers, or new product announcements.
Infographics
Infographics are a great way to present complex information in a visual, easy-to-understand format. You can use them to explain processes, share statistics or highlight key benefits of your products or services.
Infographics are highly shareable, making them perfect for social media and blog posts.
Top tip: Use free tools like Canva or Piktochart to create professional-looking infographics without needing a design team. Focus on making them visually appealing and packed with valuable information.
Examples: An infographic showcasing key trends in your industry, or a step-by-step visual guide on how to use your product.
Podcasts
Podcasts are very popular now, offering a convenient way for audiences to consume content on the go. Starting a podcast may sound daunting, but it's easier than ever to create one with little equipment.
If you have industry expertise or interesting stories to share, consider creating a podcast to engage your audience and build a loyal following.
Top tip: Keep podcast episodes around 20 to 30 minutes to fit into your audience's daily routines. Focus on topics your customers care about, such as tips, interviews with industry experts, or success stories from other small businesses.
Examples: Weekly podcast episodes discussing industry trends, interviews with local entrepreneurs, or behind-the-scenes business insights.
Case studies and testimonials
Sharing customer success stories or case studies is an excellent way to build credibility and trust. When potential customers see how others have benefited from your products or services, they're more likely to feel confident in doing business with you.
Case studies can be detailed, step-by-step accounts of how your product solved a customer's problem, while testimonials are shorter, focused on positive feedback.
Top tip: Always get permission from customers before publishing their stories or feedback. Highlight specific results or improvements to make the case study more impactful.
Examples: A case study on how your service helped another local business grow, or a testimonial from a satisfied customer talking about their experience.
EBooks and guides
EBooks or comprehensive guides can serve as valuable lead magnets for your business. Offering a free, downloadable resource in exchange for an email sign-up helps you build your email list while providing something valuable to your audience.
EBooks work well for sharing in-depth knowledge or offering a complete guide on a particular topic relevant to your audience.
Top tip: Make sure your eBook or guide provides actionable insights or solves a real problem for your readers. Use platforms like Canva to design them in an attractive, easy-to-read format.
Examples: "The ultimate guide to [your industry]" or "How to choose the best [your product]".
Content marketing strategy
Creating high-quality content is just the beginning – without a solid strategy, even the best content may not reach its full potential.
A well-planned content marketing strategy helps you stay organised, extend your reach and make sure your efforts match up with your business goals.
Here's how to build a content marketing plan that works for your small business.
Creating a content calendar
A content calendar helps you plan, organise and schedule your content in advance. It's crucial for maintaining consistency, making sure you stay on track with your marketing goals and avoiding the stress of needing to create content at the last minute.
Start by planning out your content for a month or quarter. Identify key dates relevant to your business, such as product launches, holidays or local events.
For example, if you run a retail business, you might want to create content around Christmas and the festive period. If you have a fitness business, you could plan content around New Year's resolutions.
Free tools like Google Calendar, Trello and Notion can help you manage your content plan. Paid tools like CoSchedule or Asana provide a wider range of features if you're managing several channels or contributors.
What to include in your calendar
Include important details like the topic, format (blog, video, social post), platform (website, Instagram, Facebook), deadlines and who's responsible for creating and publishing the content. This keeps your process organised and efficient.
The role of SEO
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is crucial to making sure potential customers can find your content. By optimising your content for specific keywords, you increase the chances of ranking higher in search engine results, which can drive more organic traffic to your website.
Start by researching keywords that your target audience is searching for. Free tools like Google Keyword Planner or AnswerThePublic can help you find relevant keywords related to your products or services.
Incorporate these keywords naturally into your content – especially in your blog posts, headings, meta descriptions and image alt tags.
As a small business in the UK, you should also focus on local SEO. Optimise your content to include location-based keywords, such as "best café in Bristol" or "plumber near me" to attract local customers. Also, make sure your Google Business profile is up to date and linked to your website.
