Content is king. Bill Gates declared this idea two decades ago on a 1996 Microsoft blog post when championing the largely untapped marketing prowess of the early internet. Yet, over 20 years later, Gates’s statement still holds true. The power of content marketing is undeniable. It’s a tool to drive organic growth, reach new audiences, and build your organization’s reputation in a strategic manner.
For startups, content marketing often feels daunting. Without the resources of a large marketing department, tasks like creating engaging blog posts and building interactive web content can feel overwhelming.
On Tuesday, LearnLaunch welcomed Christian Mongillo of Hubspot for Startups for the first session of a six- part series on Sales and Marketing. Attendees participated in a lively discussion on how entrepreneurs can leverage content marketing to generate leads, drive sales, and demonstrate organizational value.
Missed the session? Read on for three inbound marketing strategies for start-ups:
1. Focus on strategic keywords
We all know Google has created complex page-ranking algorithms to analyze the relevance of content to specific search queries as well as a way to measure a page’s authority on the key word in question. That’s why it’s so important to think carefully when choosing SEO keywords for which you can create ranking-friendly content that is both relevant and authoritative. Choose keywords that are popular enough to show up frequently in search queries, but not so popular that the top results are dominated by industry giants. Need help choosing keywords? Check out customer feedback and look for common phrases that keep showing up. These may just be your ticket to the top of Google’s page rankings.
2. Create content that focuses on problem solving
Products solve problems, but so does good content. An easy way to drive conversions on your company’s website or to generate new leads is to create content that addresses the key pain points of your potential customers. It’s also a great way to demonstrate both your value and knowledge as an organization. A quick way to generate this kind of content might be to post a short interview with a customer or, to once again, look to customer feedback and tailor your content around their specific needs.
3. Promote, promote, promote!
This may seem obvious, but many young companies neglect the power of pushing their content out to all relevant networks. Whether through blog posts on LinkedIn, posts on platforms like Medium, inviting in guest bloggers from your own professional networks, or even reaching out to your colleagues and asking them to promote your content as well — the power of a strong network cannot be overstated. Furthermore, don’t be afraid to push your content out to all of your channels, especially if your focus is simply to attract new potential leads. While you’ll eventually want to tailor your content to your specific audience segments, a great first step is to simply get your organization’s name out to the masses.
By keeping these three tips in mind while developing a comprehensive sales and marketing strategy, startups of all stages can ensure that their content is being used to it’s full potential.
See you at this week’s session, Building Relationships with Unusual Types of Partners. Don’t want to miss out? Register today!
