Businesses are in business to offer solutions to customer problems and fill customer needs. With that in mind good marketing should be about giving the customer what they want.

Unfortunately, what customers don't want is advertising.

Advertising gets in the way of their favourite TV show and clutters up the local newspaper. Still most small businesses continue to spend small fortunes on ads that don't pull - in print, online, on local TV and on radio.

So if advertising isn't working for you like you would've hoped, what can you do to get the results you want? Answer: you give people what they do want - valuable content.

Content-led marketing is a simple strategy that's gaining in popularity with small businesses keen to market themselves effectively without spending a fortune on advertising. Instead they do it by delivering useful information to customers rather than constant sales pitches. They do it by addressing what their potential customers want and need to know - and in doing so they become a trusted resource.

That trust leads to increased enquiries, improved word of mouth and more loyal customers.

When most people think of marketing they might consider an ad in the paper, in the Yellow Pages or possibly even online. You could consider direct mail, radio ads, flyers, trade shows or standing on the street corner with a megaphone.

With limited space in which to say anything useful, your advertising has to be eye-catching, memorable and punchy enough to cut through all the clutter. Unfortunately most ads end up saying more or less the same thing; 'high quality', 'reasonable price', 'we're different'.

Content marketing turns this on its head. Instead of trying to grab people's attention when they really don't want to be listening, you create something that they actually want - useful information or entertaining content.

That information accomplishes a few goals. First off it makes people want to see your marketing. In reality people don't care overly where good content comes from. They'll happily read a customer magazine or company blog provided the content is good and not overtly 'salesy'.

Getting people to welcome your marketing is the first hurdle - and one that content helps you climb.

Secondly, great content can help you build relationships with customers and prospects. Whether you're targeting prospective clients or existing customers, good engaging content helps people get to know you and your business better. Particularly for service businesses, content acts as a kind of 'try before you buy' experience. Who would you rather do business with; someone you found in the phonebook or someone you've been interacting with for months?

On a similar point, informative articles, blog posts and case studies are all great ways to convey your knowledge and understanding of a topic - positioning you as an expert in your industry. Indeed the simple act of committing yourself to print or publishing an article online increases your appeal in itself.

Content also makes you much easier to find, especially online. Google loves fresh, topical content and done well great content will help generate inbound links.

Overall, content helps turn your message from 'buy from us because we're great' to 'I have some information that'll help you solve that problem'. Which is exactly the point, helping potential customers and clients solve problems.

In other words, give your current and prospective customers what they want by putting engaging content at the heart of your marketing. That's something that'll really make you stand out.