While paid search is our main priority at nexus-security, we, like many companies today, are also involved in the media landscape. Having a blog means we’re always seeking ways to not only improve our content’s impact but also enhance the content itself.
Content is a significant part of what we do at nexus-security, and the advantages of content marketing are numerous. Therefore, we decided to revisit our content marketing recommendations and compile them into this single, comprehensive post. However, we didn’t want to simply rehash our advice from 2015. Instead, we aimed to gather the absolute best content-related guidance from the entire nexus-security blog. And here it is – our most valuable content marketing advice. Whether you’re a seasoned blogger with substantial traffic or just starting out with a fresh, new blog, you’ll discover plenty of practical advice you can implement immediately in these 13 tips and strategies.
13. Publish Only Your Best Work, and Do It Regularly
In the current digital environment, where an overwhelming amount of content is being generated, competition for attention has reached unprecedented levels. Consequently, it’s critical to publish only your highest quality content if you want to succeed. It’s preferable to publish one exceptional post per week than five mediocre ones.
Not only must you establish a high standard for quality, but you must also consistently meet or exceed it. This can be difficult even for the most seasoned content teams, but it’s essential for standing out and making your voice heard amidst a growing crowd. Acknowledge that producing outstanding content requires time, effort, and resources – and there are no shortcuts. If you’re looking for more insights on how to differentiate yourself in a competitive space, check out this post addressing 11 major content marketing challenges and how to overcome them.
12. Use Data to Measure Your Content’s Effectiveness
A common misconception about content marketing is that simply publishing blog posts will magically catapult your business to success, attracting hordes of eager customers. Unfortunately, this is rarely the reality. Effective content marketers not only create excellent content but also understand how to gauge its performance.
While some bloggers might gauge success based on the number of social shares a post receives, even a widely shared post may not achieve your business objectives. Therefore, it’s vital to define what you want your content to achieve and determine how you will measure it. Whatever your goals for your content, consistently evaluating its performance using analytics and data-driven methods is crucial. Otherwise, you risk wasting time and resources on content that yields no tangible results for your business. For some, success might be measured in overall traffic via Google Analytics. For others, social media engagement or metrics like scroll depth, measurable with tools like Chartbeat, might take priority. Regardless of what you choose to measure, ensure you’re consistently assessing your content’s effectiveness to guarantee your time and resources are being utilized efficiently and productively. For more guidance on content marketing metrics and their measurement, refer to this comprehensive guide by Larry Kim, nexus-security’s Founder and CTO. A content audit can be very beneficial here! Leverage our content audit guide blog post (which includes free templates!) to pinpoint your top-performing content and eliminate the rest.
11. Repurpose Your Content
Creating top-notch content requires time, effort, and expertise. Even if you’re sharing your best content for free (which you should be), it doesn’t mean you can’t maximize your return on investment. This is where repurposing content from one format to several others comes in.
Consider your most successful blog post recently. Did it resonate with readers because it provided a valuable, timeless resource? Did it offer something unique that your audience couldn’t find elsewhere? If so, it could potentially thrive as a downloadable guide. Similarly, certain blog posts might be suitable for an email campaign or a live webinar. Whichever method you choose, ensure you’re extracting maximum value from your content creation efforts. For more guidance on repurposing your content effectively, explore this blog post.
10. Leverage Your Best Headlines in Your PPC Campaigns
If you’re managing a PPC campaign and generating content, consider repurposing your most effective headlines into your ad copy. If a headline resonated strongly with your audience, a variation of it is likely to resonate with potential customers as well. Think about it: PPC ad copy and compelling content share many common elements, including emotionally engaging angles, strong verbs, and clearly communicated benefits. They are also often similar in length. AdWords and Bing Ads have character limits that advertisers must adhere to, while shorter headlines of around six words tend to perform well from a content perspective. If a recent blog post, webinar, or whitepaper exceeded your expectations, conduct an A/B test to see if it performs equally well as an ad. Explore this blog post on adopting a content marketer’s mindset for PPC for additional tips on maximizing your content’s reach.
9. Not All Content Needs to Tell a Story
One aspect of the content marketing industry that I find particularly frustrating is the overemphasis on storytelling. While I believe that storytelling is an important skill for aspiring and experienced content marketers, and that brand storytelling can be very effective for reaching new customers, it’s important to remember that not all content is storytelling, and not all content marketers are storytellers.
