• Content needs to be unexpectedly interesting and filled with personality to win audiences, earn organic backlinks, and build trust.

    Friday, April 5, 2024
  • A product marketing survey template that can be shared with new hires, freelance creatives, and contractors.

  • The typical scroller reshares content when it connects with an interest, a feeling, or a belief. Once a week, pick a piece of content that's going to get you the most new eyeballs by being super sharable. First, pick the connection point that's going to convince your audience to share. Then pick a format to deliver the content through. This could be a statement, quote, meme, or trending topic. Lastly, post, test, track, and repeat. Memes may work well on Threads, but not on LinkedIn. Case study posts may get several story reshares, but nothing as an X thread. The only way to know is to test.

  • Bloggers who update old articles are twice as likely to report “strong results” from content marketing, according to an annual blogger survey. This strategy enables marketers to get better results with less effort compared to creating new content from scratch. The best content to refresh includes articles that almost rank high, articles that are at risk of being surpassed by rivals, articles that created a lot of buzz when they were first published, and research articles that have gone out of date. This post includes tips for how to update and re-promote content, as well as 5 case studies on refreshed content.

  • Wiz, a cybersecurity company, used a broad marketing mix to grow site traffic from 226K in November 2023 to just under 390K as of April 2024 — a 72% increase over just 6 months. The company invests in brand building with a strong visual identity and uses field marketing and paid search to get its identity in front of people. Organic search accounts for 26% of site traffic, bolstered by content marketing on its Wiz Academy subfolder and a strong backlink profile. The brand also uses social selling on X, LinkedIn, and Reddit to drive roughly 25,000 monthly visits.

  • A transparent review of what happened to leading Product-led Growth Advisor Leah Tharin's subscription revenue and inbound after posting less consistently on her demand channels, Substack, and LinkedIn.

  • Megan Morreale, former Head of Content Marketing at Reddit and Taboola, believes that the traditional content marketing role is fading. Companies now prefer specialized roles focusing on specific aspects like SEO, email, or social media. Morreale advises content marketers to leverage their skills in more strategic, revenue-driven roles within growth or product marketing teams.

  • Blog posts can be effective for driving organic traffic and revenue. This post provides 7 blog post templates: How-to post, List post, Beginner's guide, Review post, Statistics, Response post, and Alternatives.

  • Tommy Walker, founder of Content Studio, created a 7-minute-long survey to capture how content marketers feel about their work, careers, and how they manage their projects.

  • Classic content marketing focused on high-volume keywords and Google rankings is outdated. You now need an audience-first approach that identifies where your audience spends their time and fits into those spaces. Find your audience's sources of influence through surveys, interviews, and broad data sources. Use keyword research, audience research, and social media listening to find resonant topics. Select the right content format based on audience behavior and preferences. Monitor competitors and find opportunities for co-marketing and guest posts. Finally, distribute content effectively and continually test and repurpose.

  • Users go through 5 stages before they become buyers: problem unaware, problem aware, solution aware, product aware, and most aware. This post recommends the types of content to create for each stage in order to drive more sales.

  • To get more mileage out of your videos, turn them into SEO-optimized articles. Then put those articles through ChatGPT to turn them into social posts (sample prompts are provided in the post). You can also break your videos into chapters or topic-specific clips to cater to more people. If your video quality's good, turn them into podcast episodes or chunk them into small easy-to-listen episodes (ie. 5-8 mins each).

  • Science has shown that well-told stories are more engaging, memorable, and persuasive than many other kinds of content. Four story types that both engage and sell include impressive-detail stories that set a brand apart, founders' stories about the company inception, “how it works” stories, and values stories.

  • Searches for “how to humanize AI content” have grown 943% over the last 12 months, but doing so is an inherently flawed process. By the time you've researched and added in the human element, you may as well have created the content from scratch yourself. This type of request is also demoralizing for writers, especially when paired with an unrealistic deadline. Companies should use AI models to ideate, plan, and outline content — not ghostwrite it.

  • Content localization is often overlooked. It involves adapting content beyond translation, considering factors like spelling, measurements, idioms, images, and keywords to resonate with local audiences. Key practices include early research, creating regional style guides, treating all regions as important, and optimizing based on performance data. Measuring the success of localization efforts refines strategies, while local expert input ensures authenticity.

  • This article showcases how brands can turn a piece of content into numerous assets. Lincoln Literacy transformed a 30-minute interview into multiple unpaid channel engagements, including PR features, newsletters, and radio spots. Freshpaint used a webinar with a healthcare lawyer to produce social media posts, Q&A blogs, and videos. M Float repurposed case studies for every stage of the funnel, while Qase transformed case studies into employee advocacy posts.

