What is content marketing and how does it work? Content Marketing for SMBs in 2025

Content marketing is, at its core, about creating content that delivers real value to your target audience—and marketing that content in a way that helps them discover it organically. When your content is found, you increase your online reach, strengthen your brand presence, and ultimately attract new customers.

For small and medium businesses (SMBs) in New Zealand, content marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to build visibility, establish trust, and generate consistent inbound leads. It's an essential part of your SEO strategy.

Content Marketing: Creator Meets Consumer

There’s still a lot of confusion around how content marketing works. Think of the internet as a massive content marketplace made up of two groups: creators and consumers. Content marketing means taking on the role of a creator—but success comes from deeply understanding the behaviors, preferences, and search patterns of your content’s consumers.

If your audience is searching for tips, answers, or product comparisons, your goal is to be there with helpful content that matches their intent.

The Role of Social Media in Content Marketing

The role of social media is often misunderstood. It’s not the content itself—it’s a distribution channel.

Platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are best used to amplify your content. They help spread your message, spark conversations, and grow your audience. But it’s important to note: viral reach doesn’t always mean more customers. The key is ensuring that what you share is valuable and relevant to your target customer, not just your wider social network.

The role of social media in content marketing is also confused and not well understood. Social media is best utilised as a channel to amplify new content and to communicate outwardly and in a viral fashion that may build your base of followers and expand your brand presence as a consequence. This doesn't automatically correlate into more customers as the content I'm specifically interested in doesn't always tightly align to the interests of my social network connections.

Publish New Content Regularly

Publishing fresh content consistently is crucial. A well-thought-out content calendar helps you plan and produce new material aligned with your business goals and customer needs.

The best content ideas come from understanding:

• What your audience is searching for
• What questions they’re asking
• What challenges or decisions they’re facing

Your content should be published on your website—either as new landing pages or articles within your blog. Make sure your blog is integrated into your main website, not hosted separately.

For more insights, read our article on how to write blog articles

If your content is visual (e.g., products, before-and-afters, design, or lifestyle), platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest can play a strong supporting role.

To ensure search engine visibility, your content should be:

• Uniquely written (no copy-pasting from other sites)
• Optimized for keywords your audience uses
• Enhanced with visuals like images, infographics, or videos

After publishing, distribute your content through:

• Social media platforms
• Email newsletters
• Business forums and community groups

Create a Content Marketing Plan

Every business is different, but your content strategy should include the following core elements:

1. Identify Content Opportunities
   Use SEO tools and customer research to uncover topics your audience cares about. Look for frequently asked questions, industry trends, and keywords with strong intent.

2. Create and Publish Content Regularly
   Set a consistent publishing rhythm—weekly, biweekly, or monthly—and stick to it. This builds authority over time.

3. Follow Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Guidelines
   Each piece should target a specific keyword, include clear headings, be mobile-friendly, and load quickly. Tools like Yoast SEO or Rank Math can help.

4. Use Strong Calls to Action (CTAs)
   Encourage readers to take the next step: sign up for your newsletter, download a free guide, or book a consultation.

5. Promote Through Social Media
   Share content in a format that fits the platform—snippets on Twitter/X, reels on Instagram, carousels on LinkedIn, short videos on TikTok.

6. Distribute via Email Marketing
   Build and nurture your subscriber list. Email remains one of the most effective content distribution channels, especially for SMBs.

Content Marketing strategies will vary by business type, target audience characteristics and the nature and form of the content. The following is a general outline of the components in a content marketing plan.

The Bottom Line

For small and medium businesses, content marketing is no longer optional—it’s essential. A consistent, strategic approach will help you drive more website traffic, grow your brand visibility, and convert more leads into loyal customers.

Need help crafting a content marketing strategy tailored to your business goals? We’re here to help—reach out today.