Welcome to the new year and a new opportunity to level up your content marketing game.
As we enter 2023, the digital landscape is constantly evolving, and it’s more important than ever to stay ahead of the curve. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting, these 12 content marketing tips and tricks will boost your strategy and help you achieve your business goals.
So, buckle up, and let’s dive into content marketing.
Here are 12 actionable content marketing tips and tricks that will boost your engagement.
1. Know who you are creating content for
Content Marketing tips and tricks number one, it is important to understand your audience and target market clearly. Without this, your content may fall flat and fail to connect with the people you’re attempting to reach. A little research on your audience can go a long way. Consider their age, sex, their hobbies, what they do for fun, their role in the company you’re after, and is your product and service a good fit for the audience you’re after. If it’s not, don’t fret. Adjust and move on to the right audience.
- Your audience: Your audience is the group of people you are creating content for. They are the ones who will be consuming your content, engaging with it, and potentially taking action as a result. It’s important to deeply understand who your right audience. Focusing on their demographics, interests, pain points, and behaviors and how your business can alleviate or make better their business.
- Your target market: A subset of your audience that is likely to become customers or clients is your target market. They are the people you hope to convert to your content. Understanding your target market is critical for content creation that addresses their needs and concerns while motivating them to act. In the same context, knowing how big your target market is can help you set goals that are realistic and attainable. There are many websites and census that gather information that may help in figuring out what your total addressable market may be.
- Your voice: The tone and style with which you create content are defined as your voice. It should be consistent across all your content and reflect your brand’s personality. Having a voice that resonates with your audience and target market is key. You wouldn’t want to sound to relaxed when your target is executives or too professional if your audience are gamers. Knowing who you’re talking to will help you determine the tone and voice of your brand. Remember who you’re writing for when creating content and tailor it to their needs, pain points, and interests. You can create content that effectively reaches and resonates with the people you want to impact if you understand your audience, target market, and voice.
2. Improve content marketing with search traffic
Finding topics with high search potential is essential for increasing traffic and expanding your audience. But where do you look for those topics? Here are a few strategies for determining which topics will increase traffic to your website. Here is the breakdown for content marketing tips and tricks number two:
- First, you can use keyword research tools to identify popular keywords in your industry. These tools will display the search volume and competition for various keywords, allowing you to determine which topics are currently in demand.
- To find topics with a high search volume and low competition, look for a target keyword with a high volume and low competition.
- Google keyword planner, Ahref, and SEMrush are great tools to help conduct keyword research.
- Next, keep an eye on your rivals. Examine the topics they are writing about and the types of content performing well for them. You can use tools like Buzzsumo to see what content is popular in your industry and get ideas for topics that resonate with your target audience.
- You can also get ideas from industry influencers and thought leaders. Look at what they say on social media, blog posts, and podcasts. By following the content they produce, you can identify topics that resonate with their audience, which may also resonate with your target audience.
- You can also use Social Media platforms listening tools to determine which topics are trending and being discussed by your target audience. This will give you an idea of the current hot topics and the audience’s interest.
- Finally, don’t be afraid to think outside the box. The most interesting and unique topics are often yet to be covered. Could you look at your industry from a new perspective or approach a topic differently?
By looking at things differently, you can discover new content marketing opportunities and topics with high search traffic potential that others have yet to discover.
3. Tackle competitors’ best-performing topics
Content Marketing tips and tricks number three: Understanding what your competitors are doing can help you decide what topics to write about. You can identify topics that resonate with your target audience by analyzing your competitors’ best-performing content and using that information to inform your content strategies.
Here are a few methods for identifying your competitors’ top-performing topics.
Tools such as Buzzsumo or Ahrefs help to determine which of your competitors’ content is receiving the most social media shares and engagement. These tools can help you identify opportunities to create similar content that will perform well for your audience and give you a sense of which topics resonate with their audience.
Examine your competitors’ blogs or websites. Analyze which articles receive the most comments and engagement, and take note of the topics covered. You can understand what resonates with your audience and use that information to inform your content by analyzing the topics and formats that are working well.
You can also use search engines to determine which of your competitors’ pages receives the most traffic. This will give you an idea of which topics drive the most traffic to their website, which can indicate which topics resonate with their audience.
Finally, you can directly ask your audience. You can ask your audience what kind of content they want to see from you by using surveys, polls, or social media. This will give you an idea of the topics your target audience is most interested in and help you identify opportunities to create content that resonates with them.
