Successful businesses today enjoy a robust online presence, and they see their reach increase almost daily. That’s proof of a well-designed online strategy. What got them here? Is it luck? Is it money? The answer is an unequivocal no. Yes, some say luck is involved in any successful venture. The truth is, however, no amount of luck makes a business successful. All companies need an online presence, or they’ll watch their company struggle and fail.
What does make the most significant difference is how well their content strategy plays out over time. Too many companies ignore the fact that to gain credibility locally, it must have a robust online footprint, and it begins with content.
Content is Still King
Perhaps those who prefer to spend money on fruitless ads will never understand how to advertise online. Flooding the Internet with ads is not the way to go. Ads have their place, but not as the sole source of website traffic. It’s the content that keeps your readers on your site and consuming your content.
From the early days of the Internet and for the foreseeable future, content will rule the success or failure of all websites. Bear in mind that it’s possible to create too much material that leads to literal information overload.
However, the problem of too much content depends on the niche, and if there’s immense competition within that niche. Imagine for a moment how exhausting it might be to read posts about one topic that gets written about so much that it’s almost like listening to the same song over and over. It gets boring.
Content comes in other forms besides just text. Video and images mix nicely with text, and most people expect to see this. A link to a video is a nice segue into another subtopic, or it can emphasize the current one. Images say a lot and people tend to remember the impact of the image on them. That’s very powerful.
Engage Your Audience
The first step of creating a content strategy that works for the long-term is to learn who your audience is, and how much of an audience is likely to find your product or service interesting enough to interact with your company. There’s no sense in working hard to attract uninterested parties. That said, tailor all content to meet the specific needs of your readers.
After you’re satisfied that you found what your readers expect to receive from you, you can create content to satisfy those needs. Your readers look to you for answers to their questions. If you can find suitable answers that compel them to take action, you’re on the right track. From that point, don’t let up. Learn more from your successes and build on them. It’s a snowball effect. Your readers start to believe in you and your ability to meet their needs.
Keep them Coming
Your website will become the best source of business for you over time. The site works for you 24/7 and keeps your company familiar to more people as your company gains a reputation for always giving your readers and customers what they need and when they need it. That’s a crucial component of a local content strategy because it proves that you are dependable and worthy of respect.
Ads have their place, but there’s no need to deluge the Internet with them. Ads cost a small fortune, and unless you have a large advertising budget, it’s a better idea to stick with content marketing because it’s less expensive and more effective over time.
A solid content marketing strategy will eventually attract readers to your website in droves, and that translates to an increase in local traffic. Focus on making the site a great place to find answers to the questions your readers have and provide an easy way for them to contact you. Your Contact Us section on your site should provide the necessary information, so anyone can easily make contact with you. Be sure to respond right away to any inquiries.
Set Reasonable Goals
The goals you might set for your business, in the beginning, should always come about after careful thought. Goals keep you going in a straight line and helps motivate others toward the same purpose. However, if your intentions are unrealistic, it will lead to less productivity and of course, a goal unmet.
One of the most important goals you can make for your business is to increase conversions. Converting a reader to a lead, and then to a paying customer isn’t the only result that matters. Customer retention is part of the conversion funnel, and it makes sense to increase customer awareness of your business by staying in contact with them and letting them know you’re available to answer questions.
Become the Center of Attention
The idea of being the center of attention applies well to a local business. The point of operating a business is to serve your customers and to be the go-to place for what they need, right? By using proven strategies to keep your company in front of your customers increases the likelihood they will consider your business before anyone else.
As the content on your site begins to gain popularity because it’s informative and current, your company begins to take on a personality of its own. Eventually, with a practical content marketing strategy in place, the business gains trust and respectability in the community and online.
Conclusion
As you can see, marketing your business requires more than the coveted word-of-mouth recommendations. A business grows based on its reputation for helping customers and keeping them informed of helpful tips and information, similar to what a friend might do. Helping people is what it’s all about, and you’ll have a winner if you consistently show them you care.
Featured Image Credit: Pixabay