Content Marketing 101: Creating Compelling Content For MSMEs
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Content marketing for MSMEs revolves around the distribution of content to achieve a business goal. This content can come in different forms, such as visual, audio, and audio-visual. They can be distributed through various mediums. For instance, you may choose to write blog posts and distribute them through your website. However, it can be challenging to create or market your content. Luckily, this guide will give you 8 nuggets to create compelling content for your MSMEs.
1. Determine The Goal Of Creating Content
It is essential to determine the content’s purpose. This would help to determine what kind of content to create. Is the purpose of the content to generate more leads to your website? Or maybe to increase sales? Or even to educate your customers? By determining the goal of the content, you’d know what category your content should fall under. You’d also be able to determine the best medium through which you should distribute it. For example, you’d know if the content is better suited as a blog post on your website or a video on YouTube.
2. Research On Your Target Audience
The level to which you know your target audience will go a long way in achieving your marketing goals. And there are tools you could use for meticulous audience research. Essentially, you want to keep tabs on their demographics and psychographics. The data you’d mostly need about them include their age, gender, values, interest, and average income. This data makes it easier to predict their “Buyology” (as great Martin Lindstrom would put it). The result of your research will also help to choose the perfect timing and duration for your outreaches.
3. Get The Headline Right
The headline of your content can make or break it. It is the first thing your audience sees; this means you can’t afford to go wrong with your headline. If the headline (or, in the case of a video, the thumbnail) is not catchy or good enough to attract your audience, they will scroll away in a flash. This means that you have a few seconds to convince your audience. After clicking the blog or video, the next thing that would convince your audience to stay are the first few lines and so it is essential to keep that as interesting as your Headline.
4. Don’t Stop At One Content Format
Blogs, carousels, videos, etc. are all excellent content formats. However, to choose the perfect format, you need to consider the type of content being created, the purpose of it, and the target audience. So, if a particular format isn’t giving results, you shouldn’t hesitate to try a different one. Remember that content marketing is mainly about testing the waters, so you shouldn’t be scared to do that. Also, if your audience is divided into two or more groups, some preferring one format to the other, you could create your content across these formats to make it work.
5. Never Stop Listening
The truth is that your customers are always speaking and asking questions, even when they are not directed at you. Identify these questions your customers ask and then give them an answer through your content. You could get these questions through customer reviews, frequently asked questions on your website, etc. The idea is to identify the trend and hop on it. Of course, this might not go viral, but at least you would satisfy your customers.
6. Delegate, But Stay In Touch
The one mistake you can make as an MSME owner is trying to push the work of content creation onto a third party without getting involved. No matter how competent the third party you pay is, your involvement is paramount. Sure, running a business is super engaging and keeps you busy; however, content creation is part of running a business. You need to put in effort in content creation the way you’d put in effort in other aspects of your business. You have access to any data that the third party would use, you churn out the data, and you know what data should be used and how to use it. Getting involved in content creation would only make it better.
7. Don’t Be Afraid To Spy
By checking out your competitors and the content they distribute or market, you get the chance to know what the trends and tactics are. You’d be aware of what is working and what is not, where your competitors got a backlash, and what content made their audience happy. By checking out your competitors, you also know the grey areas, the untouched and unexplored parts, and you can explore such places to create unique content.
8. Try Including Visuals
This is mainly for an MSME that has decided to create written content. Most times, people find writing boring, and it is understandable why they skim through an article, stop reading halfway, or don’t even attempt reading. This is why you need to keep your readers entertained by providing short video clips or pictures and illustrations, which would also help them assimilate faster.
Frequently Asked Questions About Creating Compelling Content For MSMEs
Question 1: Why is content creation important for Small Businesses?
Content creation is as important to your audience, as it is to your brand. It allows your brand to share more about itself with its audience and customers. It is with content creation that people understand and know more about your values and commitment. It can also help your brand reach more people and create awareness.
Question 2: What are the channels that can be used for content marketing?
Content Marketing channels are simply the way or medium through which you let your audience access your content and know more about your brand. Some of the content marketing channels are social media, brand websites, email campaigns, and direct mail.
Question 3: How do I start content marketing?
To start your content marketing journey, you need to start by creating and churning out compelling content. To do this you can simply follow the eight tips listed above as a foundation. Define your goals, know your target audience, choose the type of content you want to create, and choose what channel(s) to use
Question 4: What is a content marketing cycle?
A content marketing cycle simply refers to all the processes that have gone into managing and executing a marketing plan. The content Marketing cycle includes every decision and step made from the research stage to the point where the content was created and then distributed through channels.
Conclusion
The steps and tips to creating compelling content are not limited to these nine mentioned above; in fact, they are inexhaustive. The main idea is to define your goal and know your target audience. After setting this foundation, it becomes easier to follow through with the other tips. By following these tips, soon you’d be creating and marketing compelling content to help your MSME grow.
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