Sometimes we get so busy with daily business demands that marketing either falls by the wayside or becomes a routine, seldom reconsidered or refreshed.

In an era where virtually anyone can launch an online business and present a highly polished image, however, marketing has become more important than ever.

Even companies that have long thrived on word-of-mouth referrals sometimes find themselves slipping or stagnating in the absence of a professional-looking website or a healthy marketing strategy.

Small changes — tweaking your company website, revamping a LinkedIn profile, developing a social media editorial calendar — can make a significant difference.

Storytelling is a highly effective marketing tool that can set your venture apart, help you engage with customers and website visitors, share your company’s values, personality, expertise and background, raise visibility and ultimately boost business.

Consider these stats cited by the Content Marketing Institute, an organization devoted (as its name suggests) to content marketing:

• Small businesses with blogs experience more than double the lead growth of small ventures without blogs.

• While content marketing costs significantly less than outbound marketing, it generates at least three times as many leads.

• Eighty percent of people enjoy learning about a business through custom content and 70 percent “feel closer” to a business because of content marketing.

• Content marketing results in more conversions — turning website visitors into leads, and leads into customers — than traditional marketing.

Are you telling your business’s story, establishing your image, conveying your service excellence, connecting and building relationships with website visitors?

If not, consider consulting with a marketing strategist, professional writer or both to help you explore the possibilities for your venture. If you’re looking for a business writing pro, please get in touch.