How to Set Your Content Marketing Priorities
If you’re new to the content marketing arena and are just getting in the game, you have probably noticed just how large and probably intimidating the industry is. There are plenty of components to content marketing, and trying to incorporate them all can be overwhelming. Just Googling “content marketing” leads you to a never-ending list of websites and blogs that themselves delve deeper and deeper into the many facets of it. It’s no wonder you may not know where to start.
If you’ve been applying content marketing strategies but aren’t sure which areas to take a closer look at, all those options can seem just as intimidating. Well, have no fear. CopyPress is here to help you figure out your content marketing priorities.
Priorities are different for different businesses and those businesses’ goals, so there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. In this article, we’re going to be looking at which aspects of content marketing strategy are important to prioritize for your business depending on if you’re a newcomer to content marketing or if you’re more established and need help focusing your efforts.
For Newcomers
If you’re new to the content marketing world, welcome! You’ll find there are many positive facets of the industry that can help you in a big way. Let’s take a look at what to focus on.
Knowing Your Audience
Before you start with any sort of content, you need to know whom you’re trying to appeal to. Getting even a baseline understanding of your audience sets you up for much more success than if you are writing to please a large, general audience. We’ve talked before about the importance of knowing your audience, and it’s just as applicable now.
It may seem like common sense to you to write for as many people as possible so you can nab as many potential buyers as possible. However, by narrowing your target audience, you can write more engaging content with more specific details. That target audience already has an interest in what you’re saying/selling, and they’re more likely to read what you’ve got to say or buy what you’re offering.
Creating Content
Now that you know whom you’re writing to, you should start writing. A blog is an important aspect of a website. If it’s high quality and properly optimized, it can keep people coming back to learn more, set you up as an authority in your space, and drive traffic back to your main site. Who doesn’t want all that?
The content you create should be written well. If you don’t feel like you have anyone on board with that specialty, outsourcing your writing needs is a great way to get some premium content on your site. Whether you choose an agency or look for a one-off specialized freelancer, you can rest assured your content is getting written by someone who knows your industry. This is important because if your content is accurate and well written, more and more people are going to consider you someone they can trust when they’re looking for information.
It’s important to remember that content doesn’t have to solely be blog posts. If you create visual content, such as infographics, you’ll find it typically has a higher viral potential and is more shareable.
Setting Up a Calendar
One of your top content marketing priorities should be getting that content out to the public. You should be consistent. Creating an editorial calendar is your best bet when it comes to staying on track. You’ll know what you’re posting, when you’re posting it, and where you’re posting it. You’ll get into a rhythm. People should come to expect a blog post every Tuesday and Thursday, or a newsletter every Friday.
Once you start following your schedule, you can take note of the metrics, such as open rate and click-through rate. From there, you can tinker with your timing to see if certain days or times work best for your audience.
For Established Users
Just because you’ve been using a content marketing strategy doesn’t mean it can’t improve or you won’t get lost in the next steps. There are plenty of ways to step up your priorities and take that strategy to the next level. A couple of those ways are below.
Repurposing Content
This is a pretty common problem businesses face. You’ve got all sorts of content, and a lot of that content may be evergreen. It may also be one of your big traffic drivers. If these are the case, you can get a lot more miles out of that content than you may think. You can take the meat of that content and put it in new formats. Have you ever considered a whitepaper or a podcast?
It doesn’t have to be complicated. There are so many ways you can repurpose your content, and you should do just that. You either paid for that content or you worked hard on it. If it’s evergreen and is proven to drive traffic back to your site, let it keep working for you. Even doing a throwback and reposting the same article every six months or so can be worth it.
Tracking Efficacy
If you’ve got a content plan in place, you have optimized content, and you’re on a schedule, you shouldn’t get complacent. You need to know what’s working and what isn’t. The content world is always evolving, and your content marketing strategy needs to evolve with it.
How can you track this? Data. Use Google Analytics to check your site metrics. Use your mail client’s analysis to dig into the ins and outs of your email campaigns. Are they getting opened as much as they used to? How are your subscription numbers looking? Because you’ve been doing this for a while, it’s easier to track trends and notice patterns. Make sure you’re using up to date keyword practices. Shift, revamp, reschedule, track, and find your areas of improvement.
This is obviously only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the many moving parts of content marketing, but these five priorities should be in your line of sight, because they’re some of the most important to get started on the right foot and to keep moving forward in a positive direction. What priorities do you set for your business? Reach out on Twitter to let us know.
CopyPress writer
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