4. Find a unique angle
Content marketing tips and tricks number four: Another way on how to improve content marketing is to develop a unique angle, positioning or strategy. It is critical to stand out from the crowd to capture the attention of your target audience.
Finding a unique angle and creating high-quality content is one way to accomplish this. Let’s look at how we can find a new angle and make your content stand out.
Could you take a step back and look at your industry differently? “What have I not seen before?” or “What unique perspective can I bring to this topic?” By approaching a topic novelty, you can discover new opportunities and develop a successful content strategy that will set you apart from the competition. Sometimes asking someone that is not constantly in the weeds with you but comes from another background or industry can help give you a new perspective of seeing your industry and business. Get into conversations with people that have no clue what you do and break it down for them, that gets your mind thinking differently. Socials are always a good way to practice.
Take advantage of current events and trends. What is going on in the world? Examine how it relates to your industry. Consider how you can use new technology in your industry to create fresh and unique content, for example.
Consumer research can help you identify your industry’s pain points, unmet needs, and common misconceptions. By addressing these issues in your content, you can add value to your audience while distinguishing yourself from the competition.
Don’t be afraid to be outspoken or to question the status quo. You can create content that will spark conversation and capture attention by taking a bold stance on a topic. Ensure that your approach is respectful, professional, and consistent with your brand’s personality and values.
5. Narrow your focus on your blog post
Number five on the 12 content marketing tips and tricks list: You can create more targeted, relevant, and engaging content for your audience by narrowing your focus on your blog post. For example if your audience is executives in the aerospace industry don’t start writing about increasing your engagement on a cooking blog. Again, knowing your audience will help keep you on topic when it comes to creating articles.
It is easier to research, create, and structure your content when you have a clear and specific topic. This can help you produce an article that adds value, is easy to read, and is more likely to be shared and generate leads.
Narrowing your focus also helps you avoid covering too much ground in one post, which can result in a disjointed and scattered piece that falls short of its promise.
In short, you create more effective content and increase your chances of meeting your business goals.
6. Create your content based on search intent
Content Marketing tips and tricks number six: Understanding the search intent behind a query can increase your organic traffic and help in producing relevant and valuable content for your target audience.
Here are a few methods for determining search intent using content type, format, and angle.
Content-Type:
- Informational: The user is looking for information on a particular topic. For example, a search for “how to train a dog” indicates that the user wishes to learn how to train a dog.
- Navigational: The user is looking for a specific website or webpage. A search for “Amazon” indicates that the user is looking for the Amazon website.
- Transactional: The user wants to make a purchase or complete a transaction. A search for “buy running shoes” indicates that the user wants to buy running shoes.
Content Format:
- Text-based: The user is looking for written content, such as a blog post or article.
- Video-based: The user is looking for video content, such as a tutorial or product review.
- Audio-based: The user is looking for audio content, such as a podcast or audio clip.
Content Angle:
- How-to: The user is looking for step-by-step instructions on how to do something.
- Comparison: The user is looking for a comparison of different products or options.
- Opinion: The user is looking for an opinion or review of a product or service.
Understanding the search intent behind a query allows you to create more relevant, valuable content that will be found and consumed by your target audience. You can create engaging, informative content and are more likely to achieve your business goals if you consider the content type, format, and angle.
7. Create a content calendar
Number seven on the content marketing tips and tricks list: Creating a calendar is an essential component of any content marketing strategy. It enables you to plan, organize, and execute your content strategically, consistently, and business-aligned manner. But why is having a content calendar so important?
A content calendar lets you plan to publish new content and consistently keep your audience engaged. A calendar can help you avoid last-minute content creation and ensure that you always publish high-quality, relevant content.
It aids in brand consistency. By planning your content, you can ensure that it matches your brand’s personality, tone, and values. This will help you develop a consistent brand voice and image that resonates with your target audience.
It allows you to measure and track your performance. By tracking your content, you can see what is and isn’t working and make data-driven decisions about your content strategy. This will help you optimize your content for better results and achieve your business objectives.
Now that you know the importance of having a calendar, let’s discuss creating one.
- Identify your goals: It is essential to determine them before creating your calendar. What do you hope to accomplish with your content? Do you want to increase traffic, generate leads, or increase engagement? You can begin planning your content around your goals once you clearly understand them.
- Research your audience: Recognize your target audience’s interests and pain points. This will help you determine topics that interest them and content creation that meets their requirements.
- Plan your content: You can begin planning your content once you have a firm grasp of your objectives and target audience. Use a spreadsheet or an editorial calendar tool to plan your content for the next month, quarter, or year.
