Constant Content in Content SEO Strategy: What You Need to Know
Proper content strategy should be based on the planning, creation, publishing, and managing of the content. It has to be engaging, interesting, meaningful, and useful to your target audience. Therefore, the creation of the content is a much more complicated process than it may at first seem. Strategy construction helps define what to do with content that was created earlier, analyze its effectiveness, and design plans for the future: what and how you are going to create to reach your target audience and prompt them to buy a product/service. You can read more information in the article about the Website Content Audit.
The content includes not only textual components but also everything you produce for your site: photos, videos, digital books, quizzes, etc. Each fragment of the content is used for a specific purpose and is involved at a certain stage of the sales funnel. Below, we will tell you more detailed information about the types of content and how to use them.
There is no all-inclusive plan for the creation of business content strategies as every case is specific and unique. However, certain rules should be taken into account and followed:
- Give preference to topics that are easily perceived.
- Analyze and create content based on the volume of requests, frequency, and trendiness of keywords, traffic indices (for instance, the content plan should be better drawn taking into account the seasonal growth of keywords’ frequency).
- Use key phrases that have low competition.
- Do not forget to optimize internal links.
- Ensure that the content clickability is increasing.
- Regularly update and add newly available content.
In this article, we will tell you how to create content, which kind of content you should create, and how to plan a content strategy that will meet your expectations.
Constant Content: What Is This About
The essence of writing for constant content implies the creation of a well-thought-out content plan that takes into account the frequency and sequence of publications on your resources.
It is necessary to think globally and not to get stuck on one idea: Today, you have to know for sure what you are going to share with your audience tomorrow, in a week, or a month. It is necessary to learn how to forecast users’ interests, investigate trends, and to know what will be popular in the future.
Try to avoid periods of silence in content production; this is unacceptable. Just imagine how disappointed users will be after they discover your brand and decide to get to know it better, but there is nothing to get acquainted with – all the pages’ activity is closely linked only to the advertising campaign devoted to the launch of a new product.
To avoid such situations, remember constant marketing and constant content plan: regularly and consistently publishing content of different types creates visibility and presence of a business on the Internet for users, meets their needs, and can help solve problems they have come to your resource about.
How to Create Constant Content that will not Lose its Relevance
The creation of well-optimized content for a site is an important part of any promotion. We suggest several recommendations for systematic elaboration and updating of the content that will help keep an audience and will positively influence results in the SERP.
1. Stick to a Schedule
The level of interaction with the content is correlated to the time of its publication. This rule is true for sites, blogs, and social networks. The information you provide to users has to be relevant for them at the moment they are going to interact with it.
The blog post “Top-5 Protection Means Against Ultraviolet” will not be interesting in December when people are busy preparing for the holidays. Try to think about the desires and needs of the audience in advance and integrate these thoughts into the content plan.
Prepare materials in advance while taking into account possible force majeure circumstances, be flexible, and do not forget about the peak times of content consumption on the Internet (weekends, early morning and evening during working days, and lunchtime). Every social network has its peak interaction time when the maximum number of users scroll through the feed. Take this into account when creating a content plan.
2. Find Out What Your Audience Wants
This knowledge will help you publish relevant content that will be successfully consumed by users regardless of format. For this, it is necessary to work out the demographic of the target audience (age, sex, occupation, geography, etc. – the more data, the better), which will help in drawing general conclusions about their interests. Add quizzes to social media and forums – and you are on a halfway to success!
3. Avoid a Complicated Presentation
It is difficult to hold the attention of an audience if you use complex vocabulary. It can discourage the readers, and they could leave even before they understand the essence of what you tried to convey. Try to use an amicable communication mode, but nothing too familiar. The main task is to raise interest and win their trust.
4. Create Attractive Headings
Vibrant attractive headers draw attention and incite users to become further acquainted with the content. The heading has to contain the answer to a user’s query, call-to-action, or a tantalizing problem. Remember, permanently posted content will not reach its maximum effect without a catchy heading.
5. Update the Data in Your Content
There is nothing worse than finding suitable information and discovering that the data it contains is irrelevant. Even if you are regularly posting new content, do not forget to check your old posts: update statistical data and infographics, and add up-to-date links.
6. Follow Your Style
It is always pleasing to notice that content is prepared in a cohesive style. If you have chosen your style for writing texts and producing visual content, stick to it, as users will evaluate this. If you feature the writings of guest posts, check if they meet your style, just like all the other content that is produced externally.
