Local Businesses Suck At Content Marketing. How To Overcome This Challenge.
Content marketing is a powerful strategy for building brand awareness, engagement, and trust with your potential customers. But why do local businesses suck at it?
There are 3 main reasons…
- Most business owners don’t see the potential of creating valuable and relevant content.
- Most business owners don’t see the vision in establishing themselves as a thought leader in their industry to attract new customers to their business.
- Some business owners just don’t know how.
Let’s dive into the challenges most businesses face when trying to put out content online and how you can rectify this… Today.
The #1 Challenge Business Owners Face When Trying To Create Content For Social Media Is…
1. Lack Of Time
Many business owners are busy running their businesses, and may not have the time to consistently create new content for social media. This is the #1 problem I hear from business owners, and it’s completely understandable. Does social media require your time? YES. Does it have to take a ton of hours? NO. Through my experience as a Social Media Creator & CMO of a Marketing Agency, I’ve identified several reasons why it takes Biz Owners a long time to post on Social
Why Biz Owners Take Forever to Post on Social:
Learning Curve: Often times there is a constant learning curve most owners or staff have while trying to do it on their own. i.e I don’t know when to post. I don’t know what to post. How do I upload a video? and so on.
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SOLUTION- As practice makes perfect, there is one huge resource that can answer your questions as you go… Google 🙂 Through my consultations with local businesses, I’m amazed at how many tell me they haven’t Googled a solution to a problem they’re facing on social media. You don’t need an expert like me to charge you to answer every question you may have. Google, YouTube or AI solutions like ChatGPT are your best friends. Search, Study and Implement is all you need to do.
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For Facebook, a great solution is taking their free Meta Blueprint Online Courses. I would say this is the #1 resource local businesses should know of, mainly because no one knows it’s there. So, happy learning!
No Scheduling Tool: Raise your hand if this is you. You understand the potential of Social Media and you post as often as you can, but you post on a one-off basis. One post takes you upwards of 20 minutes plus. Is this you?
- SOLUTION- Most Business Owners aren’t aware there are free tools that allow you to schedule posts ahead of time, on multiple platforms, all at once. One is made by Facebook themselves called Creator Studio. Creator Studio is free to anyone that has a Facebook business or creator page. Not only does it allow you to schedule photo/video posts ahead of time on Facebook, but it also allows you to do the same on Instagram.
- The Meta created app also allows you to view performance analytics, audience insights, and much more.
- Here is a list of my favorite free Content Management Systems that are great for local businesses to start posting consistently:
Keep in mind, there are different features one app provides vs the others on a free plan. So do a little research before selecting one.
Lack of A Bulk Posting Strategy: Same problem as the last point, rather most people are posting everything manually “when they have the time” for it. Pro tip: This strategy is a waste of time. Why? Social platforms don’t reward much attention to accounts that do not post consistently. Posting 3 times a week is a minimum consistency to play in the game.
- SOLUTION- The trick to Social Media efficiency is bulk! Do it in bulk. Instead of taking 20-30 minutes on one post for one platform, set one 3-hour day a month to make 12 posts for the entire month, scheduling them on several platforms.
- Choosing a day in the last week of a month is most effective as you will be able to schedule posts for the month ahead. Giving yourself a 3-week break before doing it again.
Wasting Time On The Wrong Platforms: Time is money, and as a Business Owner, you don’t have much of it. So instead of thinking you need to post everywhere all the time, work smarter not harder with the solution below.
- SOLUTION- You need to find out where your target audience hangs out online. Simple as that. As long as you have an idea of your customer demographic (Age, gender, location, etc), you will be able to identify which platforms you should focus your content marketing efforts on. This also depends on the industry your business is in.
- Great News! We’ve already shared the best social media platforms per industry in one of our latest blog posts. Why Your Local Business Demands Social Media Marketing in 2023. So check that out, match those platforms with your demographic, and BOOM… you have identified the social media apps you should focus on.
How Do You Make Content That’s Truly Compelling & Earns The Trust Of Potential Customers? Here Are A Few Tips:
Know Your Audience
You would be surprised how many business owners I talk to know little to nothing about their customers. What are their interests and hobbies, what makes them tick, what problems do they have, are they married, do they have kids… etc. That’s the first thing that needs to change.
- The first step in creating compelling content is to understand your target audience. What are their pain points? What are they interested in? What are their goals? By understanding your audience, you can create content that speaks directly to their needs and interests.
- By understanding your audience or “potential customers”, you can create content that speaks directly to their needs, interests, and problems.
Be Original, Be Authentic
- The internet is filled with content, so it’s important to create something that stands out. Whether it’s a unique perspective on a topic or a new approach to a problem, original content is more likely to capture the attention of your audience and future customers.
- People can spot a fake a mile away. Be true to yourself and your brand when creating content. Authenticity is key to building trust and credibility with your audience.
Be Useful
- Ultimately, the most compelling content is content that is useful to your audience. Whether it’s providing practical advice, sharing a personal story, or offering a unique solution to a problem, content that is useful will always be in demand.
- By understanding your audience or “potential customers”, you can create content that speaks directly to their needs, interests, and problems.
Tell A Story
- People love a good story. By weaving a narrative into your content, you can make it more engaging and memorable. It could be a story about a great customer experience in your establishment.
- It could also be a lousy interaction you may have had with a customer. Sharing something like that can allow you to communicate expectations of your product or service versus unrealistic assumptions someone may have inherently had.
Use Visuals
- Visuals such as photos or videos are a great way to break up text and make your content more engaging.
- Use images, infographics, and videos to supplement your written content and make it more visually appealing.
- It could be as simple as using your smartphone for content capturing and recording.
By following these tips, you can create content that is truly compelling and that will help you build a strong relationship with your target audience. Remember, content marketing is not a one-time event but a long-term strategy, so keep creating consistent, valuable, and engaging content to drive results.
About The Author- Benjamin Brandon
Co-Founder of Media 2 Social, Benjamin Brandon is a professional content creator that has catapulted an audience on social media with his entertaining and engaging short-form content. Known for his scroll-stopping Instagram videos, Benjamin has become one of the industries leading experts in Video Marketing. Because of this, Benjamin has worked with household names such as BMW, Sennheiser, Jack Daniels, and Manfrotto. Today, he innovates the way content is conceptualized, created, and shared on social media as Media 2 Social’s Chief Marketing Officer.