- Schedule your content: It’s time for you to schedule it now that you’ve planned it. Use a scheduling tool to automate the process and ensure your content is published on time.
- Measure and track your performance: Monitor the performance of your content and use the data to make informed decisions about your content strategy.
A content marketing calendar ensures that your content marketing campaign is consistent, relevant, and on target with your business objectives. Following the above steps, you can create a content calendar to help you achieve your business goals.
8. Promote your content
Promoting your article is necessary for reaching your target audience and driving traffic to your website. Here are a few content marketing tips and tricks and digital marketing ideas for getting your article in front of the right people:
- Share on social media: Share your article across your channels and encourage your followers to do the same. This will aid in increasing visibility and reaching a wider audience.
- Email marketing: Send your article to your email list and encourage them to forward it to their contacts. This will allow you to reach a specific audience interested in your content.
- Reach out to influencers: Contact industry influencers and ask them to share your article with their followers. This will allow you to reach a larger audience and establish credibility in your field.
- Submit to article directories: Submit your article to well-known article directories like Medium or LinkedIn. This will allow you to reach a larger audience and increase brand visibility.
- Paid promotion: To reach a larger audience, use paid promotion. You can use platforms such as Facebook ads or Google Ads to reach potential readers interested in your content.
- Optimize for SEO: Include keywords, meta descriptions, and title tag to optimize your article for SEO. This will boost your article’s visibility and help it rank higher in search engine results.
- Guest post: Contact other blogs in your niche and offer to write a guest post for them. This will allow you to reach a new audience and increase brand visibility.
- Internal linking: When you publish new articles, link to them from other articles on your website that are relevant. This will help increase your new article’s visibility and drive more traffic to it.
- Community building: Participate in industry or target audience-related discussion boards, forums, or social media groups. Share your post and interact with the community. This can help to increase your website’s visibility and traffic.
To increase the visibility of your article, use a combination of strategies such as social media, email marketing, influencer marketing, and so on.
9. Repurpose your content
Number nine on the content marketing tips and tricks list: Repurposing your content is an excellent way to extend the life of your efforts and reach new audiences. Here are a few ideas for revitalizing your existing content:
Break up a long-form article into smaller, more manageable chunks. These smaller pieces can be used as social media posts, email newsletters, or even blog series.
Update an old piece of content with new information, statistics, or examples. This can make it more relevant and useful to your target audience.
Make a video or podcast out of a blog post. This will provide your audience with a new way to consume your content through video marketing and allow you to reach out to new people who prefer different formats.
Convert key points from your article into quotes and pullouts that can be shared on social media or used in other pieces of content.
Examine your old content with new eyes, and try to find a new angle or perspective you haven’t considered before. This can help you develop new and engaging content for your audience.
You can breathe new life into your existing content by breaking it up, updating it, refreshing it, experimenting with different formats, using quotes and pullouts, and developing a new angle.
10. Guest posts & PR outreach
One of the most effective content marketing tips and tricks is number ten on the list: Guest posting and public relations outreach are essential for developing a backlink profile and relationships. This will benefit your current posts and your website’s ranking.
- Identify your target publications: Begin by researching relevant websites and publications for your industry and target audience. Look for websites with a large following and a high level of engagement.
- Build relationships: Once you’ve identified your target publications, you can build relationships with the editors, writers, and other key contacts. This can be accomplished by leaving comments on their articles, sharing their content on social media, or contacting them directly.
- Create a pitch: Once you’ve established relationships with your target publications, it’s time to craft a pitch. Your pitch should be concise, clear, and compelling. It should include a synopsis of your proposed article, why it is relevant to its target audience, and why you are the best person to write it.
- Write a great article: Once your pitch has been accepted, it is time to write a fantastic article. Make sure your article is well-researched, well-written, and adds value to the reader’s life.
- Follow up: After publishing your article, contact the editor or writer to thank them for the opportunity and solicit feedback.
- Use PR outreach: Contact journalists, bloggers, and industry influencers and provide them with exclusive access, interviews, or press releases about your brand or product.
- Create a media kit: Create a media kit that includes information about your brand and high-resolution images, videos, and other materials that journalists, bloggers, and influencers can use.
- Measure and track your results: Keep track of the outcomes of your guest posting and public relations outreach efforts. Track website traffic and engagement metrics with tools like Google Analytics. This will assist you in understanding what is and is not working, allowing you to make data-driven decisions about your guest posting and PR outreach strategy.
