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Despite all of the advances in technology, social media, AI, and other shifts in the way we market, content remains a cornerstone.
According to the Content Marketing Institute’s 2025 statistics guide, 87% of B2B marketers say that content marketing has driven brand awareness over the past year, while 74% say it has helped generate leads and demand.
Then, the guide also found that nearly 50% said it directly generated sales or revenue. However, 55% of marketers said they struggle to convert visitors.
When you’re just starting out, you not only face high competition but you’re also mindful of making the most of your marketing budget.
Enter Originality.ai’s Content Marketing for Startups Guide.
When it comes to content marketing for startups, it’s important to be aware of what trends and technologies, both those currently in play and those on the horizon, are shaping how we market our content. Here are some of the most important trends and technologies to pay attention to throughout the rest of 2025 and beyond.
AI burst onto the scene just a few short years ago and is now already so commonplace that not having or using it puts your startup at a disadvantage.
From grammar writing tools to predictive SEO tools, AI innovations are taking shape across marketing workflows.
Still, it’s important to remember that leveraging generative AI can pose issues, which it’s important to stay aware of (like Google penalties for AI content that doesn’t comply with spam policies). Keeping a “human in the loop” and checking for AI content is crucial, as is implementing guidelines for transparency.
Further, implementing automation and generative AI with guidelines in place demonstrates that your startup is keenly aware of the future and the beneficial possibilities of AI, while continuing to prioritize the importance of the consumer experience.
We’re intrinsically wired for stories, and with so much AI-generated content out there, those stories that capture and enthrall us with authenticity will be the ones that stand out.
That means when it comes to content marketing for startups, leading with expertise, thought leadership, and insights resonates with your audience.
What’s more, good storytelling hits those customer pain points in a way that AI simply can’t.
By focusing on real customer experiences, startups can use content marketing to help build trust and communities that connect with the brand voice.
Search engine optimization is shifting from just keyword and keyphrase searches to include conversational prompts.
With Google and other search engines now providing AI overviews and answers, along with chat-based interfaces, many marketers are starting to move from SEO to GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).
Although we’re still in the early stages of GEO, some experts note that the traffic that comes from AI-driven inquiries converts well, thanks to customer intent.
Thanks to the rise of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and similar initiatives, short-form videos and influencer collaborations are continuing to deliver an impressive ROI.
This short, snackable form of video is quick, easy to produce and watch, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down in 2025 and beyond.
Discover more 2025 content marketing trends!
Now that you have a better idea of what types of content work best for startups, how do you go about building a strategy around it?
One of the biggest issues that plagues startups in content marketing is zeroing in on the right audience and making their goals clear.
That’s why the first step of a goal-oriented content strategy is to do just that: define your goals and your audience (such as with buyer personas) to help you narrow down who you’re marketing to.
Next, take the time to do a thorough content audit. Find out which pieces of content are performing the best and consider ways to repurpose them. This way, you build and springboard off of what’s working well, without needing to invest a ton of time and resources into creating something entirely from scratch.
Build out an editorial calendar and workflow.
Then, leverage AI to help you come up with ideas, draft the bones of an article, or optimize it for search and AI-based queries.
Note all of the steps involved, from choosing your topic to editing, so that the process is clear for your writing team and others involved in optimizing and publishing your content.
Leverage your resources across all stages of the funnel, including awareness, consideration and decision stages.
For example, the top-of-funnel may include blog posts and social posts, but middle-of-funnel assets would be geared more toward comparison guides and webinars. Bottom-of-funnel content should encourage demos or trials and get people more actively engaged.
When you’re a startup, you need to maximize every minute of your time while making sure to get as much value and traction out of your content as possible.
With that being said, here are the best types of content for startups to focus on:
When implementing content marketing for startups, you need to maximize your time.
AI can help do some of the heavy lifting:
Be sure that when you’re creating content and incorporating AI that you put guidelines in place. Keep an editor in the loop to make sure that the content you publish is on-brand, thoroughly fact-checked, and free of AI hallucinations.
Beyond common approaches like guest blogging and link building to help build your reach and influence, it’s also a good idea to connect with micro-influencers and niche creators.
They have built highly-engaged communities and are typically more affordable than more widespread “macro-influencers.”
If you’re short on resources to manage an influencer strategy, consider incorporating an influencer marketing agency.
Allocate some of your budget to your social ads to promote top-performing content, bringing fresh new visitors into your sales funnel.
You can also leverage interactive quizzes and surveys while gating the full results behind an email opt-in. Interactive quizzes are a great way to build your audience while educating them at the same time.
Also, take advantage of exit intent and scroll-depth triggers. Rather than a generic pop-up lightbox that interrupts the reading experience, offer highly relevant lead magnets when someone is thoroughly reading an article. This lets them get familiar with your content first, instead of interrupting them.
Once you’ve started to implement some of these content marketing strategies, how do you know how well they’re performing?
You’ll need to tie them to clear business outcomes, not just to make the most of your budget and time, but to continue to get buy-in from key decision-makers.
That means first and foremost concentrating on the most important metrics, like:
Use attribution models to make sure you capture your content’s role over long-term conversion funnels.
The bottom line when it comes to content marketing for startups in 2025 is that authentic content still stands out when it comes to building real connections with your target audience, scaling startups, and cultivating brand recognition.
By focusing on the metrics that matter and weaving in powerful, compelling stories, startups can create a presence that projects where they want to go, rather than where they currently are.
Most importantly, never lose sight of your audience. They’re the heart and soul of every piece of content you produce. At this phase in your growth, it’s important to start small, continually reiterate, and stay swift and agile as you continue to build. Your content (and your audience) will thank you.
Discover industry-leading tools for your content marketing strategy. Check out Originality.ai’s Predictive SEO Tool, AI Checker, Plagiarism Checker, and Grammar Checker.
Discover more content marketing best practices in our top guides:
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