Successful brand cases are non-existent without great content to support them. But how do you create adamant content in a world that is overflowing with … well, just content? What is the secret to impossible-to-miss content?
The right answer doesn’t necessarily say ‘more creative content.’ All you need is a great strategy and distribution. Even very cool sci-fi creative pieces can be lost in the feed. Don’t you agree?
That is where good old best practices can be a solution. Search engines recognize them, your social media followers enjoy them, and they actually work. How? Let’s explore some content marketing best practices!
What Is Content Marketing Strategy and Why Do You Need It?
Content marketing strategy is very easy to define — you plan to create, manage, and distribute all kinds of content. That’s it. However, creating a content production strategy requires both art and science.
Content marketing strategy consists of:
- Specific goals: You should know exactly what you want to achieve with your content.
- Audience insights: Who are the people you create content for?
- Content formats: Are you going for blog posts, reels, stories, case studies, long-form articles, or maybe video content?
- Distribution plan: Where and when are you going to post it?
Now, why do you need this content marketing strategy exactly?
- First of all, you don’t want to waste your time and money on something that won’t bring real, tangible value. That’s the thing with any strategy — it has an end goal, and you’re working to get closer to it. No strategy basically means no results.
- Secondly, it is your guiding plan. Once you have a clear content marketing strategy, you’ll know what to create and how to distribute that. With tools like Google Analytics, you can track key performance indicators and improve your strat over time.
Besides, content marketing generates three times as many leads as traditional methods but costs less. So, including this tactic in your overall marketing strategy is definitely a good idea.
Content Marketing Best Practices: Top 7 Picks
Digital marketing thrives on the best practices. Trends can change, but a successful content marketing strategy will still rely on the same tested pillars. Let’s explore them!
#1 Match Your Business Goals, Content Creation, and the Audience
Surely, you have to know your audience because you serve your content for them, and you expect them to convert. You are not creating content in some sort of vacuum, right? So, the very first thing to do is to make sure you have connected all the dots.
For example, say you want to improve brand awareness. Many types of compelling content work well for that goal. One of the most logical places to start is by launching marketing campaigns on your social media channels.
TikToks, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts work well for engaging storytelling. But…
But your audience is 45 years old, and they look for less ephemeral content. In that case, your content creation may be less about social media engagement and more about case studies or how-to articles. So, you might want to use your web page or boost your blog content more.
Why do you often see the best marketing results only when content writing services come into play? Because they know how important it is to match these three components (i.e., goals, content creation, and the audience). Win-win-win.
#2 Choose the Right Content Types
It is easy to get the wrong wrap for your content. You may focus only on social media platforms, which look like the most important thing today. Or you can direct all your content marketing efforts to the wrong audience (Ouch!) Here’s the thing: the medium is the message.
If you choose to communicate any information through social media campaigns, make sure that information belongs there. Maybe (just maybe) you need less visual content for your goals? Never start creating content unless you know how the channel works.
There is a simple formula for figuring out what type of content is perfect for you. Circle back to the first point we have mentioned. If you know your audience well enough and you have your goals outlined, all you need to do is determine what fits both of these.
#3 Determine the Perfect Time to Post
…or you will lose the attention of the target audience. They simply won’t see your blog posts in the feed. It is very easy, right?
There are a few dates that should be in your editorial calendar when you post, no matter what. Any effective content marketing strategy includes:
- Days and hours when your audience is most active. Depending on your audience, weekends might outperform weekdays — or vice versa.
- Industry-specific dates dedicated to events, launches, etc.
- Seasonal opportunities.
- Reactions to certain events or situations.
Create compelling content, but don’t forget that it is up to your social media marketing to make it visible. Posting at the right time according to your content calendar is vital.
#4 Focus on the Main Goals
What are your true objectives? Is it lead generation? Industry leadership? Year-over-year growth of 10%? These should shape how you effectively create your content. A key rule for digital marketers and content marketers is to stay aligned with the business goals.
For example, a crypto marketing company should focus on blockchain trends, not generic finance tips. A SaaS company should share tutorials and guides to solve user problems. These are the right content formats; that’s it.
