Most savvy small business owners are familiar with the concept of content marketing. It is a phrase that is bandied around by SEO professionals with panache, usually when they are trying to sell a content management system. In theory content marketing is really simple: you write a few blogs, they get shared on social media, and new customers are instantly beating a path to your door. Unfortunately it isn’t that simple and it can take time and effort to build an audience who actually read what you post online.

The biggest problem with content marketing is that most of us are suffering from some degree of brand fatigue. That is, we are bombarded with so much information online that we switch off to the majority of it. For this reason it is becomingly increasingly difficult for businesses to get their message across to a jaded audience. But whilst it is difficult, it isn’t impossible – if you follow these tips.

Who’s Your Audience?

It is easy to go off on a tangent when writing content for a blog. The subject matter might interest you or you are keen to impress other people within your niche, but what you need to remember is that the content you produce should be useful and informative to your core reader base. Anything less will not engage them and if you don’t engage your customers, you will lose them.

Be Original

There is so much online content to pick over these days that it is hard to be original, but putting your personality into anything you write will help to establish a more distinct voice. Be as creative as possible and try to offer a unique insight on your subject matter.

Have a Content Posting Schedule

It is not enough to post a blog once in a while. If you want to build an audience, you need to have a regular content posting schedule so people know when to expect new material.

Allow Quality Guest Posting

Sticking to a regular posting schedule is not always easy and real life can sometimes get in the way. Don’t beat yourself up about this. Instead, outsource some of your content production to other experts in your field. Variety is good and allowing a few guest posts will keep it fresh, but keep a close eye on quality control to ensure that guest content is up to standard.

Incorporate Infographics and Visuals

The online audience has an ever decreasing attention span. Most of us scan web pages and click away if nothing jumps out at us, therefore it is important that you break up blocks of text with visuals. Photos, infographics and video content help the readers absorb text more easily. And the more easily your message is absorbed, the more likely the reader is to engage with your brand.

Content marketing is a difficult nut to crack, but it can be done as long as the content you produce is original, informative, and engaging.