Looking for ways to improve your content marketing? Most of the experts publish blog posts the same way. They spend tons of time writing posts and optimizing them for search and social media then they then hit publish. They’ll excitedly watch as they see a burst of new traffic to their site … then get disappointed as they see the post’s popularity drop off.
Luckily, there are some things you can do to extend the life of your content. Here are 6 essential techniques for making your content thrive beyond the initial publish-date promotion.
1) Brainstorm evergreen topics.
Evergreen content is content that stands the test of time. It either covers a topic that will be just as applicable two to five years from now, or one that can be easily updated to stay relevant. One way to know what evergreen topics do well on your site is to analyze past posts that continue to bring traffic and then think of other ways to cover the topic.
2) Enrich your content with mixed media, and optimize it for sharing.
People are drawn to and more likely to share graphics (or video) over text, so include graphics or video in your content. For starters, you can use tools like Canva to create images that people can use to share your post on social media.
3) Plan your outreach strategy.
Beyond social media, search, and Q&A marketing, outreach is your best friend when it comes to making sure your content goes the distance. Best of all, you don’t have to blindly send out requests in hopes that someone will like your content. You can instead plan to reach out to the people you know will like your content. Ideally these are people you know or would like to know, who have influence, and are open to hearing and/or sharing what you’ve got. Be careful that you don’t send them “see my post” emails or social comments alone, that can annoy them and be construed as spam. But if you have a post that you think will fit the market of someone in your network, don’t be afraid to let them know about it.
4) Know when to publish and promote.
Timing is everything when it comes to the initial promotional period. Though there are many studies out there that tell you when the best time of day is to publish and promote your content, you need to figure out what works best for your business.
5) Finalize your promotion plan.
Many people create content with little thought to how they’re going to let people know about it. A better option is to have an idea-to-promo plan in which you detail each step from the content, the graphics, and how and when it will be shared. Don’t forget, you can share old content, so include future promo in your plan, such as resharing on social media at a future date.
6) Plan to go “all in” on the day you publish.
The biggest day of promotion is the day that your content goes live. This is the day that your first social media updates will go out. The first couple of days after your content is published will be the days you engage with your readers and influencers. Be prepared to thank people on social media who share your content, reply to comments on your blog and social networks, and reply to any email responses you receive from subscribers and influencers. Also be sure to follow up with any influencers that have not opened or replied to your outreach.
So, in what other ways can you improve your content marketing? What steps do you take to make sure that your each piece of content you invest in stands the test of time? Share with us in the comments.
