Why Small Businesses Need to Become Publishers

It doesn’t matter what kind of small business you run: A plumbing company, a marketing firm, an accounting office, or a dental practice. If you’re not also in the publishing business, then you’re missing out on some significant opportunities for lead generation, market capture, and branding.

What do we mean by publishing? Are we talking about paperback or hardcover books? No, although an eBook could have its advantages. But what we really mean is using your company’s website as a platform for spreading your thought leadership—publishing blogs, papers, articles, guides, or even just tweets that enhance and enrich your customer experience.

You might be surprised by some of the statistics here. More than 60 percent of all small businesses now have their own blogs. (And as you can see, ACES is also on board with that trend!) So if you’re not at the very least blogging, you’re actually in the minority. But here’s another statistic that might shock you even more: A whopping 85 percent of customers say they are more likely to do business with a company that regularly publishes original content.

But why does publishing content matter so much? Consider:

• When you publish content, it proves your knowledge and thought leadership. It establishes you as an authority in your field, and proves that you can help your customers.
• It also proves that you want to help your customers—to the point that you’re giving away free content.
• It’s an opportunity for branding: If you have a blog emblazoned with your company name and logo, and if that blog is shared across the Web, that can only be good for the visibility and reach of your business.
• It also humanizes your business—it gives it a voice, almost literally, and even allows you to share perspectives that might set your company apart from your competition.

So content is important—but does it have to be original? A lot of companies effectively curate content, sharing relevant and helpful Forbes or New York Times or Entrepreneur articles through their social media channels. There’s some merit in that, but think about this: Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Yahoo Screen all provide access to old TV shows and movies. If you want to watch House of Cards, though, you have to subscribe to Netflix. That original content creates unique value and opportunities for the company.

And in much the same way, original content can create unique value for your brand, enhancing your customer experience and proving your authority. So the last question to ask is this: What will you publish next?