Content length and quality
Longer, in-depth content tends to rank better on search engines, but quality is key. Focus on creating well-researched, comprehensive content that answers your audience's questions and provides real value. This will not only help with SEO but also establish your business as a trusted authority.
The power of storytelling
People connect with stories, and storytelling is a powerful tool in content marketing. Rather than just listing the features of your product or service, use storytelling to create an emotional connection with your audience.
Your brand story: Share the story of how your business started. What inspired you to create it? What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them? This personal connection can resonate with your audience and make your brand more relatable.
Customer stories: Share testimonials, case studies or stories of how your business has helped customers solve problems. These real-life examples create trust and demonstrate the value of your products or services in a compelling way.
Using stories in marketing: You can integrate stories into various content formats, from blog posts and social media captions to videos and podcasts. For example, you could post a video interview with a satisfied customer or write a blog post about a memorable challenge you've overcome as a business owner.
Repurposing content
As a small business owner, you likely don't have time to create fresh content for every platform every day – and you don't need to.
Repurposing content allows you to make the most out of what you've already created by adapting it to different formats and channels. This not only saves time but also makes sure your message reaches a broader audience.
Examples of repurposing
Turn a blog post into a series of social media posts.
Convert a popular blog post into a video or podcast episode.
Create an infographic from key statistics or tips mentioned in your blog.
Expand a short social media update into a full-length blog article.
When you repurpose, your content stays fresh, reaches different audiences on various platforms and delivers value in a number of ways.
VIDEO: How to make your content marketing campaigns a success
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Promoting and distributing your content
Creating valuable content is only half the battle – you need to make sure your audience actually sees it. Promoting and distributing your content strategically is key to giving it the biggest possible reach and impact.
For small business owners, it's crucial to make the most of free or low-cost channels, while also understanding when paid promotion might be beneficial. Here's how you can effectively distribute and promote your content.
Organic social media promotion
Social media is a powerful tool for promoting your content, and the best part is that you can do it organically – meaning without paying for ads.
The key is choosing the right platforms and sharing content that resonates with your audience. Not all social media platforms will be right for every business, so it's important to focus on where your target audience is most active.
Use social media scheduling tools like Buffer or Hootsuite to plan your posts in advance and maintain a consistent presence. Engage with your audience by responding to comments and taking part in relevant conversations to increase visibility.
Using the right hashtags can increase the reach of your content on platforms like Instagram, X (Twitter) and LinkedIn. Research popular and relevant hashtags in your industry to attract more attention.
Choosing the right platforms
Meta (Facebook): Ideal for building a community and sharing a variety of content formats like articles, videos and events. Facebook's groups and events features are particularly useful for businesses looking to foster engagement or promote local activities.
Instagram: Best for visually appealing content such as product photos, short videos and stories. Great for businesses in the fashion, beauty or food industries. Use Instagram's Shopping feature to drive direct sales or engage with followers through interactive stories, reels and polls.
LinkedIn: A more professional platform suited for business-to-business (B2B) content, case studies or thought leadership articles. Perfect for service-based businesses or industries like finance, consulting and tech. It's also a great platform for networking with professionals and sharing company updates or employee highlights.
X (Twitter): A fast-paced platform where you can share news updates, engage in conversations and post links to blog posts or articles. Best for businesses wanting to engage in trending conversations, share quick updates or build a following around niche topics.
TikTok: Ideal for creating short, engaging videos that resonate with younger audiences. Best for businesses that can incorporate creativity, humour or tutorials into their content. TikTok is especially effective for viral marketing, challenges and behind-the-scenes videos that showcase your brand personality. Great for businesses in industries like entertainment, fashion, beauty and food.
Pinterest: A highly visual platform perfect for sharing ideas, inspiration and tutorials. Best for businesses in lifestyle industries such as home décor, fashion, crafts and wedding planning. Pinterest is particularly effective for driving traffic to blogs or online stores through "pins" that link directly to your content or product pages.
Email marketing
Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to promote your content directly to people who have shown an interest in your business.
Building an email list takes time, but it's a highly valuable asset because you're communicating with an audience that's already invested in what you offer.
