Content Marketing for Small Business – IT WORKS !

Seven months ago, I was retained by a fine painting and decorating firm, DFAF, Inc. Painting and Decorating, to assist with creating a differentiated brand, and promote the brand with content marketing on numerous digital platforms. Here is a brief overview of my journey with DFAF – a wonderful one at that.

The Challenge.  The owner – an artisan and color guru – wanted to tip the balance of her business toward  more lucrative 1-up custom painting and fine finishing jobs, and away from the more commodity-like paint contracts that didn’t allow her to express her artistic skills and instincts.  DFAF has 15 direct competitors in California’s Coachella Valley, and she wanted to stand out ahead of the pack.

Strategy.  After taking the owner and entrepreneur through a series of exploratory exercises, I created a formalized brand strategy whose objectives were to convey preeminence for DFAF’s quality work, expertise, and professionalism, and elevate the owner to that of ‘thought leader’ in its narrow niche market.

Tactics.  Upon completion of an annual marketing plan for DFAF, we got busy with the tactics that would drive new and building success.

1.       SEO and New Website Design.  Copy on the site was sparse and not optimized. As a result, DFAF was nowhere to be found on Google searches.  The site architecture did nothing to compel viewers to stay and explore it.  So my first task was to write and upload new optimized copy and oversee the revamping of the navigation on the site to create a more dynamic and interactive environment.

2.       Social Media.  Four key social media sites were identified, and I started posting content every 15 days that would provide interesting and stimulating information about color, painting techniques, and trends in design. Every post had to be written in the ‘owner’s voice’, each accompanied by a stunning, attention grabbing visual – and most important – provide a unique point of view that would come from a ‘thought leader’.

3.       E-Commerce.  DFAF wanted to reach every B2B and B2C customer or prospect with timely newsletters that – again – provided a learning experience and a unique point of view.  Constant Contact is being employed to reach sub-segmented audiences with monthly newsletters – written and designed to be ‘opened’.

4.       Blogging.  Each and every social post and newsletter has the potential to be customized or expanded upon for the website blog page.  Thus, every time I post or publish on social media or Constant Contact, a corresponding blog post is uploaded to the website.

5.       Networking.  Various outreach opportunities were identified for regular networking in the communities of the Coachella Valley, and the owner is regularly attending these events to personally promote a business that is poised for growth – and to also associate her face as a ‘though leader’ and influencer.

Does It Work?   YES IT DOES !  The website started coming up on page one of Google searches soon after the SEO copy was uploaded, and hits on site tripled in the first week.  Once the new site navigation went live, we saw bounce rates drop around 10% and stickiness increase around 10%.  Opens and reaches on social media posts continue to build in volume and – on average – have tripled since the social media program started in May.  For the e-Newsletters, open rates have ranged from 36% to 51% with an average open rate of 42%  as bad contacts have been purged, and new ones added with qualified contacts.  The last 3 posts produced virtually no bounces or unsubscribes. The database has grown to 180 active, qualified prospects. Research infers an open rate of 42% in a narrow category covering such a small geographic footprint is an impressive metric.  On an anecdotal note, a few B2B colleagues have noted DFAF’s activity and commented to the owner that they have come to recognize her as somebody who is taking a fresh view of the industry – thus differentiating her business . Best of all, they want to work with her now.

Does It Cost a Fortune?  NO IT DOESN’T !  Given the continuous exposure for DFAF brand in social media and e-Commerce platforms, the cost is nominal when compared to the use of traditional mass media and direct marketing which tends to throw dollars against a wall.  And, during this time, my client and I have developed a partnership as well.  The work is fun, gratifying and it is showing positive results. 

So, yes, armed with a solid brand marketing strategy and the use of affordable tactics that are producing a continuous upticks in all metrics provide a solid rationale for using content marketing to promote your small business.  If you’re interested in content marketing for your small business, shoot me a message.

 Footnote:  Thank you Kersteen Anderson, President of DFAF, Inc. Painting and Decorating for allowing me to publish this story.

How Content Marketing Lifts Your Brand Presence – And Profits

Content marketing is a phenomenon that has grown increasingly more important to savvy marketers who want to maximize the digital sphere of influence, and it is something you should be doing. It refers to a tactic that provides valuable, targeted information to customers on an ongoing basis in order to ultimately increase sales. And it makes your brand – whether a rising star or leader – a key influencer in its category.

One example of content marketing – this social media post. Its goal is to provide useful information about this important marketing topic, and at the same time, convey my knowledge of our ever evolving world of brand marketing.

Content marketing is provided through a variety of both online and offline channels such as web pages, videos, pod casts, white papers, books and magazines. The goal is simple – provide information of value to the target audience. Today, consumers have a great deal of information readily available to them which contributes to more informed purchase decisions. The information you provide to consumers about why they should choose your brand has to be done more effectively than your competitors. And, you brand differentiates itself when it – and you – become a thought leader in your market.

Scott Abel, a content marketing expert and producer of Information Development World explains: “Content marketing requires us to think of our prospects and our customers like a live theater audience. Your content should serve to dazzle, inform, and entertain them and leave them wanting more.” In a conversation with Scott, he observed that too many companies jump right into providing content without taking the time upstream to define what the brand really should convey with regard to its key messages and its promise to consumers. You can’t dazzle unless you have a brand story that dazzles, informs and entertains.

No tactic should ever be viewed as a substitute for an overarching brand strategy, key messaging, and brand promise – all supporting a consistent brand experience, category leadership and profitability. Content marketing adds firepower to a strong strategic communications plan. And, each tactic you employ in support of that strategy must weave together – seamlessly – to tell a compelling brand story.