Why Content Marketing Is A Gimme For Small Businesses

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If you’ve been following me for a while you probably know that I enjoy watching sports.?

College football? You bet! Let’s go Utah Utes!?

Hockey? I’m a huge Calgary Flames fan.?

Golf? Now we are talking.?

And, because I play weekly when the weather permits, there’s some potential for me to take what I learn from watching the pros and try to apply it to my own game.??

And when I say “some potential,” I mean “very little.”?

Am I technically playing the same sport as Tiger Woods and the other pros on TV??

Yes, I am.?

Like them, I have clubs, tees, balls, tee boxes, greens, flags, polo shirts, and golf shoes. (I love my Foot Joys. I think they are more comfortable than my house slippers.)?

But that’s where the commonalities end.?

See, unlike the pros, I don’t have the latest and greatest in equipment, a handicap that’s at or below par, a caddie, or an official to make sure I play by the rules. (Probably a good thing. I’d have to put my foot wedge away.)?

The professional golf game is all about the best of the best.?

Those guys are just flat-out good.?

They got that way by pushing the limits of focus and mental toughness on a regular basis.?

My golf game is about getting out, breathing some fresh air, getting a little exercise, and enjoying an ice-cold beverage.?

Needless to say, for me, golf isn’t about being good…

It's all about the party.?

What I want and what the pro golfers want are 2 different things even though we play the same sport.?

The same holds true for your marketing.?

What you want out of your marketing plan and what big businesses want out of theirs are 2 different things…

Even though you both use marketing.??

In my 5 years in the marketing world, I’ve noticed that the small businesses that fail are usually the ones that try to copy what the bigger businesses are doing.?

Why??

Because trying to play ball with the big boys is like me going up against a PGA Pro Golfer…?

Even with the handicap system, I would lose.???

Big businesses have the budget and the horsepower to put behind their marketing plans.??

You don’t have a Marketing Director, a team of video marketers, a team of email marketers, social media experts, or a whole team of copywriters.?

In most cases, there’s just you. And if you get busy possibly a freelancer or 2.?

Also, you’re not in the volume business.?

Bigger businesses target hundreds if not thousands of people every year.?

You and I on the other hand are lucky if we have 2 dozen clients in a year.?

Because of these reasons we as entrepreneurs and solopreneurs have to think differently…??

We have to use things like content marketing to leverage our businesses.?

You can do this by applying these 3 easy steps:?

1. Put yourself in front of people you know. The last time I checked I had 4308 followers on LinkedIn.?

Do I interact with all 4308 people on a daily or even weekly basis? Heaven's sake no! That number is closer to 100.?

So when I write content I write to those 100 people that I interact with… not the 4308.?

Now I don’t have anything against strangers. If the algorithm pushes my content to them great.?

But the people I interact with are way more prone to reading, listening, buying, and spreading the word about me. The same holds true for you.?

2. Post content consistently. Consistency always has been and always will be the king.?

If the people you're putting yourself in front of see you showing up day in and day out then you're going to be at the top of their minds when they need something.?

3. Position yourself as a friendly expert. When you sell products or professional services it becomes very hard for your clients to distinguish between you and your competition.?

This is why it’s so important to be friendly. People are going to hire someone they know, like, and trust. Someone who’s a friend.?

Just being friendly though isn’t enough. You’re clients still have to know that you're good at what you do.?

So you let them know that you are friendly and also good at what you do through your content.?

Here’s The Real Deal

Every time I’m in a webinar and I hear a business guru give advice about following companies like Apple or Walmart to small businesses I cringe.?

Yes, these companies are successful, and the business gurus themselves are normally really great speakers…?

The advice is just extremely irrelevant.?

Even though both businesses use marketing the targets are going to be different.?

If you as a small business target the people you know, post content consistently, and position yourself with your content as a friendly expert…?

You're going to be successful. No question about it.?

Speaking about targets I better go.?

I just got a phone call from Top Golf.?

Apparently, the Green Goats just turned the fainting goat loose out on the driving range with a big red target painted on his chest.?

I better go get that poor fainting goat off of the driving range before he gets hit with a golf ball.?

Remember the gimme in small business marketing is about how you utilize your content.

Until next time,

Bobbie Lee (The Green Goat Copywriter)??