Content marketing for small business is one of the best ways to generate targeted traffic if you know how to do it and understand the ins and outs of content creation and distribution.

Recently I was meeting with a client and he was struggling to put all the pieces together for his small business. The thing is he really understood the big picture and where he wanted to go, it’s just that he was overwhelmed and needed some direction with how to do content marketing and make it pay off.

I then proceeded to work with him on his content strategy and blueprint so he could better define his objectives and get the work done sooner than later.

Just to clear the air about content marketing:

1. Content marketing in and by itself will not make you one red cent, unless someone pays you for your content on a fee or royalty basis.

2. Content marketing for small business is just one way to generate traffic, but you need to monetize that traffic through products, services and/or information. These products, services and/or information can be your own or someone else’s through an affiliate program.

3. You must Create the Content and write up a storm or hire others to do the leg work for you and then edit till the cows come home. If you don’t like to write then hiring writers through outsourcing sites can work to your advantage, but I suggest you test every writer that you decide to work with.

4. Content marketing is not going to be the right fit for some small businesses.

On another note: Info Overload can rear its ugly head when you dig into content marketing so make sure to watch for this time waster and be aware of distractions, especially when you are writing and editing.

It’s recommended to have a simple a plan and not over complicate the processes. That’s right – keep it simple and remember that your plan is designed for you and not someone else.

It is as simple as A, B, C…

A. Create the outline of the articles and content that you are going to write.

B. Determine where you are going to post your content.

C. Write original content and distribute it according to your plan.

Here are some suggestions to get you started posting your content:

• Your Blog that connects to your site, social media and article directories.
• Guest blog on niche specific sites that relate to your business or niche.
• Article Directories – lead generated articles that point to your various sites.
• Your Website pages – content that directly relates to your business and niche.
• Other Niche Websites that relate to your business – you provide the article content.
• Social Media Bookmarking sites – Post your content here to gain visibility.

Content marketing is really not that tough, but it does take time and effort to put it all together. So if need a simple content marketing plan for your small business The SmallBiz Mechanic may be able to help you put it together.

Dave Krygier
Publisher

PS – One of the Secrets of The Tiny Store was the content we added over the months and years. This might interest you if your small business is looking to grow and expand on the web.