None of us expected 2020 to have panned out the way it has already, and here we are still adapting six months in. With all these changes, have you considered how your small business content marketing strategy has kept up with everything else? If not, I’ve laid out the three ways I’ve seen content marketing change to provide tips on how to best reach your audience in 2020.

With the push for a more collective society, social media platforms have refined their algorithms accordingly. With our whole livelihood pushed over to virtual operations, the majority of us have experienced substantial increases in screen time and with that, an overall fatigue towards “business-as-usual” content has grown. 

Also, the game has drastically changed for small business content marketing in our area. So, you might be asking what does that mean for my small business’s content marketing? The honest answer is that it’s time to rethink what you’ve been doing to be more in-line with the new context 2020 has brought to our lives both professionally and personally. 

Create Content That Generates Conversations 

If you aren’t designing your content marketing strategy around conversation than it’s time to change. This may sound harsh but now more than ever people are looking for genuine connections and shared experiences – yes, even from the content they consume. 

Consider utilizing the polling options on your social media content. Ask questions. Check in on your existing customers and by doing so, you’re strengthening your business even in a time with larger set-backs. 

The same logic of review marketing is used here. Prospective customers will believe the interactions of customers over what businesses say for themselves. If your digital marketing is generating meaningful conversations between your clients, you’ll be more likely to attract new voices to join and thus continue to generate leads. If you’re in need of some inspiration we have a Free Social Media Guide to help, click here to download it and put the “Social” Back Into Social Media. 

Empathy is everything with conversational content. Be genuine and show your business cares about listening to what their customers are experiencing and the value you offer to them. 

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Make Interactive Content 

Interactive content has been everything in 2020. Due to our regular face-to-face interactions being halted, digital interactions have become a great way to provide human connection within online spaces. 

Your small business should consider creating a video, e-course, social media contest, or comment box to facilitate user-generated interactions with your content. The suggestion here is to inspire your customers to take a meaningful action with/from your content. The key is that the value in making that action must be clearly communicated in your content.

Valuable interactions are a great way to keep your business in the mind of your customers even in times of separation. 

In need of the creative content to get started? We use DepositPhotos, a site dedicated to sharing high-quality stock photography for businesses. Starting with a graphic or using images in your interactive storytelling can increase the impact it makes on your audience, and encourage higher engagement rates. Click here to learn more about how to get started with DepositPhotos. 

Create Content That Partners With Catalysts Of Change In Your Industry/Community 

In line with the other areas of change in content marketing, our society has become more acutely aware of how powerful a platform is for speaking out about what’s important. As a small business, you have a platform to impact the community you exist within. In 2020, the most meaningful marketing interactions have been connected to social movements that work towards a greater societal good. 

Consider looking over your mission, vision, and values as a company and see if you can find a nonprofit or organization that you can partner with or support. This will show that you are not only listening to the customers you are interacting with, but also the greater context your business exists within. 

With the changes that 2020 has already brought our way, both economically and socially, it’s crucial to see both as a needed lens to look through assessing our content marketing strategies. It’s not about seeming relevant to the times, as much as it’s about showing you’re genuine and human. 

Small business content marketing is all about showing the voice of your business and letting others get to know you. In 2020, I urge you as a business owner to consider refining the message you’re sending to your community and better understand the value you offer in your market.  

If you’re looking for help in your content marketing efforts or eager to hire experts to do it for you, click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with us. We will go over how we can create a small business marketing strategy for your business that will bring success in the 2020 business landscape! 

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