  • In a rapidly evolving content marketing landscape, the challenge of effectively distributing content across multiple platforms is increasingly complex. Rand Fishkin addresses this issue, emphasizing that traditional metrics like keyword rankings in Google are no longer sufficient for guiding content marketing strategies. Instead, he suggests focusing on two broader concepts: Reach and Resonance. Fishkin highlights the importance of understanding the audience and the various channels they engage with, rather than relying solely on a single social media platform or specific analytics metrics. He references a conversation with Dale Bertrand, who shared insights from his speaking engagements, illustrating that while some events may not yield immediate client conversions, they can significantly enhance visibility and lead generation in the long run. The discussion also touches on the nuances of marketing attribution, particularly in the context of non-SEO activities. Fishkin argues that all marketing efforts boil down to reaching the right people with the right message in the right places. He encourages marketers to consider the broader impact of their efforts, including the potential for serendipitous opportunities that arise from consistent engagement and practice. To anchor content marketing efforts, Fishkin proposes a formula that includes identifying topics of interest, leveraging relevant stories, and utilizing data journalism. He stresses the importance of creating content that resonates emotionally with the audience, fostering a sense of connection and relevance. Ultimately, he advocates for a balanced approach that values both reach and resonance, encouraging marketers to embrace experimentation and accept that not all efforts will yield immediate financial returns. This mindset allows for greater creativity and the potential for discovering effective strategies that may not be immediately quantifiable.

  • Jess Cook, a Head of Content and Communications at Island and co-host of the podcast "That's Marketing, Baby," recently shared a valuable prompt on LinkedIn that transformed a chaotic transcript into a well-structured outline in a matter of seconds. This prompt encourages users to take a transcript from a conversation with a subject matter expert and create a logical blog post outline, rather than following a chronological order. The goal is to distill the information into a coherent structure that highlights key points and insights. In her post, Jess invites others to adopt this approach, emphasizing the importance of logical flow over chronological sequencing. She suggests that the outline should include sections that logically connect how a product can help an audience solve specific problems. This method not only streamlines the content creation process but also enhances clarity and engagement for the intended audience. The post garnered significant attention, with numerous comments from professionals sharing their own experiences and tips related to content creation and the use of generative AI tools. Some commenters highlighted their preferences for specific instructions when using AI, such as avoiding complex language and buzzwords, while others discussed their successes with editing rather than ideation. The conversation reflects a growing interest in leveraging AI for content development, with many professionals exploring ways to refine their prompts for better results. Jess also shared insights from her podcast, where she discusses various marketing strategies and tactics. She emphasizes the importance of planning content distribution before creation, which leads to stronger structure and easier repurposing. Additionally, she offers advice on managing large projects, including breaking tasks into manageable chunks and documenting progress to alleviate pressure. Overall, Jess Cook's contributions to the LinkedIn community highlight the evolving landscape of content marketing and the innovative ways professionals are utilizing AI to enhance their workflows and output quality. Her emphasis on logical structuring and effective communication resonates with many in the marketing field, fostering a collaborative environment for sharing best practices and insights.

  • In the realm of content marketing, the ability to communicate effectively and succinctly is increasingly vital. As audiences face an overwhelming amount of information, mastering brevity becomes essential for capturing attention and conveying messages. The average human attention span has decreased significantly, now resting at just 8.25 seconds, which underscores the need for concise content that respects readers' time and enhances engagement. Concise content is characterized by the elimination of unnecessary words and topics, allowing marketers to deliver essential points efficiently. This approach not only improves reader comprehension but also enhances SEO performance, as search engines favor clear and direct content. Marketers are encouraged to focus on brevity in various formats, including headlines, social media posts, email subject lines, meta descriptions, and calls to action (CTAs). Techniques such as using active voice, simple language, and focused messaging can help create more concise content naturally. The importance of concise content is further emphasized by the dynamics of the attention economy, where every word must count. By trimming excess, marketers can distill complex ideas into accessible messages, making it easier for audiences to engage. Additionally, mobile-friendly content, which often features shorter paragraphs and concise messaging, caters to the growing number of users accessing information on smaller screens. SEO benefits also arise from concise writing, as search engines are more likely to highlight clear, readable content in search results. For instance, well-structured lists and bullet points can significantly enhance engagement rates, leading to improved SEO performance. To implement brevity effectively, marketers should focus on several key areas. Crafting compelling headlines that convey value quickly can significantly impact click-through rates. Social media, with its character limits, is inherently suited for concise messaging, while email subject lines must grab attention swiftly to improve open rates. Meta descriptions should succinctly summarize page content to entice clicks, and CTAs must be clear and compelling to drive action. For longer content, executive summaries can provide quick insights, allowing readers to grasp key points without wading through extensive text. To foster concise writing, marketers should start with a clear goal, use active voice, eliminate redundancies, simplify language, and utilize bullet points. Editing heavily after drafting can help identify unnecessary content, while leveraging white space and specific examples can enhance readability. The Neil Patel blog exemplifies the application of concise writing techniques. By incorporating key takeaways, jump links, and visual content, the blog respects readers' time and improves accessibility. The shift towards brevity in content reflects a broader trend in digital marketing, where audiences increasingly favor quick, valuable insights over lengthy, verbose articles. In conclusion, effective content marketing hinges on the ability to deliver value efficiently. By embracing brevity, marketers can enhance reader engagement, improve conversion rates, and optimize overall content performance. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, prioritizing concise communication will be crucial for standing out amidst the noise.