As sad as it may be, the times are quickly moving away from print and heading towards online content. It is more expensive than ever to get something printed because of the decline of the printed word. This means one of two things: 1) either you can spend a lot of money participating in antiquated methods or 2) you can save money and get a lot of bang for your buck.
Online content is a great way to gain access to a wider audience and a much wider audience than you got with paper content. This blog is going to explore why today is YOUR (and our) day; the day of online content; and how this powerful tool can benefit you.
Let's Clear Up The Myths, First
The Internet isn't the swamp monster. It isn't here to destroy everything you hold dear. In fact, it is here to promote what you hold dear and make it successful. Your business is close to your heart and you want to see it succeed; the best way to do this is to jump into the 21st century with both feet. Once you've jumped in it is time to get ready for some awesome results!
How Can Online Content Work For Me?
Simple. It can bring in more customers than you could have dreamed of when you were relying on print content. All someone has to do is type in a keyword with the location and your business will show up on Google's results page. Did you realize that one simple investment into an online press release can be instantly published to over 4,000 online media locations? Pretty awesome, huh? This is what online content can do - it can get you more coverage than ever. It is super exciting!
What Types Of Content Do I Need, Sensei?
Let's take a quick look at a few forms of content that will be excellent for your business:
1. You'll Need A Blog. Have you watched the latest Sherlock series? If not, we are sure you've at least heard of it. In the series, Sherlock's cases come to him not just from the police but also due to Watson's blog postings. Sherlock tends to scoff at the postings, but the reality is not everyone is keen on the different types of pipe tobacco ash out there. Watson understands how important a blog is to a small business and he utilizes this so that he and Sherlock can actually afford their rent payments for that London flat.
Just as it is important for Sherlock's consulting detective business, blogging is important for your small business. It is a great way to interact with your customer base and provides you with an amazing way to give updates on what is going on in the company. If you are worried about staying up with a blog or writing great quality, you can always hire a copywriter who is trained in SEO (search engine optimization) and will craft excellent content for your site.
2. Online Press Releases Are Very Important. Just as in print, press releases are still crucial to a successful business. These are great ways to let everyone know what your company is up to and what to expect in the coming year. It lays everything out in a professional format and is easy for news outlets to use. The main change to the modern press release is the need for it to be social media ready. This is crucial when it comes to anything written for the Internet, which you will see in the next point.
3. Let's Talk Social Media. If you aren't on social media, now is the time to create a profile. It isn't as terrifying as news outlets make it sound and, in fact, is very crucial to a successful small business. You don't have to be an expert in using social media; you can have someone else in your company be in charge of that aspect. Just find a person who knows, and understands social media, and ask them to take over. The most important outlets are Facebook and Twitter, though many companies are finding Instagram and Pinterest to be very beneficial, as well. Social media gives your client base a way to interact with you and your company, and also provides you easier access to advertising specials coming up in your shop. It is important to remember to use this to your advantage but don't abuse it (i.e. Don't over-share on social media).
4. Don't Scoff At Email. Email campaigns still bring in a lot of success for many a small business. Reports show that people are checking their email constantly throughout the day and many of us check our email when we are still in bed. We wake up and check our email on our iDevices. This is a great opportunity for you to create marketing campaigns that will lead to some awesome sales for your company. Again, don't abuse this excellent tool! Learn how often your customers expect an email from you and don't go over that expectation. You don't want to annoy them into avoiding or unsubscribing from your email updates.
5. Does All Content Have To Be Long? No! Short content is honestly one of the best approaches to having a successful marketing campaign. Shorter content is also one of the best ways to go viral, according to Quicksprout. You can hire graphic designers to craft short, sharable content like an infographic. These are really handy tools to use for Internet content, as they tell about your company and highlight the important information you want customers to know. You can also do videos, write shorter articles, and even repurpose your content to make it last longer. You don't have to be constantly creating new and unique content. Utilize the content you've already crafted and you will get a lot of mileage out of it! It'll also save you significant amounts of time.
The Internet Is Good, Use It
Don't let the naysayers scare you away from using Internet content, if you do, your business will absolutely suffer. Print is going the way of the Model-T, and no matter how much we lament that fact, it is still a fact. Start coming up with great content strategies and set a portion of your budget aside for content marketing. You can always hire professionals to help get you started on making excellent content. Once you start doing this, you'll watch your business flourish!
The post The Write Era: Why & How Today Is the Day of Online Content appeared first on Express Writers.
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