Does your startup have a heartbeat? Think about that question for a minute.

When your target customers search for you, what do you they find? Sure, they find your website which holds the answers to all of their burning questions about the products or services you provide. Maybe they see that your business issued a few press releases earlier this year, which is totally great. And then you probably demonstrate quite clearly any new customers or partners you’ve acquired. Also awesome. But what can they take in on your site that showcases the human-side of your business? Is there anything that suggests that your business is alive and well — breathing in that digital air, so to speak?

In my original series The Power of Content, I write all about why content is essential to any marketing strategy in today’s digital world. Today, I’ll introduce the idea of content as the heartbeat of a business, at any stage.

In a world where everyone is a publisher, fresh content is expected.

The internet in its current state is a channel that empowers anyone with access to a computer or mobile device to become a content creator. And so the expectation of the modern consumer is that there MUST be content. Your potential customers need to see that your business is actively producing content to believe that your business is truly alive. This is why I believe that content is the heartbeat of any business. It is content that conveys the human-ness of your brand. It is content that flows through your brand channels and reaches your customers. Without it, they simply won’t know you’re there.

A flow of content not only helps them find you, it gives them a reason to return!

One great piece of content might earn you some likes on LinkedIn, and that’s nice. But imagine what would happen if you served your audience a great piece of content every week! Every day! Content that they really enjoy reading — that they really need to read to get a better understanding of their own business. Think about that for a second. If you’re giving them content they need and want, they might just keep reading! They might just follow you on LinkedIn. Maybe they like you so much that they register to receive email updates from you. And that’s where the sweet spot lies. Sure, you’re thinking that the established business publications already do this — they already produce tons of content that helps your target customers — so why would you ever try to compete with them? Well, the answer to that is easy. Because you can! Anyone can create content, remember? All you have to do is start, and once you find your purpose and begin to gain traction with your audience, you’re on your way to building a following.

The heartbeat of your business matters at any stage.

Just because your business is only getting started. Just because you haven’t landed that dream customer. That doesn’t mean you should not invest in content creation. And when I say invest, I don’t just mean money. I mean time. Because time = money. If you don’t have the money to spend on content creation, but you know you want to do it, then it really does come down to time. Trust me, even if I wasn’t in the business of creating original content for startups, I’d give you the same advice. You need to take the time — or spend the money — to build a regular content cadence to showcase that your startup is alive and well.

It can be as simple as writing a monthly blog post to share with your social followers. By doing this, you’re showing your LinkedIn contacts, Instagram followers, INVESTORS and would-be customers that your startup has a heartbeat. You are giving them a reason to think about your business, and the best part is that you can do this all by yourself! Surely you can write a blog post each month. And if writing just isn’t your thing, you can hire someone to do it for you. You can pay a freelancer, hire a writer or you can work with someone like me. Either way, make it a point to begin to create content. Because, after all, you know that your business is alive and well, so start now! Show your customers you have a heartbeat with original content that they need and want.

So, that’s my pitch. Some say content is king. I say content is the heartbeat of your business. No matter how you decide to embark on your content creation journey, know that it IS important, and it IS worth your time and investment. Promise.