Your business size has little to do with your business expertise. If you run a successful small business, there’s no doubt you know your stuff. But there’s one thing you can always do more of to help boost customer loyalty, increase sales and stand out from the competition. That’s content marketing.
As we forge ahead in 2024, keep the following content marketing trends on your radar. And remember, it’s not just about keeping up with the latest trends, rather, it’s how you successfully and consistently implement them into your business strategy.
1. Creating live videos.
More than 90% of small businesses used video to market themselves in 2023. This year, they’re going live!
Live video is a great way to showcase your latest products or give a behind-the-scenes look at your operations — all in real time. It’s also a valuable medium for hosting live Q&As to connect with your audience. This interactive element can lead to increased brand loyalty and ultimately drive more sales.
2. Leveraging user-generated content.
One of the biggest challenges for small businesses is gaining the trust of potential customers. Unlike big brands with established reputations, it can be more challenging for you to convince people to choose your products or services. This is where user-generated content (UGC) comes to the rescue.
When customers share their positive experiences through reviews, testimonials, photos or social media posts, it creates a sense of authenticity that traditional marketing tactics can’t replicate. To make UGC part of your strategy, think about ways you can encourage and incentivize customers to share content about your business.
3. Jumping on the influencer bandwagon.
Marketing influencers have made their way to the forefront of marketing, propelling brands through social media with relatability and validity to help reach different target audiences.
This year, influencer marketing is on the rise — and you don’t have to be a big brand to reap the benefits. Micro-influencers work with a small audience of around 10,000-50,000 followers. Customers and prospects look to them as the authority for products and services within a particular industry — even if the promoted product is sponsored by your brand. You just have to find the right person to grow your brand’s visibility.
4. Adopting a values-driven marketing approach.
As consumers become more socially conscious, values-driven marketing has gained significant traction in recent years. In 2024, this trend continues, presenting an opportunity for small businesses to align their brand with causes that resonate with the target audience.
Whether it’s environmental sustainability, social justice or community empowerment, your commitment to these values should be evident in your actions and communications. The benefits? Not only can it help you attract like-minded customers and supporters, this approach can also foster a sense of loyalty and advocacy, as customers feel proud to be associated with a brand that stands for something meaningful.
5. Using AI as a creative resource.
As marketers, we welcome the use of artificial intelligence to improve productivity and benefit the quality of our work — and you should, too. In 2024, small businesses can leverage AI-powered tools to streamline the content creation process and deliver personalized experiences to their target audience.
Keep in mind, AI cannot generate new, original ideas. Rather, it simply regurgitates available content from across the internet. What it CAN do is give you a jump start on brainstorming potential blog topics, automating repetitive tasks and synthesizing information. Additionally, chatbots powered by AI can provide instant customer support, enhancing satisfaction and freeing up your time to focus on other essential tasks.
Trending toward marketing success
You know the deal. The marketing landscape is always evolving, and that means you need to adapt to stay relevant or get left behind. Start off the New Year on trend.
For help or ideas with your small business content marketing strategy, don’t hesitate to reach out.