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Running a business can be a tough gig and anyone who thinks otherwise is either naïve or not too far away from posting an ‘out of business’ sign on their door. The difference between success and failure in business can hinge on effective advertising and the main consideration for most small businesses often boils down to cost. Naturally, every advertiser wants to get more leverage or ‘bang for their buck’.

Until relatively recently, most small businesses would simply purchase space in the yellow pages and perhaps mail out a few hundred fliers and that would be the extent of their advertising campaign. Thankfully, those days have long since passed. The buzzword on the lips of today’s modern marketers is ‘content marketing’. Every serious business owner needs to understand what marketing content means and how harnessing it can literally elevate you above the competition that stubbornly refuses to change with the times.

Traditional Marketing Explained

Traditional marketing is less effective than ever because people have become much more savvy at tuning out of certain types of advertising and are now more sceptical and cynical when it comes to being pitched to. Old forms of marketing seek to create powerful disruptions that grab the consumer’s attention and forcefully insert a chosen message into their awareness; marketers call this phenomenon ‘mindshare’. It’s the space in a customer’s mind that has been imprinted with slogans and associations intended to influence buying behaviour.

Why Content Marketing Wins Every Time

Content marketing doesn’t seek to interrupt in the same way that a television commercial or billboard does. Content marketing is less concerned with overtly telling consumers what to do. Rather, it is a more integrated approach that communicates information that the customer perceives as valuable and then reciprocates by rewarding business with loyalty and purchases.

Content marketing seeks to build an engaging relationship, whereas traditional marketing is more akin to a one-night stand. With traditional marketing, once the deal is over with it’s time to move on to the next conquest. Conversely, content marketers are all about building strong connections and maintaining them so that customers willingly return again and again to a continuing source of satisfaction and value without the need for gimmicks.

No Flimflam Required

All things considered, it is clear to see which of these approaches will yield the best long-term benefits. Those that market their businesses creatively, with a well-designed campaign strategy focused on building and strengthening consumer relationships stand out in sharp relief from the pack of flimflam hucksters whose basic approach is effectively a simplistic ‘look at me, look at me’ grab for attention.

Marketing That Delivers

A marketing professional skilled in the nuances of content marketing will be able to develop and articulate a step-by-step approach that is firmly based in logic and demonstrable techniques. Campaigns are designed according to the type of business being promoted – whether that be Office space Lloyds or a brand new product –as well as being in harmony with the persona or character of the ideal customer.

Every business has good understanding of their typical client and the kind of person that generally purchases and perhaps purchases repeatedly. Not all businesses or customers are the same and a skilled content marketer will know exactly how to leverage both the story of the business and needs of the customer and translate them into greater profits.

The internet has completely changed the way business is done and small business marketing must keep up with the times and adapt. The alternative is to ignore the shift and push on merrily regardless. The right choice is clear.

B2B Content Marketing Agency in London

Marketing Fundamentals Ltd is a B2B Content Marketing Agency in London that creates Content and manages Social Media for Professional Services firms. We also have online resources here and here that help small businesses get started with Content Marketing. If you would like our help planning and executing Content Marketing and Social Media or want to give us a call you can do so via  +44 (0) 845 2264 247 or email us via mail@marketingfundamentals.com

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This is blog post 324. This is a sponsored post.