According to Junta42 research, 59% of businesses will be increasing their content marketing budgets in 2010. With the increasing use of the internet and businesses competing in the global marketplace, many businesses are replacing traditional marketing with online marketing. The common consensus is that to reach the global marketplace focus on using online marketing tactics and to reach the local marketplace focus on using traditional marketing tactics.


The top five areas where businesses will be increasing their budget in 2010 are:

1. 72% increase in Social Media usage
2. 63% increase in eNewsletters usage
3. 63% increase in Blogs usage
4. 48% increase in White Papers usage
5. 48% increase in Article Marketing usage

How can content marketing help your business?

• Reach a targeted audience receptive to your message
• Improve the ranking if your website or blog
• Improve conversion rates of online sales
• Establish you and your company as experts in your industry
• Attract better qualified prospects to your website or blog
• Repeat visitation to your website or blog from prospects and clients
• Keep in touch with current clients and promoting referrals
• Help to establish likeability, trust and credibility

What are the different types of content marketing available for use by your business?
Social Media – Twitter, facebook, LinkedIn and other social media sites help promote your business, showcase talents, engage prospects and help spread the word about your business.

ENewsletters – Inform, educate and entertain readers on a consistent and timely basis, helps promote your business, are shared with others, increases reputation, recognition, trust and loyalty among readers, and increases sales.

Blogs – Educate, entertain and inform readers about your topics, encourage return visits to your blogs with frequent updating, engages readers to share comments and share the information with others.
White Papers – Showcases your industry knowledge, provides the opportunity to be a thought leader, informs and educates the readers and can be shared with others.

Articles – Educate, entertain and inform readers about your topics, showcase your knowledge and lead readers to action.Case Studies – Educates readers on your businesses pass success and tell how your business will help them achieve the same success.

Online Video – Educate, entertain, informs watchers, helps increase your likeability, trust, recognition and reputation among watchers.

eBooks – Establishes you and your business as experts in your industry, increases reputation, recognition and draws traffic to your website or blog.

Podcasts – Educates listeners, helps increase your likeability, trust and reputation.

Online Courses – Educate participants, showcases your knowledge, increases reputation and sales.

Workbooks – Educates readers, helps readers solve problems, increases reputation, trust and loyalty from readers.

Seminars – Webinars and teleseminars help educate participants, showcase your knowledge, increase reputation and recognition.

Businesses use a combination of the above content marketing tactics to create a content marketing strategy. While this is list is not comprehensive it is a good starting point to begin thinking about using content marketing in your business and what tactics are available. Content marketing allows small businesses and solopreneurs to level the playing field when competing against larger businesses.

How are you currently using content to draw prospects to your business?