12 Content Marketing Tips To Help Grow Your Business in 2024

Modern customers care about brand identity. Over 80% of consumers choose brands with values they support. To win the war for hearts and wallets, you need high-quality content that connects with people. Use these 12 content marketing tips to make a great impression throughout 2024.

Content Marketing Tips for Small Businesses

You don’t need a huge marketing budget to attract traffic to your website. Combining content marketing and search engine optimization gives small businesses amazing results.

1. Make Local SEO Your Foundation

If you own a small business and mainly sell products to customers in your area, local SEO shouldn’t be an afterthought. Every web page and blog post you create should revolve around your local audience.

Geo-targeted content puts you on the fast track for search rankings. In this arena, your small business can compete effectively with larger companies simply because you’re closer to the customers. Google prioritizes proximity and convenience when it comes to regional search queries.

Local search helps small business owners in countless industries:

• Restaurants and coffee shops
• Doctors and dentists
• Retailers and sales businesses
• Construction companies, electricians and plumbers
• Automotive repair businesses

When your content focuses on clients in your city or region, you’re more likely to reach people who are ready to buy. Over 60% of customers use Google for local searches every day.

2. Get To Know Your Customers Better

One of the biggest advantages small businesses have is excellent service. Clients like receiving personalized attention. Our content marketing tips help you deliver that same great experience online.

Choose content marketing topics that resonate with your audience. Look for the interests, challenges, needs and concerns that your customers have in common. For example, home remodelers deal with many different families, but clients usually care about the same things: high-quality work, honesty, good value, and a stress-free experience.

In a recent industry survey, businesses chose “researching our audience” as the top factor for success in content marketing, even more important than videos. The better you know your customers, the more effective your content can be.

3. Include FAQs in Every Article

Humans are an inquisitive bunch, so it’s not surprising that many users go online to find answers. Adding a section for frequently asked questions to your content can boost your results in several ways:

• Happy customers: The short-and-sweet answer format of FAQs delivers exactly what your clients want.
• Search optimization: It’s easy to use keywords in FAQ headings and answer paragraphs.
• Featured snippets: Short paragraphs that answer questions directly are perfect for scoring a Featured Snippet slot for your content.
• Conversions: Addressing questions and concerns potential customers have is a great way to give that final nudge toward a purchase.

With these content marketing tips, you can hit two birds with one stone. Readers love FAQs; therefore, Google loves FAQs — and the content that uses them. Why do you think Google Search has a “People also ask” section?

E-Commerce Tips for Content Marketing

Content marketing and SEO are vital for businesses that sell products online.

4. Pay Attention to Search Intent, Not Just Keywords

Gone are the days of those magic “use the keyword X times” formulas for success. Search engines are getting smart enough to understand the ideas behind users’ search queries. That means you need content that addresses your audience’s search intent, or the motivation behind the search.

Consider a few keyword examples and think about what the user is looking for:

• Best SUV for families: A buyer’s guide that compares many options
• Women’s shoes: Stores that sell women’s shoes online
• Emergency plumbing in Scottsdale: The phone number of a local plumber who offers 24/7 service
• Can you replace an HVAC air filter?: A how-to guide with instructions

For every piece of content, write down a goal and a key takeaway to remember.

5. Give Your Brand a Personality

E-commerce companies have significant competition. Trying to fight for customers against 100 other businesses — and million-dollar marketing budgets — is like swimming against the current.

That doesn’t mean you should give up. The trick is to be the person with the red umbrella in a sea of black umbrellas. Instead of regurgitating the same cookie-cutter articles everyone else has, bring your blogs to life.

