Every small business competes for attention. And to win out over other businesses, your content must reign supreme. Creating content for your small business isn’t always the hard part—but creating the right content that resonates with your audience can feel overwhelming and out of your skill set at times. And maybe you’re wondering if the quality or type of content you put out really matters. (Spoiler: It does.)

In this article, we’ll cover why your business needs to produce content that matters and how you can do just that. 

Why your content matters 

Producing content that stands out speaks for itself, but there are several reasons your business needs to create content that your audience is looking for. The right content: 

• Distinguishes your brand by highlighting your unique value proposition versus your competitors’. 

• Builds trust and credibility by providing valuable and relevant content that helps establish your business as a trustworthy expert in your niche.

• Enhances brand awareness by solidifying your company as one that seeks to educate, which increases your visibility and reputation online. 

• Supports customer engagement by encouraging interaction with your brand. 

• Drives conversions by resonating with your audience, which can help guide them through their buyer journey, from awareness to decision. 

Content is more than just words on a page or images and video on a screen; it’s a powerful tool that leads to connection and engagement, which improves your customers’ journey and your overall business success.

How to produce content that matters

Before you start creating content, it’s important to understand your audience by knowing who they are, what challenges they face and how you can solve their problems. You can figure this out by getting their feedback via social media or customer surveys and using that to help guide your content strategy. When you can address their specific needs and interests, you’ll create content that matters. Here’s how: 

1. Solve their problem; don’t sell them a solution. Focus on content that solves problems, such as how-to guides, insightful blog posts or tutorial videos. You want your content to add value and position your brand as a helpful resource. 

2. Tell your story. Every small business has a story, so share yours through storytelling that humanizes your business. You can create emotional connections through customer success stories and glimpses behind the scenes. 

3. Broaden your portfolio. Not all audiences consume content the same way. Expand to a wider audience by diversifying the types of content you create, like podcasts, blogs, guides, infographics or videos. 

4. Implement SEO. Search engine optimization (SEO) can help ensure that your content is found by the audience who’s searching for it. Use relevant keywords (don’t overstuff!), construct engaging meta descriptions and make your content easily shareable.

When you focus your efforts on creating content that tells a story and solves your customers’ problems, you become a trusted resource that they’ll come back to time and time again.

When you need assistance

If your business doesn’t have an in-house marketing team or if marketing isn’t in your wheelhouse, you have several options available to you when it comes to content creation.

• Partner with an agency or freelancer Leverage the expertise of a full-service marketing agency or specialized freelancers.

• Use automated marketing tools Lean on tools for email marketing and social media management that can help streamline your marketing efforts.

• Work with influencers Collaborating with influencers can help you expand your reach and lead credibility to your brand.

• Incorporate AI Use free AI tools to help craft compelling emails or social posts, but be sure to double-check that the voice and copy are on brand...and that the information has been verified.

When you choose the right partners and tools, you can create meaningful content that reaches the right audience.

Start creating valuable content

Once you know your audience and their problems, you have a great foundation for creating compelling and engaging content that actually matters. With a thoughtful approach to content creation, you’ll reach the right people with the right information. You’ve got this!