Content marketing can feel overwhelming when you are sitting in front of the screen trying to think of something to say.
Our big list of content marketing tips can help you with idea generation and also help you create a cohesive and effective content strategy.
Not sure where to start with content marketing? Keep the content marketing tips below in mind:
35 Actionable Content Marketing Tips For Your Brand
1. Make your headline count.
Write short, optimized keyword-rich headlines. Readers are busy.
So a good headline helps them decide quickly whether to continue reading your piece.
By focusing on headlines that are scannable and intriguing, you demonstrate immediately that it is worth their time.
2. Create content for every stage of the buyer’s journey.
Some of the people who arrive at your site will be ready to buy. Others will be just entering the awareness stage of their journey.
Include content that addresses people at every stage so that they, through reading your content, can guide themselves toward a conversion.
3. Use video.
Experts at HubSpot say that the average internet user watches 90 minutes of video content every day.
By creating video content that is helpful, informative, and entertaining, you can win your share of that attention.
4. Customize your content.
Before you write or commission your first word of content, research your current and desired audience.
Create several buyer personas. Then, write content that targets everyone individually.
We respond more positively to messages that are intended directly for us.
By creating content for each persona, you communicate more directly and make a stronger connection.
5. Make an in-house style guide.
Style guides are sets of rules and conventions that define an organization’s voice.
Do you use eCommerce or e-commerce? Which side of the Oxford comma debate do you fall on?
It doesn’t matter what you choose, just that you are consistent. This way, your site has a cohesive look and feel that better defines your brand.
6. Write high-quality guest posts.
This is a great way to get access to new prospects.
To win coveted guest posting spots, create content that is non-promotional and relevant to the host site’s readers.
This gives you not just a valuable backlink but also increases your authority in your field.
Or you can do it vice versa – invite guest authors to write for your blog.
Doing so is not just good for your SEO, it will also boost credibility for your brand.
Create downloadable eBooks, infographics, and white papers that readers can freely share.
If they find them useful, they will post them on their social networks of choice.
This gives you access to an audience that you might not otherwise have reached.
8. Focus on quality content.
Most lists of content marketing tips stress the importance of adding new content frequently.
However, it is even more important to post content that is useful to your readers.
Do not post just to post. Post to share content that educates, entertains, and intrigues.
9. Break up pieces so they are easy to digest.
Your posts should include subheadings, bullet lists, and plenty of visual elements.
Break up long paragraphs into ones that are short and easy to skim.
People are more likely to read a post like that than one that is dense and harder to navigate.
10. Re-purpose content.
A blog post can provide material for a video, podcast, or infographic.
A series of blog posts can become an eBook or white paper. Information from an article can become a checklist or another asset.
Among the content marketing tips that successful marketers prize are those that allow you to get the very most mileage out of every content asset.
Work smarter instead of harder by looking at what you already have.
11. Write response posts.
See an intriguing blog post or article relevant to your industry?
Write a response. Often, people are looking for multiple points of view to help them make a decision.
Response posts are great assets because they show a fresh point of view and demonstrate your knowledge within your industry.
12. Update old content.
The only constant changes.
A blog post you wrote a year ago may have statistics that are out of date, may fail to mention a social media outlet that has become hugely relevant.
Or, may refer to networks or assets that are no longer available.
Review content regularly and republish old entries when appropriate. This keeps your content fresher and more relevant.
It can also get your posts to access new sets of eyes that may have missed it last time.
13. Make round-up posts.
As you develop a larger collection of content marketing assets, it makes sense to create round-ups that put links to them all in one place.
For instance, a content agency might publish a collection of content marketing tips like this one.
A company that sells fitness products may list its top five workout routines. You can also do round-ups of industry news from other sites.
14. Be mobile-friendly.
More people than ever are accessing online content on their phones.
In some cases and in some niches, they are more likely to be on mobile than desktop.
In fact, 80% of online users prefer to browse the internet through their smartphones.
It’s also worth noting that since last July, Google now indexes all new websites using their mobile-first indexing.
So make sure that your website is mobile optimized.
Cater to this audience by creating content that is easy to read on smaller screens.
Make smaller, lower file-size images and break up your content with subheadings.
Use responsive design so that your content looks great on any screen.
15. Outsource it.
This may be the best of the content marketing tips on this list.
Many small business owners feel they need to do everything in-house or handle everything themselves.
However, effective delegation is one of the skills that can be the most valuable to your organization.
Someone who creates content marketing assets full-time will be able to write more quickly than you can.
The money you spend will be more than offset by the time you save.
16. Use a mix of paid placement and organic.
Many people think of content marketing as a replacement for paid advertising.
However, an effective content marketing strategy involves a mix of organic and paid traffic.
Use targeted campaigns to bring attention to your content.
A small promoted post-campaign on Facebook, for instance, can give you a powerful social boost.
17. Put it on a .com.
Among the top-ranking pages on the internet, there is no contest. According to Forbes, fully 84% use .coms as their top-level domains.
If you are choosing domains now, look at a range of creative .com possibilities to send more traffic to your site.
18. Add some long-form content to the mix.
You don’t need to write a novel of content every day. But, having at least a few posts in the 1000+ word range is great for your SEO.