Step one is to be distinctive. Give your brand a unique personality. Check out the difference:

• Bland: We have a variety of men’s shirts, including T-shirts, polos, and flannels.
• AI-Designed: Discover amazing men’s shirts today, like amazing tees and amazing flannels to stay warm.
• Friendly: We can’t wait for you to feel the warmth of our soft merino wool men’s shirts when you’re camping as a family.
• Chic: Set your own trends with slender cotton men’s shirts that hug your muscles in all the right places.
• Bold: Forget about words like “soft” and “gentle.” Choose men’s shirts built like a crazy freight train.

When you follow these content marketing tips, you’re giving visitors something to remember you by.

6. Show More Than Tell

Content with visual media is one of the best “sales representatives” for online-only businesses. Feature the following elements prominently in blog articles, social media posts, buyer’s guides, ebooks, and landing pages:

• Images
• Screenshots
• Videos
• Infographics
• Charts and graphs

Many people understand complex topics better when they see pictures or charts. It’s why home remodelers use 3D imaging software to show clients proposed changes. Shoppers can’t try on clothes in an online store, but image carousels or videos bridge the gap (or Gap?)

Content Marketing Tips and Trends for 2024

Keeping up with trends helps you adjust your content marketing techniques to the way your audience is using the internet.

7. Blend Short-Form Content and Long-Form Posts

Content marketing methods are flexible when it comes to ideal article length. Sometimes, a 400-word blog post is perfect for sharing a tasty nugget of knowledge. Other times, that 2,000-word “ultimate guide” that answers every question is exactly what readers want.

Short articles are like fast food when you’re in a hurry, juggling five things on the way home to your kids. Longer guides are like visiting a Michelin-star restaurant that puts love into every bite. Having a variety of content formats lets you appeal to a wide audience with different time constraints.

8. Use the Good of AI; Avoid the Bad and the Ugly

AI technology has its uses. Apps such as Grammarly can improve your finished results without lowering the quality of blog articles. AI tools can show you simpler ways to word things, making your main points easy to understand and remember.

AI can be a decent copilot, but you never want to hand it the keys. You can’t trust it to create accurate, informative, interesting, or engaging content.

Our content creators are 100% human, talented professionals with a passion for writing. Customers notice the difference in seconds.

9. Tell a Story

A decade ago, tips for content marketing emphasized bullet points: short snippets with features, numbers, pros and cons. These days, consumers respond better to storytelling. Stir imagination and emotions.

Instead of describing the technical specs of a sectional, write a few sentences that take your audience on a journey. Describe how couples feel when cuddling on a comfy sofa. Talk about the warm glow of a winter fireplace or the cool breeze of a Mediterranean beachfront villa.

10. Be Conversational

If there’s one takeaway from all the hype around AI, it’s that today’s audiences like conversations more than textbook answers. It’s the same reason online reviews have such a big influence on purchasing decisions.

Why do people trust reviews written by anonymous internet users? Because the words have an authentic feel. Reviews feel like everyday advice from a friend or family member.

Good content can be just as conversational. Be a person, not a business. A friendly tone with everyday language tells customers, “I’m the same kind of apple-pie-loving, Netflix-and-chilling American as you.”

Content Marketing Tips for Manufacturers

With the economy projected to get back on track in 2024, manufacturers have a lot to look forward to. Content marketing and SEO help your business reach the right audience online, nurture leads and increase your sales.

11. Design Content Collections

Show off your industry expertise by planning your content in an online course format. Metalworking businesses can create a knowledge base on their website outlining different metal types, grades, processing options and applications. CRM and SaaS developers can create articles that walk customers through their products effectively.

12. Maximize Your ROI by Repurposing Content

Something our customers love about great content is that it’s cost-effective and flexible. You can take short snippets from your blog articles and share them as social media posts, newsletter tips, or follow-up marketing to nurture leads. Each piece of content we create for you can stay relevant for years, maximizing your return on investment by driving countless clicks.

Smart Content Marketing Tips for Every Business

You don’t need to tackle blog planning alone. At BKA Content, we create engaging content that helps you achieve your marketing objectives. Speak with our SEO content team and get customized content marketing tips for your business.