The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Content Marketing

A strong content strategy is foundational in modern marketing, a trend that business and media leaders are tuning into. 

At its best, content marketing builds customer loyalty founded on trust. Yet roughly one-third of marketers report “creating high-quality content” as a top challenge. 

Few leaders have time to study the nuances of content strategy; none have time for marketing that doesn’t deliver. 

So, Human’s creatives made this no-nonsense guide to: 

1. Cover the essentials of content marketing, and 
2. Demonstrate how content can earn and retain customers

By the end, you’ll have everything needed to lead an informed discussion about content strategy with your team.

What Is Content Marketing?

The core idea is simple. Content marketing aims to share helpful information on topics your customers care about, typically with a clear link to your service or product line. 

Content marketing is not posting anything that’s vaguely related to your business. It’s a thoughtful plan to provide answers where your customers are already searching.

This sounds straightforward, but there are nuances to consider when choosing the right questions and how to answer them. (This territory is probably where at least a third of marketers are struggling.) 

There’s an art to crafting resources tailored to people on the brink of a purchase, or what marketers call buyer intent. That’s where you’ll tap into the true growth potential of content marketing.

Why Content Marketing Works

Effective content gives the audience value upfront, often in the form of education, insight, or analysis. 

The best content marketing makes use of several opportunities:

1. People avoid ads but seek solutions. 
   • Most consumers avoid advertising, a conundrum that’s hard to overcome through traditional marketing.
   • People are more receptive to information they find naturally through social media and search engines.
     
     
2. Valuable content builds your reputation with no barrier to entry.
   • People shop with their feelings first, especially familiarity and trust.
     1. Traditional advertisements are good at building familiarity, but not trust.
   • By freely offering useful content, you can earn a reputation with potential customers while adding value for current shoppers.
     
     
3. Results compound over time. 
   • A strong content asset can drive traffic, engagement, and sales for months or even years (especially if updated periodically).
     1. Cross-promoting your content across platforms accelerates results.

Types of Content That Actually Drive Business

Your content marketing should match your audience’s interests and preferred platforms. Deliver your content conveniently where potential customers are most likely to find it.

The best-performing format will depend on your audience, but common examples include:

Blogs

Among the simplest content streams to implement, blogs offer a versatile platform to build your authority and bolster web traffic. 

• Consider what kind of blog content is best suited for your products. You might:
  • Offer competitor comparisons to simplify shopping 
  • Answer common questions with explainer articles to lower uncertainty
  • Publish an analysis on a topic your shoppers care about to build authority
  • Share case studies that demonstrate your product benefits to prove your claims
• If you’re new to blogging, start with a few core topics and build from there.
  
  

Video Demos and How-Tos

Some questions are best answered in a quick video tutorial, especially among audiences that spend time on streaming platforms. Video content is an engaging way to simplify complex ideas and boost brand awareness. 

• Make sure each video advances a defined goal. For example:
  • Explaining a complex problem and how your product solves it
  • Demonstrating how to overcome a particular challenge with your product
  • Sharing side-by-side comparisons of competing options to highlight how yours is better
    
    

Email Newsletters

Best for fostering strong relationships over a long timespan, newsletters are still an industry-leading option for keeping an audience engaged. 

• Spam filters, fatigued readers, and crowded inboxes leave no room for clickbait. Lead with value to send emails people want to read.
  • Share industry updates and analyses to demonstrate your expertise
  • Offer tips, resources, and quick fixes to pile on value and stay top-of-mind
  • Summarize highlights from your other content streams, including links to maximize reach
    
    

Social Content

Social media serves the dual purposes of testing out content ideas and amplifying content from other streams to enhance its visibility. 

• Influencer marketing arguably holds the crown for the highest short-term return on investment (ROI), but it costs next to nothing to pilot or gather content ideas from an engaged follower list.

How Content Fits Into Your Broader Marketing Strategy

Marketing works best as an ecosystem. Content is the lifeblood of that ecosystem, feeding your website, social media, SEO, and sales. Here’s how to integrate it with your other inbound streams:

Content + SEO = Visibility

A close partnership between content and your keyword strategy maximizes the results of both. Our Thompson Tee case study shows how an SEO-informed content roadmap supported organic wins for this ecommerce client.