Use an editorial calendar to plan quality content that serves your own strategy. Do keyword research to target your audience and check keyword difficulty to rank higher. Even free tools can help you to stay on track with your digital marketing strategy.
#5 Include Space for Social Proof
Community engagement is impossible without customer testimonials. People look for reviews all the time, and they won’t buy a thing if your score is not at least 4-star on Trustpilot or Capterra. Here are just a few things your content marketing should take into consideration:
- Seeing real people vouch for your product or service works perfectly for believing in your brand.
- Positive reviews and testimonials are vital for literally every product these days.
- Happy customers are more likely to become repeat customers and refer others.
So, what can you do?
- Use influencer marketing: Bloggers can be your customers and content marketers at the same time. It is no secret that many people follow influencers’ advice, so you can easily get potential customers with this tactic.
- Include testimonials: Don’t only use reviews on your site; create case studies as well. Post social media posts with links for the Clutch (or other platforms) reviews if that is relevant to your business. Plus, add some testimonials to your existing content.
- Encourage user-generated content: As a part of your social media strategy, you can ask people to share their own posts. They can film short-form videos, post pictures, or write some reviews — whatever works for them.
#6 Look for Topics That Convert
We won’t say that your content has to be of high quality. This is obvious — let’s leave it at that. Still, to make that high-quality content more impactful, you need an additional thing. What’s that? Keyword research.
To find valuable topics, you need to know users’ search intent and find relevant keywords.
When it comes to keywords, the best way to find them is by:
- Using Semrush or Ahrefs to explore trending keywords.
- Analyzing what keywords industry leaders cover.
- Checking your competitors’ top-performing content to zero in on the top subjects.
Apart from keywords, you can also search for some interesting topics that you can cover in your blogs or social media. Besides, you can pair them with the keywords you’ve already found. Here are some other ways to identify high-converting topics:
- Use tools like Google Trends and AnswerThePublic.
- Glance at Reddit and Quora to see what people are discussing.
- Explore trending topics in your niche through X, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.
- Never neglect evergreen topics.
Pro tip: If you can introduce some video marketing, do that. Video content is paramount for social media platforms. Your content marketing efforts can’t be full without video.
Most importantly, don’t create content just for the sake of it. Yes, today, it is highly important to stay visible and post as often as possible. But high quality is the only way that will pay off in the long run.
#7 Include Strategic Channels for Distribution
Valuable content proves its worth only if you put it in the right place. But if the timing or the platform isn’t right, alas! Make sure you distribute your content strategically instead of following the trends.
Here’s how you can do that while aligning with your business goals:
- Social media sites: Socials are some of the main places to post your content. However, choose them wisely; not everything has to go on your Instagram page. Maybe your business doesn’t even need one. Or, on the contrary, you might need a sleek branding design to attract your target audience.
- Email marketing: Plenty of email marketing software is available. It shows that this communication channel is far from being dead. You just have to use it properly. If you aren’t sure what works, test different approaches. Share your content with a curated group of subscribers who’ve already shown interest in your brand.
- Content syndication: Expand your content’s reach by publishing it on third-party websites or networks. Remember, they don’t have to be 100% from your niche. Use platforms like Medium or some industry-specific media outlets. They will help you gain exposure for your content.
- PR: Have a product launch? Publish a couple of press releases. Look for relevant online publications, write a newsworthy piece, and send it out to build brand awareness.
Of course, not every single one of these approaches is right for your business. So, make sure your content marketing efforts are aligned with your audience insights.
When distributing content, focus a lot on PR. That’s a typical approach that usually brings a broader audience. And yet, don’t forget about keyword research. It will affect your website traffic, as well as the success of your marketing campaigns.
Conclusion
It is easy to think that content marketing is all about creating content. In reality, it’s just as much about having a well-thought-out strategy.
Make sure your content has a purpose and reaches the right people. But also — the most important thing for your business — drives measurable results.
When developing your content marketing strategy, best practices are vital. Follow the ones outlined here, and the results of your content marketing strategies will surprise you.
