Tips on creating reader-worthy online content to market your business

In an online world, where anyone can purchase a professionally penned master’s thesis or doctorate dissertation for the reduced price of $12.36 per hour, down from the usual $15.45, original online content remains king when it comes to marketing.

As a small business owner, the content management of your website, blog, email marketing and social sites is a full-time undertaking and not one for the uninitiated, generalized wordsmith. Before you hand over online content creation to your poetic Aunt Jane or your tech-savvy son, make sure they know and understand the following:

▪  Remember what PR and classic print and broadcast advertising programs were meant to do via news releases, white papers and other collateral. First, it was written to build your company’s image and to draw new customers or clients. Now, add a third and fourth objective for online — positioning your business as a leader in its industry and generating online leads to bulk up your database. With these four ideas in the forefront, any strong writer can create successful content.

▪  Consider the vast possibilities for distributing content online. Think through the methods that best target your particular market and then build them into your marketing plan. Besides social media, think video, mobile content, e-books, webinars and blogs.

▪  Blogging adds a human face and voice to your company and positions it as a knowledgeable source of information that your particular customer might want to read. For example, if you are selling combat boots, you could create a company blog with a pithy blog name (example: “Flat on the Ground”) that relates, even loosely, to potential subscribers. Maybe your posts could address subjects like “the use of online gaming in real-life combat training” or draw readers with inviting titles like “what to say to a homesick soldier.” Apart from text-heavy subjects that require plenty of research and time, an entire post could take the form of a poll or quiz geared to your readers. Your blog posts should be scheduled in advance and released within a reliable time frame that the content creator can handle. Twice a month, three times a month, every other day. No matter the frequency, it is important to stay on schedule or else risk losing subscribers.

▪  Use a great photo or graphic to support all forms of online content. Readership will dramatically increase if you package your post with a visual. Think about using that same graphic on your company’s Instagram post and hash-tag it with your blog’s name or directly link to your blog post from a Pinterest account.

▪  Keep keywords in mind for search engine optimization. Increase your audience by lacing your posts with keyword-rich text. For example, the “Flat on the Ground” blog might include words and phrases identified as key in the positioning of your company: military, defense, law enforcement, first responders, military camp, camouflage, battle equipment, and others earmarks for your specific industry.