7. Re-energize Outdated Content
Do not refuse old posts if they can be re-written. Also, note the creation of the “evergreen” content that remains relevant for a long time and will continue to bring you likes, shares, and reposts. For instance, manuals, tutorials, interactive content.
How to Build a Successful Content Marketing Strategy
We have found the secrets for creating long-running content, let’s move on to the following questions:
- What types of content exist and how to use them;
- Where to search for content ideas;
- Constant content writing sample or how to create content plans.
Content Types
All available content can be nominally divided into four groups:
1. Textual Content
In this group, you should pay attention to such types of content:
- Blog Post
Blogging is undeniably important for the SEO promotion of any brand. With its help, it is possible to communicate with your audience, inform them about all the changes within your company, increase brand recognition, and create a platform for communicating with like-minded people by sharing useful and educative information. You can read more about blog posts in the article about How to Write a Great Blog Post in 2020. -
Digital Books
Use digital books written by you if you feel the necessity to provide additional or more detailed information in your niche: suggest that users download books for free or present them a premium subscription. A digital book should meet the interests and needs of the audience. Suggest that they enter their email and information to receive a book. In the future, you will be able to use this information for advertising promotions via email. - Users’ Case Studies, Success Stories, and Other Feedback
Case studies show how well your product/service works, while the success stories of users show whether your brand can be trusted. As many Internet purchases are based on feedback, this is a useful indicator. For example, if you manufacture innovative equipment to treat scoliosis, publish the study on how it works, as well as stories of satisfied clients that have coped with their medical problem thanks to your equipment. -
Guides and User Manuals
If you create something complicated, explain the principles of operation to users. The hidden powers of your vacuum-cleaning robot can interest even more people, as well as providing the possibility to properly integrate all the keywords and phrases that are necessary for SEO.
2. Visual Content
In the era of digital technologies, it is the visual content that can bring you the desired result. It is attractive, accessible, and it is easier to perceive than regular “dry” material.
We recommend using the following types of visual content:
-
Images
Using images in a text is necessary to keep the user’s attention. Ensure their quality and originality. Try maintaining one common style for all images on the site. Read the article on the topic – SEO Images.
Example: an image on the main page of the international brand of beauty products L’occitane – a bright, attractive, and original photo targeted at the company’s audience.
- Infographics
One can use infographics to explain complicated material in an easily digestible language. It can be also used to create statistics and comparison data about the company. -
Memes
It is easy to create them, and they work well for various audiences. Read more about the technology of creation and using memes in our article How to Get Backlinks and Traffic to a Site Using Memes 2020. -
Virtual 3D Tours
This type of visual content is necessary for the owners of various establishments. It works like a magnet that attracts clients. A user can instantly evaluate what they are going to deal with and if they are inspired by the atmosphere, they will visit you soon.
3. Interactive Content
Being that it is called interactive, this content should entertain users, which can include quizzes, tests, giveaways with valuable prizes, game-based learning, crossword puzzles, and interactive polls. The latter will help collect additional information about the audience.
4. Video Content
Every year, the statistics of video content consumption is increasing. Every month, 85% of Internet users in the US watch various videos on all of their devices (Statista, 2018). For the most part, videos are preferred by young people ranging from 25 – 34 years.
Depending on the business niche, it is possible to use various video content: video tutorials, interviews, educational videos, reviews, webinars, etc.
For instance, on the YouTube channel of the Japanese mass-market Uniqlo, you can find not only reviews of new collections and interviews with designers but also the backstage shooting of the creation of their clothes.
The next question, which is no less important, is how and where to search for ideas for creating content and drawing content plans.
It is possible, to begin with, the following easy steps:
- Ask your audience what they would like to read/watch/hear from you. In this way, you will create the target and necessary content.
- Study discussions on social networks. For example, if you are a beginner in the cosmetics niche, check which products interest people today, what they use, and what they want to buy.
- Use forums. Big platforms can serve as a source for cool ideas in different niches. Be inspired by Reddit to create constant content and spending time on Quora is beneficial– it will not take long to reach success. You can read more useful information in the article about Reddit For SEO.
- Watch competitors. Anything interesting to the audience of competitors is your niche. Check the interaction of users with their posts, visual content, and other materials, this can all be used for content planning. Read more information in the article about SEO Competitive Analysis.
- Follow trends. International trends set their rules and are related to various fields of your life. Incorporate the use of Google Trends to always be informed about what is popular in your region and to help with the generation of keywords and phrases. Read more in the article on How to use Google Trends for SEO.
Content-Marketing Strategy: Step-by-Step Guide
So, what is the secret of a successful content marketing strategy? Of course, in the coordinated work of all the people responsible for it. Set yourself the rule of silver bullet marketing: create a reliable strategy and ensure that it is implemented. It has to include various practices to achieve set targets.