Content + Social Media = Reach

Social channels need substance to keep followers engaged. Sharing useful guides, checklists, and success stories provides fresh fuel for posting beyond promotions. An active account keeps your audience primed for sales and big announcements.

Content + Sales = Trust

Content gives your sales team the tools they need to nurture leads. Having explainers and other info resources at the ready provides extra leverage to convert hesitant prospects into new customers. Especially in technical B2B work, content can be a key resource for communicating the value of your services. 

Content + Paid Ads = Efficiency

Ads perform better when there’s something of substance behind the click. Using guides and resources for landing pages or retargeting efforts improves the reach and relevance of your efforts. In our Textedly case study, aligning SEO-led content with paid media lifted conversions by 63%.

Using AI and Automation Tools to Save Time

AI can be an effective tool for brainstorming content topics, drafting outlines, or repurposing an asset into other formats. 

On the other end of content creation, automated content management software can post and promote your content across channels so you don’t have to. 

But remember, productivity tools don’t replace your expertise. Keep human review in the loop, especially for accuracy, tone, and brand fit.

Most Common Content Marketing Mistakes

1. Posting without a plan. Unfocused content may get views and even likes, but rarely leads to sales growth. Pick a short list of topics tied to customer questions and pain points.
   
   
2. Talking only about your business. Celebrating wins and sharing peeks behind-the-scenes is great in small doses, but gets old without variety. Lead with the customer’s problem; your solution comes next.
   
   
3. Trying to be everywhere. A strong multi-channel plan can amplify results, but it’s generally better to master a few channels than to try to dabble in all of them. Choose the platforms your audience already uses.
   
   
4. Expecting instant results. Content marketing can boost short-term results, but it truly shines in the long haul. Give it time, keep measuring performance, and improve the content based on your findings.

If you’re not sure where to start, prioritize a cornerstone page and add one relevant blog post each month.

Fuel Your Growth With Consistent Content

Content marketing is a long game that yields greater rewards with steady effort. Done right, you’ll build a library tailored to support every step of your customer’s journey.

When you’re ready for that extra push, connect with Human to plan a content marketing strategy that scales results across every other marketing channel. 

FAQ: Content Marketing for Business Owners

How is content marketing different from advertising?

Advertising uses paid channels to push a message that gives you instant, but temporary visibility. You only show up as long as you continue to invest in those channels. Content marketing attracts your audience by answering their questions and offering them free resources. Organic visibility is longer-lived and continues to compound over time, building trust and authority that lasts well beyond a single campaign.

How long does it take to see results?

It depends on competition and how often you publish. A single, well-targeted article can rank and generate leads within weeks; broader momentum usually builds over a few months and compounds from there.

Do I need a big budget to start?

Not at all. Start with a short list of topics, publish consistently, and repurpose top-performers across other platforms. Add paid promotion when a post proves it can convert.

Can I do content marketing myself, or should I hire help?

Many entrepreneurs start on their own, then bring in partners to help with strategy, scale, and production as they grow. Few, if any, entrepreneurs have the time to support a steady content stream solo.

How do I know if my content is working?

Track a select list of metrics tied directly to meaningful growth. There are a lot of empty metrics (e.g., impressions) that can distract from real results in content marketing. Watch how content supports sales and review your analytics regularly to improve results.

How does content marketing help me get more customers?

It earns attention early, builds trust before the sales call, and keeps you visible when buyers are comparing options. That makes every channel—ads, email, social, and sales—more effective.

Should I use AI tools to help with content marketing?

Yes, as support. Use AI for brainstorming and maybe even to help with the rough draft. It can be a great tool for overcoming writer’s block and to help you map out all the elements you want to make sure you cover. But, originality matters. Because LLM’s are referencing content that already exists on the web, purely AI-generated content can feel too generic. Low-quality content that offers little to no value has no place in Google’s top results. So, keep human judgment in charge when it comes to content.