Don't waste resources on something that doesn't hep your business grow.
*Statistically, businesses who share content are seeing significantly more revenue than their competitors who don’t. (Gary Vee, Best Marketing Strategy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUxAjnruheA)*
With the right strategies, you can attract more clients than you know what to do with.
The reason?
People do business with people they know, like, and trust, and your content is a window into WHO you are as brand and what makes you DIFFERENT than your competitor.
Your content is not just marketing, but rather a medium to display your mission, vision, values, and love for your people.
Your content one of the best ways for your prospects to connect with you emotionally before they even do business with you, which (sometimes) provides total buy-in before any dollars are spent.
Your Content Warms Up Cold Leads
Your content marketing allows you to warm up your cold prospects, reaching out to your community through stories they feel like they are a part of.
Your content builds a powerful connection of trust and loyalty that traditional advertising cannot achieve.
When done correctly, your content takes a prospect from “I don’t know you” to “I am completely bought-in.”
Content is Your Digital Storefront
Consider your content as your digital storefront.
In many cases this is your first impression, so if your online content is beautifully arranged and compelling, then it will immediately build trust and authority.
Your digital storefront is where you can set yourself apart from your competition, differentiating your small business in a crowded marketplace.
This is why your graphic design is critical, because completely judge you based on what you give them right out of the box.
Bad graphic design can lead to a visceral reaction, making prospects sick and want to leave.
Conversely, well crafted graphic design can lure your prospect in and make them immediately feel comfortable.
Stories are Your Secret Weapon for Emotional Connection
Your content allows you to craft stories that your customers want to follow.
Story content educates, entertains, and enlightens on a much deeper level than the transactional, transcending the buyer-seller relationship.
This approach not only increases brand awareness but fosters a powerful sense of deep loyalty and cultivates meaningful community around your brand.
Stories win. Period.
Real Life Example
Take, for example, a small Arkansas-based craft brewery that started sharing the stories behind their brews.
Each post, video, and story they shared wasn’t just about the beer—it was about the local ingredients, the brewing process, and the team’s passion for craft beer.
This storytelling approach transformed their content into experiences, making each sip of beer a taste of the local culture and craftsmanship.
It’s a testament to how content can connect, engage, and create loyal customers who are eager to be part of your business’s ongoing story.
Nail the Bullseye in Your Market
The foundation of any successful content marketing strategy is understanding who you are talking to.
Who is your buyer?
What are their hopes and dreams? What are their fears?
What drives them to make decisions?
Knowing these aspects about your audience will allow you to create content that speaks directly to the hearts and minds of your prospects.
Creating Customer Personas - Absolutely Critical
The best way to create content that nails your target audience is to create a customer avatar.
These personas are fictional characters based on real data and insights about your existing and potential customers.
They will help guide your content creation, ensuring it resonates with the people you most want to reach.
Leverage the Power of Local
For small businesses in Arkansas, local insights are golden.
Understanding the local culture, values, and interests allows you to create content that feels familiar and comforting.
It’s about celebrating what makes Arkansas unique, whether it’s the love for the Razorbacks or local schools, the beauty of the Ozarks, or the warmth of small-town community gatherings.
Your content should reflect the local environment, speaking in a language that feels homegrown and authentic.
Questions/Views to Consider
- Why would a local approach in content marketing matter more for small businesses in Arkansas compared to big corporations?
- Consider how leveraging local stories, landmarks, and traditions can create a stronger emotional connection with your audience.
- How can you use content to showcase your business as an integral part of the community’s fabric?
You Don't Like Social Media but it's Unwise to Neglect it.
Social media is like the town square of the digital age — a place where news spreads, people gather, and communities are strengthened.
It’s where your small business can share stories, celebrate local heroes, and even showcase customer testimonials – all for free.
Most business owners don’t like social media, but it costs nothing but your time so it’s unwise not to leverage it.
Platform Selection
Facebook: Your local community
LinkedIn: Business to business
Instagram: Creative, visual
X: News, sports
TikTok: the future generation
YouTube: Educational content
Content Ideas
Post about local events your business participates in, spotlight local customers of the month, or share updates about community projects. Be active in the digital town square.
Feature stories of local customers or businesses and how your products or services have impacted them.
“A Day in the Life” Series: Use video or photo essays to share a day in the life of your employees or loyal customers, highlighting their connection to the community and your business.
DIY Tutorials and Workshops: Share the special knowledge that only your business can provide.
Before-and-After: Show how your business is transforming the state of Arkansas.
Behind-the-Scenes Videos: Create short, engaging videos that show the behind-the-scenes workings of your business.
Create video testimonials or stories featuring local customers or businesses using your products or services. Seeing real people share genuine experiences can significantly influence potential customers.
Share the history behind your products, the journey of your business in the local community, or how your services are tailored to meet the specific needs of Arkansans.
Crafting a content strategy that works for your small business in Arkansas involves understanding the unique fabric of your local community and weaving your brand into it.
Questions/Views
- How can your business’s story inspire or connect with the daily lives of your customers?
- What aspects of Arkansas culture or lifestyle can you weave into your content to resonate more deeply with your audience?
User-Generated Content is KING
Encourage your audience to share their own stories, photos, or videos of them engaging with your business or products.
This not only provides you with authentic content but also builds a community and authority around your brand, and it’s content that you don’t have to generate!
By incorporating local flavor, encouraging user-generated content, and using powerful visuals, your business can create content that not only stands out but also forms lasting connections with your audience.
Measuring Success and Adjusting Strategies
Once your content is out, it’s crucial to circle back and gauge its impact.
You can’t control something you can’t measure.
Measuring analytics is like tending to a garden after planting the seeds; you need to nurture it, understand what’s thriving, what’s dying, and make adjustments to ensure growth.
Basic Analytics to Monitor
Track metrics such as website traffic, engagement rates on social media, email open rates, and conversion rates.
These numbers tell a story of how well your content is performing and engaging your target audience.
Pay close attention to comments and feedback on social media, blog posts, and emails.
This direct feedback from your audience is invaluable, offering a ground-level view of what’s working and what’s not.
Sparks Turn to Flames
Start with one story, one post, or one video.
Share something genuine, something that speaks to the heart of what you do and why you do it.
The beauty of content marketing lies in its accessibility; it doesn’t require a monumental budget, just a commitment to sharing your narrative with the world.
Finally, remember that content marketing is a two-way street.
It’s as much about listening as it is about sharing.
Engage with your audience, invite feedback, and let the insights you gain inform your path forward.
Celebrate the milestones, learn from the challenges, and always keep your audience at the heart of what you do.
In crafting your content, let authenticity be your guide.
In a world where we are constantly assaulted by advertisements, genuine stories and heartfelt connections stand out and can be the difference-maker in your business.
Connection means Conversion
With these strategies, your content will not only convert, but will connect, creating a legacy of trust, loyalty, and community around your brand.
We live in such a unique time in history where we have access to SO many people to share our story with.
Don’t waste the chance to create content that converts, connects, and celebrates the heart of your business and brings value to all of those who find their way to your digital doorstep.
SUMMARY
- Businesses who share content statistically make more money than those who don’t.
- Content warms up cold leads.
- Your content is your digital storefront, in many cases the first impression.
- Story content creates total buy-in and builds a community around your brand.
- With content, you can speak very specifically to your highly targeted prospects.
- Content centered on “local” aspects will always win.
- Social media is free advertising.
- Use your clients testimonials to build trust and authority.
- Measure your traffic and adjust accordingly.
- Start small, and build a content strategy that converts and connects.