Newsletters: Use a weekly or monthly newsletter to share new blog posts, product updates, special offers or upcoming events. Make sure to include clear calls-to-action (CTAs) that drive readers to your website or encourage them to engage with your content.
Segmentation: As your email list grows, consider segmenting it based on customer behaviour or interests. For example, send product updates to people who've previously bought from you, and educational blog posts to those who've only signed up for your newsletter.
Automation: Tools like Mailchimp or ConvertKit allow you to set up automated email campaigns. For example, you could create a welcome email series that introduces new subscribers to your business and directs them to valuable content.
Collaborations and influencer marketing
Collaborating with other businesses or influencers in your industry can help you reach a broader audience. Partnerships, guest posts or influencer marketing allow you to leverage someone else's audience and introduce your business to new potential customers.
Guest blogging: Partner with complementary businesses to create guest blog posts on each other's websites. This helps you tap into each other's audiences and boosts your website's SEO through backlinking.
Influencer marketing: Identify micro-influencers (those with smaller, more engaged followings) who share your brand values. Offer them free products or services in exchange for an honest review or sponsored post. This can be a cost-effective way to reach a larger, more engaged audience.
Collaborations: Consider co-hosting a webinar, podcast episode or social media live session with another business. For example, a local bakery could collaborate with a café to host a live baking tutorial, promoting both businesses at the same time.
Paid advertising
While organic promotion should be your first focus, paid advertising can give your content an extra boost, especially when you're trying to reach a larger or more targeted audience.
Paid ads are useful for promoting specific content, like a product launch, an event or a particularly valuable blog post.
Social media ads: Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn all offer paid advertising options that allow you to target specific demographics. You can create ads that drive traffic to your website, increase email sign-ups or boost engagement with a particular post. Even a small budget can generate significant results if your targeting is precise.
Google Ads: Google Ads can help your content appear at the top of search engine results for specific keywords. This is especially helpful for local businesses trying to capture search traffic for location-specific queries, like "electrician in Manchester" or "best coffee shop in Birmingham".
Retargeting ads: Retargeting allows you to show ads to people who've already visited your website but haven't made a purchase or taken another desired action. These ads can serve as a reminder to revisit your content or complete a purchase, helping to increase conversions.
Engaging with online communities
Another great way to promote your content is by engaging with online communities where your target audience spends time. This could be forums, social media groups or industry-specific websites.
Facebook groups or Reddit: Find and join relevant groups where your target audience is likely to be. Offer helpful advice, answer questions and share your content when it's relevant to the discussion (without being overly promotional). This builds credibility and trust within the community.
Quora or industry forums: If you're an expert in your field, answering questions on platforms like Quora can help position you as an authority while also subtly promoting your business. Link to your blog posts or other content when it's relevant to the question.
Local or niche directories: Depending on your business, being listed in local directories (for example, Yelp, Google Business) or industry-specific directories (like TripAdvisor for hospitality businesses) can increase your visibility and drive traffic to your website.
Measuring success and adjusting your strategy
Once your content marketing efforts are up and running, it's crucial to track performance and measure success. This will help you understand what's working, what isn't and how you can improve over time.
For small businesses, where time and resources are limited, knowing which strategies yield the best results can help you make informed decisions and focus your efforts effectively.
Key metrics to track
Tracking the right metrics is essential to understanding the impact of your content marketing. Here are some key performance indicators (KPIs) that can help you gauge success:
Website traffic: One of the simplest ways to measure success is to track the number of visitors to your website. Use tools like Google Analytics to see how many people are visiting, where they're coming from and which content is driving the most traffic.
Engagement: Look at how people are interacting with your content. Are they commenting on your blog posts, liking your social media posts or sharing your content with others? Engagement metrics like likes, shares, comments and time spent on your site are good indicators of how well your content resonates with your audience.
Conversion rates: One of the most important metrics for small business owners. A conversion could be a newsletter sign-up, a product purchase or filling out a contact form. Tracking how often people take the desired action after consuming your content helps you understand how effective your content is in driving business results.
