A small business guide to paid content

For small businesses it can often feel like the competition out there is everywhere. The ubiquity of the internet means that anyone, anywhere, can turn to any provider to get the goods or services they need. In an environment like that, what can you possibly do to stand out from the crowd?

In the past, advertising was the cornerstone of any plan to get your company’s name out there and to attract new business. However, with customers being turned off by loud pop-up videos and irritating banners blocking a site’s content, focusing exclusively on advertising is becoming a less sustainable marketing model for businesses.

 So, what’s the alternative? Here we’ll look at paid content: what it is and what it can bring to your business. 

Why is paid content a good idea?

Content marketing is essentially a way for you to create deep connections with customers, establish yourself as an industry expert, and thereby drive sales. This content can be anything from blog posts to podcasts to e-newsletters.

Whatever form the content takes, it’s critical that it’s high quality, informative, and results driven content that really solves a problem your potential clients have. If you prove through your content that you understand their needs and that you have a means to meet them, you can become their go-to source for whatever goods or service you provide.

The challenge, then, becomes getting that content in front of the right people. You can be delivering impressive work, but if no one’s seeing it then the content is doing nothing for you.

Distribution platforms 

Distribution platforms can be an effective way to reach wider audiences. They allow you to set a budget and timescale, before getting your content in front of a targeted audience most likely to find it of interest.

Distribution platforms will provide you with analytics, so you’re able to see which content is getting the most traction, tailoring your approach as you learn more about your audience.

However, it is not a panacea. The greatest downside to these types of platforms is that your content will often be restricted to the margins, away from the site’s primary content. An indication that this is paid-for content is likely to turn potential readers off.

Sponsored content

Online magazine and newspapers are today likely to publish stories sponsored by a brand. These types of posts are embedded in a publication and are designed to mirror the look, feel, and tone of other articles, but in reality, they’ve been paid for by marketers. This kind of paid content is beneficial in a few unique ways. First, it allows you to target the readers of whichever publication best aligns with the target audience for your good or service. It also provides an air of legitimacy for your advertising; if the reader trusts the publication, they’re likely to also trust your content that they find on its pages.

Facebook and Google

Placing sponsored posts on Facebook or paying for Google search ads is a form of native advertising which allows your content to blend in with its surroundings. People tend not to be put off by a Facebook ad or a paid for Google result as they would a more traditional or obvious marketing technique. As these ads look like a part of the larger platform, readers don’t feel quite as acutely that they are being sold a product or service.

The new micro influencer approach

Influencer marketing is a developing concept, shifting increasingly away from celebrity endorsement. Small businesses are now able to tap into this form of marketing through thinking smaller scale, targeting micro influencers who are important to those in their desired. If you have a compelling pitch and are willing to send them a free sample of your product, they just may cover your business on their blog or give you a shout out on their social media platforms.

Simon Watson, Operations Manager, GLProUK

GLProUK is a digital marketing agency based in London and Surrey fulfilling the digital content requirements of market-leading brands throughout the southeast of the UK, the US and beyond.

Whether your vision consist of podcasts, graphic design or professional video and photography, GLProUK have the expertise and enthusiasm to help get your message out there. 

Visit our website here.

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