11. Set measurable goals
Probably one of the most under estimated content marketing tips and tricks is number eleven on this list: Setting measurable objectives for your content marketing strategy is critical to the overall success of your marketing efforts. It can be difficult to determine if your content impacts your business and make data-driven decisions about your content strategy without clear, measurable goals.
Goals help you understand what you want to accomplish with your content and how to track your progress. This enables you to develop a content strategy that aligns with your overall business goals and track your progress over time.
Examples of measurable goals for your content marketing strategy include:
- Increasing website traffic: By setting a goal to increase website traffic, you can track the number of visitors to your website over time and measure the impact of your content on driving traffic.
- Generating leads: By setting a goal to generate leads, you can track the number of leads generated from your content and measure the effectiveness of your lead-generation efforts.
- Increasing engagement: By setting a goal to increase engagement, you can track the number of shares, comments, and likes on your content and measure the engagement of your audience with your content.
- Boosting conversions: By setting a goal to boost conversions, you can track the number of conversions from your content and measure the effectiveness of your content in driving sales or other key performance indicators.
You can ensure that your content is aligned with your overall business objectives and track your progress over time by setting goals for your content marketing strategies. This will allow you to make data-driven content strategy decisions and optimize your content for better results.
12. Monitor your progress
In order to accomplish your goals this last content marketing tips and tricks is a necessity. Tracking your progress is an important part of any content marketing strategy. It enables you to track the performance of your content, understand what works and what doesn’t, and make data-driven content strategy decisions. But how do you track your progress creatively and efficiently?
- Set up tracking tools: Track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as website traffic, engagement, conversions, and lead generation using Google Analytics, social media analytics, and email marketing analytics.This will assist you in understanding the impact of your content on your business and making data-driven decisions about your content strategy.
- Create a content dashboard: To track the performance of your content over time, you can use a dashboard or spreadsheet. This will allow you to see trends and patterns in the performance of your content and identify areas for improvement.
- Track your competition: Keep an eye on the content marketing efforts of your competitors. Analyze their content, monitor their performance, and determine what works for them. This data can then be used to inform your strategy.
- Use A/B testing: A/B testing allows you to compare different content versions to see which performs the best. This will help you optimize your content for better results.
- Get feedback from your audience: Request feedback from your target audience on your content. Use surveys and polls to gather feedback and make data-driven content strategy decisions.
- Monitor your brand mentions: Maintain a record of where and how your brand is mentioned online, whether on social media, in the news, or on forums and review sites. Thus helping you improve your content strategy by better understanding how your audience perceives your brand.
In conclusion, tracking your progress is critical in any content marketing strategy.
You can track the performance of your content, understand what’s working and what’s not, and make data-driven decisions.
By setting up tracking tools, creating a content dashboard, tracking your competition, testing, getting feedback from your audience, and monitoring your brand mentions.
Don’t be afraid to try new ways of doing things, those ideas might just be the ones that give breakthrough into your target market. Try any of these content marketing strategy examples or all of them, were sure they will boost your engagement.
What is content marketing?
Content marketing is a strategy that entails producing and disseminating valuable and relevant content to attract, engage, and retain a target audience. By establishing trust and credibility with your target audience, content marketing aims to drive profitable customer action.
What are the benefits of content marketing?
Content marketing can benefit businesses in various ways, including raising brand awareness, increasing website traffic, generating leads, and increasing sales. It can also help with customer engagement and retention, providing useful information to customers, and search engine optimization.
How do I create a content marketing strategy?
Developing a content marketing strategy entails identifying your target audience, understanding their needs and interests, setting measurable goals, and developing a content plan consistent with your overall business objectives. Monitoring your progress and making data-driven decisions to optimize your strategy is also critical.
What types of content can I create?
Blog posts, articles, videos, infographics, e-books, webinars, social media posts, and email newsletters are all examples of content. The key is understanding your audience’s preferences and creating content that speaks to them.
How do I measure the success of my content marketing?
Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) such as website traffic, engagement, conversions, and lead generation is essential for measuring the success of your content marketing. To optimize your strategy, it’s also critical to track your progress over time and make data-driven decisions.
How often should I post content?
Your audience and their preferences determine the frequency with which you publish content. However, it is recommended that you post new content regularly, whether daily, weekly, or monthly, to keep your audience engaged and interested in your brand.
How do I promote my content?
Social media, email marketing, influencer outreach, article directories, paid promotion, search engine optimization, and guest posting are all ways to promote your content. To achieve a goal, it is critical to employ a variety of strategies.