You’re creating valuable content. You’ve researched what your audience is looking to know. You’ve even scoped out the competition to see what they are writing about. Even so, you aren’t seeing tangible results in your content marketing approach. If this sounds like your brand, then you’re in the right place.
Content performance is a tricky concept to understand, especially with changing algorithms and multifaceted options for content. From traditional blog posts and podcasts to visual adaptations on social media, content can take on many forms today. That said, whatever form your content takes, it needs to move the needle. Here are three reasons your content may not be performing and what to do about it.
1. You’re Neglecting Your SEO Strategy
Search engine optimization (SEO) is invaluable. End of story. The higher you rank on a search engine result page, whether it’s Google, Yahoo, or Bing, the more likely that people will visit your site. In your personal searches, think of how many times you go to the second or third page of a search query. The answer is probably rarely — if ever! SEO helps your website become more visible, leading to more traffic and, hopefully, more leads.
This doesn’t mean you should stuff your content with keywords just to rank higher; rather, you should focus on keywords that you can organically rank for, and as always, you should be producing quality content people want to see. Through your research, perhaps you see a gap in the marketplace. Maybe your competition is dominating a few key terms, but there are others that you can write on to fill the void. Providing these answers can help further establish you as an authority within the particular field.
Another way to establish authority is by creating content clusters. This strategy improves your website’s overall structure and organization by linking similar pages together. Rather than having a bunch of articles unrelated to each other, your content should be linked and, therefore, easier to find. Users are more likely to stay on your site and read related content when it is noticeable to them. For search engines, a content cluster strategy establishes authority and relevance, meaning you will soon be the go-to for the types of topics you’re writing on.
2. You’re Failing to Promote Your Content
Hitting the ‘publish’ button is not the end of your content creation. In actuality, it’s very much just the beginning. If you’re not promoting your content, the chances of your target audience finding it are pretty slim. With so much content being produced daily, the Internet is flooded with new information. Because of this, users’ attention is being pulled in various directions. For brands, this means you only have a small window of opportunity to attract users through content promotion.
There are plenty of ways to promote content, including email marketing, social media, and paid promotion. If you already have an email distribution list and you are not putting new content within your newsletters, then you’re missing out. Your email list users have already raised their hand, saying they’re interested in your brand! By sending them links to recently published content, you are promoting articles that they are likely going to be interested in.
Social media marketing has become a new form of content promotion, and it has taken on many forms due to the widespread use of these platforms. But before you promote anything and everything on your social handles, think about your audience. Where will this new piece of content resonate most? If it’s an in-depth business piece, you may want to opt for a LinkedIn post rather than a TikTok video, for example. You can also find success in repurposing how you are promoting the content across different platforms.
Lastly, paid promotion is another avenue that many brands take in terms of getting their content to their select audience segments. With this type of promotion, you’re utilizing targeting personas, demographics, and geographic information to pinpoint exactly who you want to click on the content. This can look like sponsored posts on Facebook and Instagram or display banner ads designed to grab users’ attention and bring them to your content. Regardless of how you promote, keep your audience in mind and think of what is most likely to capture their interest.
3. Your Content is Inconsistent
If you’re publishing content when the fancy strikes, how will your readers know about it? How can they anticipate when you will be publishing something? The answer is that they can’t! An inconsistent publishing schedule won’t help you form the long-term, trusted relationships that your brand is craving. Your audience may be uninterested when you do publish something just because you haven’t been a reliable source of information.
One way to ensure a more consistent content production is with a content calendar. Sometimes known as an editorial calendar, this schedule keeps you and your entire production team on track. You can see what is being published and fill in any gaps when something is newsworthy or of the utmost importance. A calendar can include everything from when an article will be published on the site to how and when it will be promoted.
Aim to plan for at least three months’ worth of content. This may seem daunting at first, especially if you’ve been free writing, but it can also keep you more organized. Perhaps you have a list of topics you’ve wanted to write about but haven’t gotten around to yet. Use this list as the start and leave gaps in the calendar so you can still post when that burst of inspiration happens.
Takeaways
When done correctly, content marketing can boost your brand’s presence, attract new loyal customers, and increase sales. If you’re writing for the sake of writing and not seeing results, that’s a good sign that you need to look at your current strategy. By putting these tips into practice, more eyeballs will get on the high-quality content you’re producing.
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