Several years ago (or even just a few months or weeks ago), you thought of a new idea for a company, brand, product, or service. You’ve done the work to turn that idea into reality. Clients have purchased what you’re selling, and they love it. Congratulations!  Now, you’re looking toward the future, and it’s time for new clients to start finding you more organically.

So, where should you start? The answer can be found in content marketing.

Nearly 80 percent of organizations use content marketing to generate new clients for their businesses. Further, 82 percent of marketers actively invest in content marketing. So, if you’re not doing content marketing by now, you’re really missing out.

Content marketing is simply creating new content or repurposing content from old pieces that you’ve created before. Very often, videos, podcasts, blog posts, whitepapers, and social media posts are all part of an organization’s content marketing plan. Defining your content strategy and being consistent with your audience can help to bring in brand new clients you would have never had otherwise.

Let’s get into 4 ways content marketing can really impact startups.

Share your expertise

How can new clients find you without you having to pay for them? One way is for you to share your expertise. What do you know very well, what does your business do very well, and how does that impact your customers and/or industry? When you share what you know, you can generate new interest in yourself and your business.

One way to do this is by creating a blog on your business website, personal website, or on a social media platform such as LinkedIn. Another way is through email and email newsletters. You can start by crafting your content around an engaging theme and delivering that via email at the same time at a frequency you choose.

Turn interest into sales

Creating content is a great way to answer potential clients’ and consumers’ questions about your company’s product or service. Keep in mind that people search for content online. In fact, over 8.5 billion online searches are conducted every day. This means your next client could be in those 8.5 billion searches, and they could find what they are looking for on your website. So, your website design must be professional and up-to-date.

Once the potential client lands on your site, that is your chance to keep them engaged with relevant content that matters to them. The more content your clients respond to, the more of that content you should produce. You don’t have to produce every type of content under the sun.

Pique investor interest

For startups, content marketing can create the foundation of your company’s communication plan. When it comes to investors, they want to see what your solution, product, or service can do to solve customers’ pain points. Your content can be a way for them to gain immediate insight into what you do and how it impacts a broader audience.

Investors often want to 10x their investment in a company, and for good reasons. Before you even get to do a presentation or pitch them on why you need money, pique their interest through explainer videos, case studies, and other content formats to show that you’re the real deal and that you deserve their advice, time and investment.

Leverage peer audiences

In most cases, it costs you nothing to ask someone you’ve met in the industry if you can write a guest post for their blog or share your knowledge on their podcast. Sometimes, these things can happen organically, and at other times, it is important for you to make the ask. Network with people in your industry and in a similar field as you to gain trust among people who could potentially become new clients. Leveraging peer audiences helps get your name out among a new crowd and builds brand awareness and name recognition.

Intentional, consistent content marketing leads to results

Content marketing can feel like a cluttered and overcrowded world, but the companies that see results are the ones you focus on value differentiation and relevant messaging. When done with intention and consistency, both of these factors help new clients find you, gain interest in your business, and see you as a reliable source to help meet their needs.