A lot of business-to-business (B2B) startups and small businesses use content marketing as a 
strategy to generate new business leads and to increase search engine optimization (SEO) rankings. But it’s important to remember that achieving those goals can take a lot of time. And it can be frustrating if you aren’t reaching your desired results fast enough.
What’s important to keep in mind is that while emails may not be flooding your inbox just yet, you are still contributing to an important part of the purchase funnel – the consideration stage. So, even if most of your leads are still coming in through word of mouth, you can bet your sweet aunt Susan that businesses are evaluating your services through your website, blog, social media following and other content channels.
The key is to produce content that provides valuable insights and advice on how businesses can achieve greater results by tapping into your services. This does not mean directly selling your product. Instead, you should sell your vision and tips on best practices related to your industry.
Content marketing is also an opportunity to show prospective clients who you are as a person (if you are a solopreneur) or leader of a service provider. That’s why some of the most successful companies that use content marketing as a strategy have a person, or group of people, lending their voice and perspectives via a blog, social media or other content channels on behalf of the business.
After all, people want to work with others whom they like and trust. And if you come across as friendly, competent and trustworthy in your content, new clients who are evaluating your services will achieve peace of mind – knowing that their investment in you will pay off.
To give you an idea of how to do this effectively, I’ve put together a list of Canadian spokespeople and social media influencers who have successfully helped to legitimize their business to prospective clients through content marketing. Their storytelling skills, expertise and charisma help to showcase what it would be like to work with or buy services from their company. Check them out below.
- Peter Aceto, CEO of Tangerine (blogger, speaker, author, and social media influencer)
- Erin Bury, Managing Director of 88 Creative (blogger, speaker, TV personality and newspaper columnist)
- Tony Chapman, former founder and CEO of Capital C (now a motivational speaker, TV personality, columnist and consultant).
- Tara Hunt, Director of Audience Development at Totem (author, blogger, and speaker)
- Mitch Joel, President of Mirum (blogger, speaker, author, podcaster, radio personality and newspaper columnist)
Have a name that should be added to the list? Please share it in the comments section below. Or, send an email to andrea [at] therunningstart [dot] ca.
Image source: http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/