7 Digital Content Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses

Internet marketing is a big field and an extremely complex concept. Today’s businesses, whether small or big, are constantly leveraging the power of the digital medium to increase their brand awareness, engage with fans, and close more sales.

Nowadays, competition is huge in every single marketplace. Whether you sell shoes or paintings, you’ll still have to face a good number of competitors that are fighting to capture the attention of the same audience.

What makes the difference between winners and losers when it comes to digital content marketing?

There are two critical factors: content and strategy.

First of all, the success of your online marketing campaigns is directly proportional to the quality of your content. That is because today’s content consumers are extremely selective when it comes to spending important resources like time and attention. 

Second, you need to know what to do with that content. If you know how to properly promote it to the right people and on the right channels, you can easily outrank your competition and position your business as the best choice.

In today’s post, I’ll share 7 insightful content marketing ideas that will skyrocket your digital marketing results. Ready? Let’s go.

1. Consistently Engage with Your Fans on Social Media

One of the best digital content marketing strategies out there involves social media interaction. Nowadays, most customers have a social media profile that they connect to daily. 

When they open their phone, they won’t enter a particular website (yours perhaps). Instead, they’ll get active on social media. 

You need to post high-quality content on a consistent basis. This can be your own content or curated content that is highly relevant to the thematic of your business.

Every time your customers engage with your brand, engage back. Provide useful replies, encourage your fans to provide feedback, and let everyone know that you’re available and consistent.

2. Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is still an underrated digital marketing strategy that can be explored in many ways.

Since you own a small business and your budget can’t afford Cristiano Ronaldo, you should adapt and start seeking smaller influencers. Generally, it’s not the number of fans that an influencer has that makes him a good business, but the engagement level of his fan base. 

Start looking for potential candidates. These can be local people that have a solid reputation, small bloggers, vloggers, actors, and so on.

3. Forum and Q&A Marketing

Forum marketing is the art of engaging with your target audience on the forums that they visit regularly. If you’re selling an informational book that teaches people how to gain self-confidence, you can market your value proposition on self-help and personal development forums.

Create a profile and write the name of your brand as a username. Create a signature that leads to your website (if the forum allows) and start engaging. Get involved in discussions and provide relevant answers that generate curiosity and trust. The purpose is to make your business name known to as many people while also providing useful information that increases trust.

You can even outsource the best assignment help website to automate the entire process. When I was practicing this strategy, I’ve collaborated with two professional writers that have done a great job. The ROI was amazing, so I’ve continued to scale the operations up until I’ve covered all the relevant forums in my niche.

Q&A marketing works in a very similar fashion. Create a profile on popular Q&A platforms like Quora and Yahoo Answers and start answering all the relevant questions that have a close connection to your business.

4. E-mail Marketing

Every successful big brand takes advantage of email marketing to create solid databases of clients. 

But with inboxes cluttered with offers, promotions, and newsletters, how can your message stand out? The answer lies in innovative copywriting that grabs attention and doesn't let go.

The Art of Surprise

Humans are wired to notice and respond to the unexpected. So, surprise your readers! Here's how:

• Unexpected Subject Lines: "Why our product might NOT be right for you" – now doesn't that make you curious?
• Bold Statements: Open with lines like, "We thought we'd failed you..." and then lead into how you've actually improved your services based on feedback.

Play with Humor

Nothing brightens someone's day like a good laugh.

• Puns and Play on Words: For a coffee shop - "Brew-tiful deals inside!"
• Light-hearted Teasers: For a bookshop - "Guess which book we can't keep on our shelves?"

Tell a Story

People love stories. They're relatable, personal, and memorable.

• Customer Tales: Share stories of real customers who benefited from your product.
• Behind-the-Scenes: Share a funny incident that happened at the office or a challenge the team overcame.

Interactive Elements

Engage the reader by making them a part of the experience.

• Quizzes: "Which of our products suits you best? Find out inside!"
• Polls: "Help us decide our next flavor!" for a local ice cream shop.

Personalization is More than Just a Name

Sure, using the recipient's name is a start, but true personalization dives deeper.

• Purchase History: "We noticed you bought X. Here's a special offer on Y, which pairs perfectly!"
• Birthdays and Anniversaries: Not just a generic wish, but maybe a special tale or joke related to their age or the number of years they've been a customer.

Use Visuals Wisely

While this isn't strictly copywriting, the visuals in your email should complement and enhance your words.

