You’ve probably heard of content marketing, by now — and you’ve certainly seen it in action. If you follow any companies or brands on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn, or even if you have subscribed to a company email list, then you’ve probably found yourself on the consumer side of content marketing.

But that’s not necessarily enough: It’s growing more important all the time for all businesses to engage their clients through compelling content. That means producing not just content but a digital content strategy on your brand’s behalf.

What is Content Marketing?
Before we get ahead of ourselves, here are a few quick pointers about what content marketing really is. When we talk about content, we’re talking about online assets that convey something interesting, helpful, and relevant to users: An online video posted to YouTube, a memorable tweet, a compelling Facebook post or a company blog entry, for example.

Note that this content is meant to engage users — in other words, it’s not meant to be “salesy” per se. Content is supposed to be helpful and valuable in its own right. It might be a tutorial or an FAQ on trenchless pipeline rehabilitation, or simply some interesting facts and tips about professional drain cleaning — all designed to educate potential customers and to earn their trust.

This content is deployed through various online channels — social networks, blogs, email — and unified under a broader content strategy. The purposes of content marketing might include:

• Establishing your thought leadership, casting yourself as an authoritative and trusted expert in the sewer and drain cleaning, pipeline inspection or repair industries
• Simply gaining more visibility and exposure for your company’s brand
• Driving traffic back to your company website
• Educating customers, preparing them to pick up the phone to call and ask more about your products or services

Why You Need Content Marketing for Your Small Business
Companies in the contracting or home improvement sectors are actually uniquely suited to take advantage of content marketing. The possibilities are endless. A landscaping company could post images of its best projects on Instagram. A plumbing company could share helpful home plumbing tips and water-conserving secrets on Facebook, along with the occasional promotion. A remodeling company could create an email list, sharing monthly DIY project ideas and also money-saving promotions.

Content marketing is really not something small businesses can put off any longer — and here’s why:

• You need to be where your customers are — and increasingly, that means social networks, email and YouTube.
• Content is essential for driving your online visibility; if you want to be found on search engines, you’ve got to produce regular, compelling content.
• Content marketing helps you overcome the confidence gaps. A customer will be much more likely to trust you if he or she sees your expertise shared freely on Facebook.
• You can better keep in touch with previous and recurring clients, occasionally nudging them with an email or a LinkedIn update.

Content marketing facilitates meaningful — and profitable — long-term relationships between customers and companies, and that’s not something you want to miss out on. Consider adopting a content strategy, or consulting with a content marketing firm, today.

About the Author
Amanda E. Clark is the president and editor-in-chief of Grammar Chic Inc., a full-service professional writing company. She is a published ghostwriter and editor, and currently under contract with literary agencies in Malibu, California, and Dublin, Ireland.

Since founding Grammar Chic in 2008, Clark, along with her team of skilled professional writers, has offered expertise to clients in the creative, business and academic fields. The company accepts a wide range of projects and often engages in content and social media marketing, drafts resumes, press releases, Web content, marketing materials and ghostwritten creative pieces. Contact Clark at www.grammarchic.net.