Forget Bitcoin, I’m Investing in Content Marketing

The rising fortunes of Bitcoin, which recently achieved a valuation of more than $11,500, has surely turned the heads of many wannabe investors. Sadly, if you are looking for advice on investing in this new currency market, this isn’t the blog post for you.

I’m sure I’m not alone when I tell you, that other than the basic facts, I really haven’t got a clue about the cryptocurrency phenomenon. My gut tells me it’s a bubble, which if you didn’t invest in at an early stage, you’re probably at risk of losing everything. But then again, my gut has been proven wrong on many previous occasions and I’ll be more than happy to let you buy me lunch (and eat my words) while you tell me that your investment in Bitcoin has doubled, tripled or quadrupled in value. Fortune, after all favours the bold.

While I don’t know about Bitcoin, I do know about content marketing and will happily tell you that any investment in this marketing strategy can also return an incredible return-on-investment.

Put it this way, I built a global training and consultancy business (which continues to pay my mortgage and keep my two daughters in dance lessons and school trips) on the back of a single blog post which literally took me 20 minutes to write.

The blog post was so well received, it inspired me to form the basis of a book which then turned into a one-off event and eventually took me around the world working with some amazing marketing organizations.

OK, so the investment in content creation and social engagement is (and always will be) ongoing but time is my only outlay (and who couldn’t dedicate a little more time to writing a blog post, recording a podcast or filming a YouTube video) particularly when the rewards are potentially so significant.

It should also be noted that my return-on-investment isn’t only based on monetary gain. Much of the content I produce now comes from conversations with clients and event delegates who I would never meet if it were not for my prolific content marketing output. Talk about a self-perpetuating circle. The more content I put out there, the more people engage with me and the easier it becomes to produce more useful, engaging content.

As a small business owner you might not have the money (or sense of risk) to invest in Bitcoin but you almost certainly have the budget and time to invest in a little content marketing.

Start with a blog, a social media presence and an email marketing newsletter and then focus on solving problems for your target audience and you won’t go far wrong. Hit the right note with just one activity and your investment in time and effort will be rewarded many times over. Seriously, what have you got to lose?

John W. Hayes is a marketing strategist and author of the best-selling Becoming THE Expert series of content, email marketing, social media and eCommerce books. For more information about his books and training events follow him on Twitter @John_W_Hayes or Facebook.com/becomingtheexpert.

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