It also allows your readers to really dig into a piece and create a stronger connection with your brand.
According to Forbes, four out of five businesses market through an email saying that it is a consistent source of conversions.
Include a mix of content from your blog, promotional items, and content written specifically for your email audience.
Social sharing buttons make it easy for people to share content marketing tips, tricks, and other items that are useful to them.
When a share of your content comes from them, you get not just new eyes, but the benefit of social proof.
There is a range of plugins that make social sharing easy to add to your website.
Don’t assume that everyone is coming straight to your blog!
Often, readers will encounter your posts on their social media feeds, then follow to read more.
Develop a social media content strategy and maximize traffic by scheduling social media posts for when your audience is most likely to be online.
And, don’t be afraid of repeating yourself. A new social media post about an older blog entry can send fresh traffic to it.
There is a persistent myth that Google will penalize you if your content appears somewhere else.
However, experts in the field at sites like WordStream say that there is little evidence that this is true.
Many sites are looking for great content to supplement their own.
Make it easy for them to use yours, with attribution, to put new eyes on your existing content.
This can be especially valuable when your content is syndicated to sites that have a higher rank in the SERPs than your own does.
23. Have a strategy for content promotion.
With the massive amounts of content that are created every day, it’s not enough to just publish and hope that your audience will find it.
When considering the top content marketing tips for you, always remember that you need a strategy to bring people to your content.
Every site’s strategy is different.
Some use paid promotion on social networks, others work through influencer marketing or another path.
The important thing is that you have a plan to add an audience.
24. Collaborate with influencers.
When relevant, quote influencers in your industry.
Then, tag them in social media posts to let them know that you have mentioned them or linked to their site.
Often, they will return the favor by resharing your post or linking back to something you’ve written.
People who have absorbed many valuable content marketing tips generally realize that content marketing is not a zero-sum game.
You can share traffic and attention and both come out better for it.
25. Create a content strategy and calendar.
Posting whatever you want when the spirit takes you will not give you the effects that you desire. Have a plan for your content and a calendar to stick to it.
Do you want to raise awareness? Increase conversions?
The goal of your content will help you decide what sort of content is best for you.
26. Write a content marketing series.
When you create a number of content marketing pieces that are meant to be read together…
…you can build an audience over time and provide excellent value to readers.
Readers will return to your site regularly to see the next installment and will spend more time on your site in total.
Plus, this is one of those content marketing tips that keep paying back. A content marketing series can be re-purposed into an eBook later on.
This book can be used as a marketing premium or even released for sale to create a new stream of income for your business.
27. Build your audience.
The more people who see your content, the better your chances of encountering qualified prospects ready to buy.
Each content asset also gets more valuable the more people see it.
Make specific content strategy plans that are geared toward bringing new people to your site on a regular basis.
28. Create content for an audience of one.
Sometimes, the best content marketing has the smallest intended audience.
In a content marketing experiment, one agency began sending hand-written thank you notes to every new customer.
70% of recipients shared images of the cards on social media, which lead to an unexpected boost of backlinks to their site.
29. Hone your CTA skills.
Not every piece of content needs a call to action (CTA).
Sometimes, it’s better to be circumspect and allow the customer to get to the sale on their own, in their own time.
However, sometimes a CTA is what can give your customer the little push that they need in order to act.
Your CTA should be short, specific, and compelling. Ask for a single action and make completing it intuitively.
30. Learn to understand content analytics.
If you take only one piece of advice from this list of content marketing tips, make it this one.
You need to be able to understand the effect that your content is having and what is most effective with your specific audience.
31. Jump on some trends.
When you see a subject trending on social networks, add your two cents to bring some of that viral traffic your way.
For instance, a business that sells bedding may add their commentary when a piece about what makes hotel sheets different is trending on social media.
32. Go local.
Many people realize that this is valuable for brick-and-mortar brands.
However, national eCommerce brands with large audiences in specific areas can benefit, too.
For instance, a company that sells winter clothing may write a “Five Best Jackets for a Northeastern Blizzard”.
That is to take advantage of local events that are affecting their prospects.
33. But don’t forget evergreen content.
Evergreen content is the workhorse in content marketing.
This content continues to add value as new readers find it, whether you posted it one week ago or one year ago.
When writing content to be evergreen, avoid phrasing like:
- last week
- in a recent report
Instead, use specific dates and update as needed to keep content accurate.
34. Find the gap.
Are there keywords that are highly relevant to your audience that have few contenders?
Create content that answers the questions in those searches.
You will get access to potential customers who your competitors are currently missing.
35. Always ask, “what’s in it for them?”
Your content should be audience-focused 99% of the time. Your customers have limited time and attention, just like everyone else.
Think in terms of what they want and need to keep your content relevant for them.
Final Takeaways
You probably will not use all of the content marketing tips on this list.
Some organizations will be able to utilize a handful, while others will find that some do not fit their audience.
The key is to constantly be thinking about how you can make your content more effective.
Remember that content marketing is an ongoing effort.
By looking at your results and constantly honing your strategy, you can create ongoing value.
If you’re serious about beefing up your content marketing efforts or just have a few more questions for our business development team…
…then we’re the social media marketing agency you want to talk to for greater business growth.
Just contact us and we will give you a call and answer your questions.