Bounce rate: A high bounce rate (when visitors leave your website quickly without interacting) can signal that your content isn't engaging or doesn't match their expectations. Aim for a lower bounce rate, which indicates visitors are finding value in your content and exploring other pages on your site.
SEO performance: Monitor how your content ranks on search engines for targeted keywords. Tools like Google Search Console (see Using analytics tools below) can help you track organic traffic, keyword performance and your website's position in search results. Improved rankings show that your audience is recognising your content as valuable and relevant.
Using analytics tools
Analytics tools help you track and interpret the data behind your content marketing. These tools provide insights into what's working, allowing you to optimise your efforts over time. Here are a few free or low-cost tools you can use:
Google Analytics: A powerful tool for tracking website traffic, user behaviour and conversion rates. You can see which content performs best and what sources drive the most traffic to your site.
Google Search Console: Ideal for tracking your website's SEO performance. It shows how often your site appears in search results, what keywords bring in visitors and any issues affecting your rankings.
Social media insights: All the major social media platforms provide built-in analytics to track how your posts perform. Use these insights to see what types of content generate the most engagement and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Email marketing tools: Most email marketing platforms, like Mailchimp or Constant Contact, have analytics that show open rates, click-through rates and conversions. Use these metrics to improve future email campaigns and tailor your content to what your subscribers respond to.
Testing and optimising your content
Content marketing is an ongoing process and testing different approaches can help you continuously improve. This process – often referred to as A/B testing – involves experimenting with different variations of content to see which performs best.
A/B testing
Try testing different headlines, images or formats to see which version of your content gets better results. For example, you could try two different email subject lines to see which gets a higher open rate, or two variations of a blog post title to see which drives more traffic.
Test different posting times on social media or email newsletters to see when your audience is most active. For example, if you notice your Instagram posts get more engagement on weekends, focus your efforts on those days.
Content length and format
Some audiences prefer short, punchy articles, while others might engage more with in-depth guides. Similarly, your audience may respond better to videos or infographics instead of long-form blog posts. Experimenting with different formats and lengths can help you discover what resonates most.
Adjusting your strategy based on results
Once you've gathered data and analysed your content's performance, it's time to make adjustments to your strategy. If certain types of content or platforms are driving the most results, focus more on those areas.
If something isn't working, don't be afraid to pivot and try a new approach. Here's how to optimise your content marketing strategy:
Double down on what works
If blog posts with specific topics or keywords are driving high traffic or conversions, create more content around those themes. Similarly, if video content is generating more engagement on social media, consider producing more videos or investing in better video equipment.
Revise underperforming content
If you notice that certain pieces of content aren't getting traction, revisit them. It could be as simple as changing the headline, adding more visuals or optimising it for SEO.
Sometimes, updating an old blog post with fresh information can give it a new lease of life and attract more visitors.
Expand to new platforms or formats
If you've mastered one platform, consider expanding to another. For example, if your Instagram content is thriving, you might experiment with TikTok or Pinterest to reach new audiences. Or, if you've been focused on blogging, you might try creating podcasts or webinars to engage your audience in a new way.
Set new goals
As your content marketing grows and evolves, your goals may shift. If you've met your initial objectives, like increasing website traffic, consider setting new goals such as improving conversion rates or growing your email list. Regularly revisiting and updating your goals keeps your strategy focused and aligned with your business growth.
VIDEO: How to use data to shape your marketing strategy
Data analysis guru Emma Haslam helps you understand the basics of analysing your data, why data matters, and how to tell if your marketing is working for you:
Key takeaways
Content marketing is a powerful tool for small business owners, offering an affordable and effective way to reach and engage your target audience.
By understanding the different types of content, crafting a solid strategy, promoting your content on the right platforms and continuously measuring and adjusting your approach, you can grow your business and build long-term relationships with customers.
Whether you’re just starting or looking to refine your existing efforts, the key to success is staying consistent, providing value and being adaptable. With these steps, your content marketing will become a cornerstone of your business's growth and success.
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