Content is critical for 2011 Internet marketing

The interruption model of advertising – old-school, outbound marketing efforts – will continue to evaporate as we move into the new year. Previous methods of broadcasting a message to the masses are being replaced with Inbound marketing and social media marketing strategies as it compliments the way buyers make purchasing decisions today. Business marketers will need to rethink their approach and intensify their focus on creating magnetic content that will attract an audience to their site while interacting and developing relationships with their customers through social media channels.

Outbound methods are being replaced with useful, relevant information, tools and resources that your audience is looking for. Business marketers in 2011 must provide content that’s welcome and not annoying and interruptive. Content that entertains, informs and educates – that serves a purpose. 

As a Toronto Inbound marketing agency working with small business partners, we have seen first hand the impact regular content creation – specifically blogging – can have on the success of a companies Internet marketing efforts. Blogging is viewed as the most important lead generation tool that small business can have. Blogs are not a business elective, but rather a prerequisite. Listen to Seth Godin and Tom Peters expound the virtues of blogging in this video.
 

What can business blogging do for your small business?

1.)    Reputation – With the right content and approach toward your readership, your small business can develop strong links that will help you build a solid reputation and foundation online.

2.)     Drive traffic – You want to drive traffic? Your 2011 marketing plans must include business blogging on a regular basis. A good blog not only generates traffic, but it also helps retain that traffic, keeping prospects and customers coming back and growing in loyalty. 
 

3.)    Become a thought leader ­– You know more than you think you know. Take a leadership role, provide valuable information that builds trust and positions you and your business as experts in your field. You have the solutions that your prospects are looking for – give it to them. ­
 

4.)    Create leads – The source of valuable content in turn creates quality leads. People find your website because of the useful content, and then they discover that you sell a related product. Creating leads through blogging is easy if you are willing to build networks of relationship and contribute to those networks.
 

5.)    Findability improves – SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is probably one of the biggest advantages of having a blog for your small business. Because blog content is updated frequently, blogs have some built-in search engine benefits. And, you can’t beat valuable, authoritative content for attracting links from other websites, forums and social networks. 
 

6.)    Motivate your prospect – Inbound marketing strategies attract an audience and and motivates a prospect.  Your small business blog can motivate and lead your prospect or customer to take action. A blog can motivate and drive your visitors to a landing page with a call-to-action that encourages lead generation.
 

7.)    Brand build – Brand identity represents how you want your small business to be perceived by its target market. This also creates distinction for your company, making it easier for customers to recognize your brand. One way to strengthen your branding efforts is through your business blog. Values are communicated almost entirely through the advice, data and media published in a blog.
 

8.)    Nurture leads – Nurturing is a critical part of any sales cycle. It’s the process of educating your prospects and building trust with them, regardless of their timeframe to purchase. A simple RSS feed or email subscription to a high quality blog content will help you stay connected.

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WhiteSpace is a HubSpot partner, web design and Internet marketing agency in Toronto, Canada. If your 2011 marketing plans include social media, specifically blogging and you need some advice, call for a free no-obligation consultation, 416 449-9559.