• Intriguing Graphics: Maybe an image that's only half visible with a caption "Curious what's happening here? Read on..."
• GIFs and Memes: These can add humor and make your content more shareable.

Challenges and Solutions Format

Present a common problem and then reveal the solution.

• Setup: "Tired of shoes that wear out in a month?"
• Punchline: "Here's a pair that lasted our CEO a whole trek across the Himalayas!"

Be Genuine

Amidst all the creativity, be sure your email remains authentic.

• Honesty: If there was a problem, own up to it and share how you plan to fix it.
• Real Voices: Use actual testimonials or team member quotes.

Stay Updated and Experiment

Trends change, and so should your approach. Always be ready to try something new and measure its impact. Maybe a style that was a hit last year feels dated now. Or perhaps something you've never tried before becomes the next big hit.

Shaking things up with innovative copywriting will make a difference between your email being read or tossed into the trash. Keep it fresh, fun, and always focused on offering value to the reader. Because at the end of the day, that's what keeps them coming back for more.

5. Dance On TikTok

TikTok has become a global sensation, and for a good reason. Short, catchy videos have the power to grab attention quickly and leave a lasting impression. But have you ever thought about how dancing on TikTok can be a boon for small businesses? Let's explore this fun avenue of content marketing.

The Magic of Short Videos

Today's fast-paced world means shorter attention spans. No one has the patience to watch long commercials anymore. Enter TikTok, where videos are limited to just a few seconds. This brevity forces creators to get straight to the point, making content more impactful.

Everyone Loves Dancing

No matter where you're from or how old you are, dancing is a universal language. It brings joy, energy, and a touch of human connection. When businesses tap into this, they're reaching out to people on a personal level. That little dance move might just be the thing that makes someone remember your brand or product.

Easy and Cost-Effective

Big-budget ads? Not everyone can afford them. The beauty of TikTok is that all you need is a phone camera and some creativity. No need for fancy equipment or hiring professional videographers. And guess what? Sometimes, the more "homemade" it looks, the more authentic and relatable it feels to viewers.

Going Viral: Not Just a Dream

We've all seen those viral dance challenges or trends. One day, someone starts a cool move, and before you know it, millions are doing the same dance. Imagine if your small business could start or join such a trend. The exposure could be massive, reaching far beyond your usual crowd.

How Small Businesses Can Dive In

So, you're convinced and want to give it a try. Here's how to get started:

• Pick Your Song Wisely: Think about your brand or product. Is there a popular song that matches its vibe? Or perhaps there's a lesser-known tune that could become the next big hit.
• Create a Simple Dance: It doesn’t have to be complex. Even a couple of moves can catch on.
• Engage Your Team: Get your staff involved. A group dance can be more fun and shows a united, happy team behind the business.
• Use Relevant Hashtags: TikTok, like other social platforms, relies on hashtags. Make sure you use ones that align with your brand and the content of your video.
• Engage with Your Viewers: Reply to comments, share user-generated content, and don't shy away from doing duets with popular creators.

Benefits Beyond Marketing

Apart from the obvious marketing advantages, there are some other cool perks of dancing on TikTok for your business:

• Team Building: Dancing together can be a fantastic team-bonding activity. It can lighten the mood, boost morale, and inject some fun into the workday.
• Staying Updated: Being on TikTok helps you stay updated with current trends, pop culture, and the younger generation's mindset.
• Creative Outlet: Business can get serious. Dancing provides a way to unleash creativity and can even lead to out-of-the-box ideas for your brand.

6. Create and Market Infographics

If you’re passionate about design and you know your industry well, you can prepare an infographic that treats an important topic that most of your target audience members want to hear.

By designing and publishing an infographic on your website, you’re improving your odds of getting important backlinks from other industry websites (not necessarily your competition). That will improve your search engine rankings but will also help you generate more direct traffic.

7. Repurpose Your Content

As the last idea, I’m encouraging you to repurpose your content. If you’ve written a blog post about climate change a year ago, take that blog post and turn it into an audiobook/video/infographic/graphic while adding other relevant information that you’ve acquired in the meantime.

A piece of content is information. If you label this information using different packages, you can get access to more audiences and therefore improve your brand awareness.

Takeaways

There are thousands of digital marketing strategies out there. What you need to do is select the ones that resonate the most with your business objectives and needs and try them out.

To be able to tell whether a strategy works or not, you need to test, analyze, and measure the results. Leverage analytics tools to quantify your results and decide between moving to the next strategy and optimizing the current one.