A guide to content marketing for startups

Content marketing has become an integral part of any marketing strategy in today's digital age. Content marketing encompasses a range of tactics, including search engine optimisation, blogging, how-to videos, whitepapers, guides, email campaigns, and public relations.

According to recent Hubspot statistics, 82% of companies use content marketing because it costs 62% less than traditional marketing and generates three times as many leads per dollar spent. Additionally, global content consumption continues to grow, and content marketing can be a long-term asset that is free.

Basic steps to creating a content marketing strategy

Creating a successful content marketing strategy involves producing, publishing, and promoting valuable content to current and potential customers. The process may vary for each startup, but the basic steps should include:

1. Define your target audience: Identify who you are trying to reach with your content, including their demographics, interests, and pain points.
2. Choose your content formats: Decide on the types of content you will create, such as blog posts, videos, newsletters, eBooks, social media posts, podcasts, courses, infographics, case studies, and webinars. Consider creating a mix of educational, entertaining, and promotional content.
3. Develop a content calendar: Plan out your content in advance, including topics, formats, and publication dates. Establish a process for creating and reviewing your content, such as outlining, drafting, editing, and proofreading and develop a schedule that includes each of these steps and its corresponding timeframe.
4. Assign roles and responsibilities: Determine who will be responsible for creating, editing, and publishing your content, and ensure that everyone understands their roles and deadlines.
5. Promote your content: Share your content on social media, email newsletters, or other channels to reach a wider audience. Also consider joining relevant online communities, such as forums or online groups, and share your content with members who may be interested in it. Ensure your content is optimised for search engines by using relevant keywords, meta tags, and descriptions.
6. Measure your results: Use analytics tools to track the performance of your content, such as pageviews, engagement, and conversions. Based on your results, adjust your content marketing strategy to improve its effectiveness over time.

Tips for effective content marketing

To ensure your content marketing strategy is effective, consider the following tips and tricks:

1. Be customer-centric: Focus on creating content that addresses your customers' needs and pain points, rather than merely promoting your own products or services. Provide valuable information that helps your customers solve problems and make informed decisions. Listen to your customers' feedback and use it to create content that addresses their concerns and interests.
2. Use simple language: Use language that your customers can relate to and avoid industry jargons or technical terms that may be confusing to them. Keep it authentic and transparent. Your customers want to see the human side of your brand and connect with you on a personal level.
3. Be consistent: Use a content calendar to plan out your content in advance and ensure you have a consistent publishing schedule and stick to it as closely as possible. Establish a regular cadence for your content and build momentum over time.
4. Repurpose where possible: Repurpose content across different channels and formats, for example, you could turn a blog post into a video or infographic. Review your older blog posts or social media posts and use them as inspiration for new content. You can also update older posts with new information and republish them.
5. Use visuals: Use visual content, such as images, videos, and infographics, to break up blocks of text and make your content more interesting to read. Visuals can also help you communicate complex information in a more easily digestible format. Be sure to use high-quality visuals that are relevant to your content and help convey your message.
6. Stay up to date: Keep up with industry trends and news to position your startup as a thought leader and a trusted source of information. Look for trends or news stories that are most relevant to your audience and your brand. Focus on topics that align with your brand's values and expertise. Add your own unique perspective or insights to the conversation and provide actionable advice or takeaways your audience can apply to their own work or business.

While it may be tempting to hire a content marketing agency to handle everything, it’s possible to launch a successful strategy on your own. With a little bit of hustle and know-how, you can create a content marketing funnel that drives your business forward and still keep your budget low.