Content brings in customers. Content also creates brand and business awareness, multiplying the impact that your startup can have on your industry. In today’s online ecosystem, content can live on blogs, websites, reviews, videos, or even social media posts.
For startups, successful content marketing requires a plan for generating quality content that attracts new customers and builds brand quality.
This guide describes what content is, why it’s an important investment for startups, and how to get started creating quality content that customers love.
Key Takeaways
- What is content?
- Why is quality content important for startups?
- How does quality content attract customers?
- Where do you start when creating content?
What is Content?
Content is the presentation of brand-specific information through various channels to an audience. Many people think of content as written text. However, content can take many forms including blog posts, photos, YouTube videos, social media posts, and audio files.
Creating a variety of content on different channels helps your message reach a wider audience. When creating content, keep in mind that it should present credible, detailed, and specific information about topics related to your service or product offering. For example, a company offering wireless services to customers could post content bi-monthly on the latest technology improvements within 5G networks and what these improvements mean to their customers.
The content you post must be informative, factual, and offer a unique or valuable perspective. You want to create trust by offering credible, non-biased information to customers.
Types of content include:
- Blog posts
- Case studies
- How-to guides
- Webinars
- Video presentations
- Podcasts
- Infographics
- White papers and e-books
Why is Quality Content Important for Startups?
Content marketing costs a whopping 62% less than traditional advertising campaigns. At the same time, content generates more productive leads. A business can increase its online presence and build a brand image by producing high-quality content for less than display or print advertising.
Posting a mix of content helps build search engine results and improves the chances of customers encountering your content. Incorporating SEO (search engine optimization) increases the chances of your content coming up at or near the top of search engine results.
Content helps you build your brand reputation by establishing expertise and authority. By creating quality content on relevant subjects in your industry, you’re demonstrating expertise, establishing credibility with your audience and search engines, and providing solutions to customer needs.
Where to Start Creating Content?
The first step to creating content is deciding on a content strategy or plan. The content strategy document can be as simple as a checklist, a list of content types to start with, a budget, and defining a target audience.
Alternatively, you can use tools like Hubspot, ClickUp, Monday, Wrike, or Contentful to help stay organized and develop an adaptable approach. Since many of these platforms can be costly, we recommend you start with a minimum viable content strategy and build from there.
So, what does a minimum viable strategy look like? Consider starting your content creation by focusing on your company website first. A recent Nielsen survey indicates that over 70% of people trust the information on a company website more than any other type of media.
Content is powerful, relevant, and affordable. Grow your customer base, brand, and business by providing content that customers trust to be informative, credible, and useful.