Many of the business owners I talk to in the course of my work have a challenge: while they have been focused on handling the thousands of details that go into making their businesses successful, they have not been investing substantial time and energy in marketing their company online. It’s no wonder. While they’ve been knee deep in refining their product line, and service packages, developing their production processes, managing their sales staff, and doing whatever it takes to build their business to where it is today, they missed the memo that anxiously reminded them that they needed to develop an online marketing strategy that leverages the power of the internet to create more sales.

It’s not too late.

There are many, many aspects to online marketing today and the field is in a continual state of evolution: what’s current and effective today is going to change. As content marketing strategists, writers and project coordinators, my team and I help tell the stories that will start conversations that lead to sales for our clients. It’s a process that lends itself to a lot of fine-tuning as we learn about the distinctions that will help our clients get more leads and generate more revenue. And it’s really fun to watch a project take shape. The key task is to build a strategy around the unique aspects of the business’s product, service and ideal customer base. And tell the company story with authenticity and enthusiasm across all channels.

There are other methods of online marketing that are effective as well, such as paid search and pay-per-click campaigns, website development projects that include conversion strategies and conversion architecture, and more. But, in my opinion, without strong content that positions you as the hands-down choice for the businesses and people you are here to serve, your other online marketing efforts are doomed.

Here are three facts you need to know about content marketing:

1. Content marketing is about creating a substantial body of content related to your business and the needs of your ideal clients. You share all this through online platforms such as your website and your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+ profiles. You want the content to tell your company story authentically so that it generates trust, credibility and likeability for you, and calls upon your viewers and visitors to take another step in a growing relationship with you.
2. Your online content should be more informational rather than blatantly “sales-y.” And it should have at its heart a real respect for potential clients, acknowledging that they might want to do a lot of research before they are willing to engage in a conversation with a potential supplier.
3. Your content is an important way to build trust and authority for you amongst your ideal customers, and it also supports your relationship with them. In providing helpful online content, you are positioning yourself as a valuable resource for people who need what you provide.

If you do this well, human visitors and search engines will reward your efforts and you will generate greater revenue as a result.

My team and I focus our energy on helping our clients develop content that allows them to stand out from the crowd. If you would like to find out more about how we might be able to help you do that, please get in touch!