Forward-thinking marketers use modern marketing content to hustle in the highly competitive landscape. But can startup entrepreneurs and their content marketing strategy compete against big companies with deep pockets? Discover not-so-secret content marketing tips from savvy business owners now.

Unlike its traditional counterpart, digital marketing is constantly evolving. Everything can change in the blink of an eye—technology and techniques are dynamic.

Thus, as a business owner, you must stay on top of developments and trends. You don’t want to be left behind by your competitors, right?

So here are things to keep in mind to stay ahead of the industry curve.

What is content marketing?

Content marketing is a tactic that focuses on creating and optimizing valuable and relevant content. Its goal is to drive traffic to your target platform, engage your audience, and encourage brand loyalty.

Now, when we talk about marketing content, that’s a broad term to define. But Matt DeCoursey, CEO of Full Scale, simplifies it by saying that, “Content can be a whole number of different things. It could be videos . . . could be blogs—it could be just the general messaging that’s on your website.”

Marketing content can be entertaining or educational—or both. It depends on the value you want to provide to your target market.

“There’s a million ways to do it. And I think you got to just kind of find what suits you, and you know, go with that,” shared Andrew Morgans, founder and CEO of Marknology.

Top 7 Tips in Creating Marketing Content

Do you need help in creating your marketing content? Check out these tried and tested content marketing tips from successful startup entrepreneurs.

1. Take the first step.

Yes, it’s intimidating to start something new. But to succeed, you must always take the first step towards your goal. And that holds true when it comes to content marketing strategy and creating your blogs or podcasts.

Heather Steppe, CMO and founder of KC Hemp Co., shared that she went through this scary initial phase too. But her advice is to, “Just start . . . they’re probably gonna be really bad [at first]. Just start; the rest will come to follow.”

3. Set a goal for your marketing content.

To run an effective marketing campaign, you must set your mind on what you want to achieve with your marketing content. Do you want to increase conversion? Or do you want to build brand awareness and recognition?

Whatever it is, make sure to define your goals clearly before creating any material. Because as Matt DeCoursey explained, “Creating content for the sake of creating it doesn’t go that well.”

4. Take quality seriously.

It is true that creating any material is not hard. You can just think of an idea and use tools to create social media images and other material. On the other hand, if you want to create high-quality marketing content, that is the challenging bit.

You have to consider numerous factors, so take ample time to plan your strategy and execution. Remember that even small details, like grammar, color combination, or logo placement can make a big difference.

According to the latest Statista report, there are 4.2 billion active social media users worldwide. That saturated pool of target market makes marketers flock to various platforms as part of their content marketing strategy.

And the best thing about it is you don’t need a large budget to make magic happen. “Social media is cheap, but it’s a really easy way for us to provide value for our members and provide value for our partners,” said Lauren Conaway, founder and CEO of Innovate Her KC.

6. Create content that you’re passionate about.

“Make it about one thing that you’re passionate about. [Something] that you like and know a lot about,” the CEO of Perkins Builder Brothers, Andrew Perkins, quipped.

When you do so, it’s easier to brainstorm and produce materials for it. So think of what you love doing and build your marketing content strategies around it.

7. Embody your brand.

“Just be authentic. There is no right measuring stick for this stuff,” explained Joel Johnson, the CEO of Mixtape.

In your marketing content, show what your brand stands for. It catches the attention of your target audience if you stay true to your branding. Moreover, it helps you create a better brand association and identity with your customers.

Takeaways on Creating Marketing Content

Some of it is science, but most of the strategies in creating marketing content are all about understanding your brand and demographics. It’s about communicating what your products or services can offer and incorporating it into every content.

And yes, there are challenges along the way. Just like how the founder of Stackify, Matt Watson, puts it, “The hardest part about creating content is it just takes time. It takes a lot of work, it takes a lot of planning, [and] it takes a team that will dedicate time.”

Technical difficulties can also arise or devices don’t work the way you envision them. But with proper planning and a lot of practice, you can easily think of a workable solution to potential issues.

If you want more content marketing tips when it comes to startup hustling, subscribe to Startup Hustle TV. You can learn from real stories of successful entrepreneurs and how they cope up with marketing challenges in a competitive world.