Internet users go to the blank box - Google - for one reason and one reason only. They want to get content quickly. Their searches can have many intentions: finding a certain website, uncovering additional information on a broad topic or service, or exploring with the intention of buying a product or service online. Informational and transactional queries are the ones that involve SEO and website content creation the most.
High quality SEO content caters to these types of searches because - if good enough - provides helpful information relevant to the query in the search box. Things like blog posts, online videos, social media marketing and other tactics can have you showing up higher in search engine results listings, especially if the content gets links from high authority new sources. After all, 2013 has been stated as the year of the online writer.
So why is content creation so perfect for small business owners? The digital marketing goals of local businesses versus big brands are often quite the same in principle - they both want to get more visibility, more traffic, and more leads. The big difference is that local businesses are looking for large levels of brand exposure in the local area that they serve.
This is where you can take advantage of the search competition on a hyper local level, impacting the way content creation sells your product.
Hyper-Local Content Creation is the New SEO
Most people think of content as articles, webpage content, and images. In fact, this is one of the biggest problems with SMB websites and content creation strategies. You shouldn’t restrict the approach to your content strategy by thinking so restrictively.
Content is the staff at your company.
Content is the products and services you sell.
Content is your customers.
Content is you company values.
Content is the menus on your tables.
Let’s elaborate on each of the above points in a little more detail. We’ll use a local ice cream parlor as our example.
Turn Your Space into Content
Say the words “ice cream” to anyone living in the St. Louis area and I bet they’ll bring up Crown Candy Kitchen. This little ice cream shop is the go-to place for malts, shakes, soda, candy, and even the heart stopping BLT, and they’ve been doing it since 1913.
Yes, Crown Candy is a well-known brand in the St. Louis area, but that doesn’t mean that other ice cream shops in the area can’t beat them in the content game. With an example like an ice cream shop, it’s easy to get creative with a small budget. For instance, you can have your customers come in to make their own flavors, but instead of your typical FroYo play, you can take video, take pictures, and even write about all the cool flavors your customers are making. Perhaps find something a little more creative than FroYo, and the customers will come. Psst, dry ice is always cool...
The point is to get something to engage customers - something new that they’ve never experienced before. Who knows, maybe you’re the ice cream shop with the clown blowing up balloons or an awkward meme. Anything to get customers talking and anything that allows you to create cool, engaging, and sharable online content.
Turn Your Products into Content
Your products and services are the core of your business. It’s why people take the time to give you attention in the first place. For Pepsi it’s the soda; taco bell the taco. For you, it’s something much more unique than that.
Ice cream parlors typically have a lot of ice cream varieties. The first thing to focus on is the quality of the ice cream since this is your content after all. More often than not, I believe that products coming from a local business - especially something like ice cream - have a much higher quality than those of larger brands. So you already have that going for you.
The key here is to create something that your customers will instantly want to share without hesitation. We’ve seen it before - those posts on Facebook or Instagram of families having ice cream. But we need to think creatively. It could be as simple as naming the flavors of your ice cream after famous celebrities that are getting a lot of media attention - like Miley Cyrus. Or, maybe you can create characters out of the cones that your ice cream comes in. You know, like cool looking hair (the ice cream) that lives on top of the cone's head.
Turn Your Customers into Content
In the online space, there are no limitations when it comes to producing content. Think about review sites, online directories, blog comments, and media attention. Also, think about the way reputation management and online reviews impact your business. Heavy consumer facing businesses that have a lot of consumer facing time are at an advantage.
Incentive programs have worked for years, and it’d be great to see small businesses spread these programs into their online platforms. Instead of collecting and redeeming your points through a paper card, how about an online program where customers can collect points by commenting on a blog post or engaging with social content.
Even small examples like bringing a group of bloggers to taste and write about your ice cream is a great idea. Landing a write up by a authoritative author can do wonders for SEO and social media marketing. Plus, you’ll get some PR in the process.