Here is our suggested step-by-step guide.
1. Define Your Main Intentions
A successful strategy is derived from correctly set targets and a clear understanding. There will most likely, be several targets. In the case of the content, they can be the following:
- To improve brand recognition;
- To increase company revenue;
- To improve conversion;
- To improve loyalty to the brand;
- To increase audience engagement;
- To build the relations of trust with the audience;
- To attract strategic partners.
2. Evaluate Your Possibilities
A good content marketing strategy requires certain financial and timely investments. Calculate how many people are going to work on its implementation, whether the attraction of additional external resources will be necessary (for instance, freelance copywriters), and compare it with the budget the company is ready to invest.
3. Choose the Main Types of Content You are Planning to Use
To maximize the effectiveness of the content, it is necessary to know at which stage of the sales funnel it should be used. Marketing divides the funnel into three reference levels: the upper, middle, and lower.
At the upper level, there is the audience that is not yet interested in working with you or does not even know you exist. At this stage, the main task is to raise interest and keep the client’s attention. For this purpose, inspiring, informational, and entertaining content is suitable: press releases, infographics, 3D tours, tutorials, texts for landing pages, catchy blog articles, and quizzes.
The middle level consists of people who are partially interested and are looking for something related to your niche but have not yet chosen you. It is possible here to use the product demonstration, sending of digital books, reviews, and emailing.
The lower level is the final lap to sales. Here you suggest the solution to the users’ problems and expect the purchase of a product/service. At this stage, it would be appropriate to use webinars, special offers, topic research, and feedback from satisfied customers.
4. Choose the Platforms You Are Going to Work With
Choose the platforms that you are going to concentrate on while taking into account the target audience profile. Your brand should be represented on all social networks, but a majority of the effort should be focused on one or two. For instance, if you are working with photos or selling pictures, it is obvious that your audience is on Instagram.
5. Create and Post Quality Content
Create a precise content plan and follow it strictly. Stick to the frequency and quality of publications, get your audience accustomed to a consistent schedule. You can create content plans for a week, month, or quarter – it depends on the frequency of posting and business niche.
6. Analyze the Fulfilled Work
From time to time, analyze the works that have been completed. Keep track of the type of content that is the best perceived, which topics secure the audience, what is the most shared, and which has been interacted with the most. It will help define the main direction and topics for further planning. Read more information in the article about Website Content Audit.
Successful Content Marketing Cases: Examples that Inspire
1. City Guides from Airbnb
This online service for accommodations, searching, and short-term renting of dwellings is popular all over the world. But the company had put a lot of effort into their brand building. Their most successful case is a traveler’s guide around touristic locations that caught a buzz because of its relevance. Thanks to such guides, it is easier for users to find their way around a new place, find necessary places, and entertainment. Based on the feedback and ratings of other users, the resource rates local places, which makes it possible for a client to choose a suitable option.
2. Glossier: Marketing on Social Networks
Glossier, a decorative cosmetics brand, had initially focused on social media, and they were right: even before the launch of their first product, they had 13,000 subscribers on Instagram (now, this figure is reaching 3 million). Such success can be explained only by a thorough knowledge of the target audience and the creation of thematic posts that attract it. The company is still relying on its loyal fans. They once chose 500 regular customers and gifted them with new product samples. Girls promoted this product on their social media platforms, and this advertising has completely met all of the expectations and investments.
Another peculiar feature of the brand is its live photos on Instagram that do not use Photoshop excessively.
3. Personalized Emailing from BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed, a news Internet media-company, is known for its personalized emailing that they do much better than other organizations. Nowadays, it is extremely complicated to win email battles, especially taking into account that the majority of people do not have time to open the emails they receive. This is why BuzzFeed divides their emailing into segments so that subscribers will only receive the news that meets your interests or just one cute kitten picture a day.
4. P&G Good Everyday
The company Procter & Gamble keeps a wonderful blog called P&G Everyday that helps their target audience (busy women taking care of kids) solve persisting problems. These texts are about health, education, news, and features many other posts that are regular and sequential.
5. Stories From Microsoft
To establish trust with readers, tell them a story. This was a tactic that Microsoft used when they started their blog. With its help, they not only successfully communicate with their audience but also strengthen their connection with clients.
Content strategy is a complicated and laborious process that you should make as easy and coordinated as possible. Regular content production can satisfy the requests of your audience and forecast their future behavior, which will not only influence sales but also improve your brand recognition.
