Your startup has made it through the initial pains of getting off the ground. Now, it’s time to begin scaling.
One of the most important aspects of scaling a startup is creating a solid content marketing strategy. In fact, most consumers say they prefer learning about a business’s products or services through content (blogs, articles, videos, etc.) instead of ads.
Are you unsure of how to establish an effective content marketing plan for your startup? If so, keep reading.
Outlined below are some of the most important content moves you can begin implementing today.
The importance of content
In an increasingly expensive and saturated ad space, content marketing for startups is more important than ever. The following are some of the top reasons why content matters for your company:
Increase search engine visibility
If you want to scale your startup, one of the most important things to do is increase your search engine visibility. The closer you get to the top of the search engine results page (or SERP), the more likely people are to click on your company’s website and learn about the products and services you offer.
Content creation improves search engine visibility because it provides more pages for search engines like Google to index. This, in turn, increases the likelihood that one of your web pages will show up when people are searching for information that’s relevant to your business.
Increase website traffic
When people can easily find your website online, chances go up that they’re going to visit it, read your content, and learn more about what your business has to offer.
Increases in website traffic also help to boost your search engine ranking and move you closer to the coveted top spot.
Google and other search engines take note of how many people are visiting your site. When traffic goes up, search engines reward you with a higher ranking. This then allows more people to find you and check out your products or services.
Gain credibility
Content creation and a well-planned content strategy will help your startup gain credibility.
Writing blog posts, recording videos, creating how-to guides, and other types of content allows you to answer frequently asked questions. It also gives you a chance to solve problems for your target audience and establish your company as an authority figure within your specific industry.
The more credibility you have, the more likely people are to trust your business and invest in your products or services.
Build stronger relationships
Speaking of trust, regularly publishing content on your website and on other platforms allows you to build stronger relationships with your audience.
Creating content provides your audience with more places to connect with you and learn about your startup. For example, they can leave comments and ask questions on your latest blog post or in the comments section of your most recent YouTube video.
When you respond to these comments and questions promptly, you show your audience that you care and want to help them. This will help you to build better relationships with existing audience members. It may also convince others who were on the fence to learn more about your business and consider buying from you in the future.
Increase conversions
Finally, regularly posting quality content can help you to increase conversions and set your startup up for long-term success.
When people visit your website regularly, trust your brand, and feel that they have a strong relationship with you and your team, they’re going to put their money where their mouth is and invest in your products and services. This boosts your bottom line and helps you get closer to achieving your business goals.
How to get started
Now, let’s get into the most important content marketing moves your startup needs to be making. Here are some tips to help you scale your business with quality content and ensure you’re moving in the right direction:
Set clear goals
The first step to getting started with your startup’s content strategy is setting goals. What do you want to accomplish by creating and publishing more content?
Are you interested in increasing conversions? Building your social media following? Getting more people to download your free lead magnet?
No matter what kind of goal you set, make sure it is clear, realistic, measurable, and time-based.
Don’t just say you want to get more followers. Figure out how many new followers you want to get on a specific platform, and give yourself a clear deadline to reach that goal.
Define your audience
Next, think about your target audience.
Who are you trying to reach with your content? Who is your ideal customer?
The more detailed you can be when defining your audience, the easier it will be to create content that appeals to them. After all, if you want to sell your products or services to Millennials, you’ll need to use a different approach than if you’re trying to reach Baby Boomers.
Think about your target audience’s age range, gender, hobbies, income range, and more. You may even want to create avatars so you have a specific person in mind when you’re writing, recording, or filming content.
Choose content types
After you’ve set goals and decided whom you’re trying to reach, you’ll need to decide which kinds of content are best suited to your target audience.
For example, if your target audience is members of Gen Z, you’ll likely want to focus on TikTok videos or Instagram content. If you want to reach an older audience, writing blog posts and sharing them on Facebook might be more beneficial.
Keep in mind, you don’t have to limit yourself to just one type of content or one platform. Pick a few that are most likely to appeal to your target audience and focus on those.
Search for templates and guides
Avoid simply throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks when creating content. There are lots of templates and guides out there that will help you make quality content and achieve your specific goals.
Not sure where to look?
The Hubspots content strategy guide is an excellent starting point that will provide step-by-step instructions to help you create a content strategy for your startup.
Hire a key content person
As a startup owner, you have a lot to worry about. You might not have time to create content from scratch or handle all the ins and outs of managing your business’s content strategy.
If this pain point resonates with you, consider hiring a creative and strategic content leader. They will serve as the foundation of your company’s content marketing strategy and will help you ensure you’re on the right track.
Here are some key traits that your content leader ought to possess:
- Previous content marketing experience
- Experience with a variety of content types (blog writing, video, social media content, etc.)
- Good attention to detail
- Understanding of and experience with content marketing analytics and reporting
- Ability to solve problems in creative ways
- Ability to work with others (especially your sales and marketing teams)
Outsource the rest
In the early days of your startup, outsourcing as much as possible will help you to maintain your sanity.
Outsourcing content creation frees you up to handle other important aspects of your business, work on the big picture stuff, and avoid burnout. It also allows you to work with experienced professionals and saves you from having to learn everything about content creation when you already have enough on your plate.
Penmo is one of the best options for outsourcing content writing. They offer an easy-to-use platform and connect you with experienced, skilled writers who will create content according to your exact specifications.
If you need to connect with videographers, video editors, or other content creation experts, you can also check out platforms like Upwork or Fiverr as well. There are lots of freelance professionals advertising on these sites who can help you level up your content strategy.
Scaling startups to replicate
By following the steps outlined above, you’ll be well on your way to creating an effective marketing strategy and helping your startup to grow.
Invest in content marketing for startups today
Content marketing is one of the most important things to focus on when scaling your startup. By prioritizing content creation and marketing, you can reach a larger audience, build brand awareness, and add credibility to your company.