You are not a storyteller – Stefan Sagmeister @ FITC from FITC on Vimeo. Content doesn’t always need a narrative structure. Sometimes, a straightforward blog post that fulfills a specific purpose and provides value to your readers is perfectly adequate. Ironically, those who champion storytelling the loudest in content marketing are often those who either don’t practice it or don’t truly understand it. Don’t be swayed by them, and don’t worry if you don’t consider yourself a natural storyteller – it’s not a prerequisite for content marketing success. While incorporating storytelling is encouraged when appropriate, don’t feel pressured to make every piece of content an intricate, captivating narrative – it’s simply not necessary.
8. Be Bold and Share Your Perspective (Especially When Others Won’t)
Content marketers face the daunting task of breaking through the overwhelming volume of content being produced. With millions of blog posts published daily, making your voice heard above the noise can seem impossible – unless you’re willing to take a stand that others shy away from.
A significant portion of content, particularly in specialized fields like digital marketing, merely echoes the opinions of a select few. This has led to reader fatigue – why would readers waste time on content that’s readily available elsewhere? This is precisely why producing contrarian content can be so effective. Adopting an unconventional stance, expressing your views when others hesitate, and even courting a little controversy can be a powerful strategy. Of course, it’s crucial to avoid being offensive or contrarian for its own sake, but don’t be afraid to be bold and genuine. Your readers will appreciate your honesty, and you’ll come across as more authentic than if you were simply reiterating what everyone else is saying. Discover more about the impact of contrarian content marketing here.
7. Target Specific Keywords with Your Content
Ideally, SEO wouldn’t be a concern. We’d publish insightful, thought-provoking content and effortlessly attract large online audiences eager to learn from our expertise and purchase our products or services. Unfortunately, that’s not the reality, and SEO does matter.
Some content specialists advocate for a “keyword-agnostic” approach where content prioritizes reader interests without considering something as “unpleasant” as keyword targeting. While ideal in theory, this approach ignores the competitive landscape. If you’re not considering keyword targeting, your competitors likely are. That’s why incorporating targeted keywords into your content before you start writing is crucial. SEO is fundamental for any lead-generating content marketing strategy. However, keyword targeting for SEO is a complex topic and beyond the scope of this post. It’s enough to say that you should have target keywords in mind before you begin writing a blog post or creating any other type of content. To gain a deeper understanding of keyword targeting and content optimization for higher search rankings, explore this post on blogging tips and this post on the content marketing funnel.
6. Support Your Claims with Data
Trust is a valuable commodity in today’s digital media landscape. With fact-checking and journalistic integrity on the decline, it’s understandable why many readers are skeptical about accepting information as absolute truth. That’s why substantiating your statements with data is crucial.
Incorporating data into your content should be as routine as proofreading. If you’re making a point, support it with relevant statistics and facts. Similarly, when citing data, ensure you’re doing so accurately and, whenever possible, provide a link to the original source. After all, you wouldn’t want someone using your data without acknowledging your research, right? Learn more about utilizing data effectively in your content by reading this blog post about marketing data and this post about using statistics to enhance your content’s persuasiveness.
5. Ensure Your Content Reflects Your Brand’s Voice
Content marketing presents a fantastic opportunity to cultivate and refine your brand’s voice. However, even well-established businesses with dedicated content teams can find it difficult to pinpoint their brand’s voice, especially when working with larger teams.
Maintaining a consistent brand voice, particularly across larger teams, can be a challenge. It requires continuous evaluation of editorial guidelines to guarantee consistent quality and tone (our editorial calendar can be helpful here!), as well as a high-level overview of your blog and overall content strategy. While developing a brand voice through content can be challenging, it’s a worthwhile endeavor. For each post, consider how it contributes to and shapes your brand’s voice. Does the writing style align with your company’s values? How does the tone reflect what it’s like to do business with you? Does your brand voice come across as genuine or forced and artificial? Asking these questions can help you take control of your brand’s voice and refine your messaging through content. By addressing these questions and making adjustments as needed, you’ll also offer your audience a more unified brand experience – something all blogs should strive for.
4. Seek Inspiration from Indie Blogging Superstars, Not Corporate Blogs
I’ve worked with various clients who wanted to make their corporate blogs more engaging and “exciting." Often, they point to successful solo bloggers who have cultivated large, dedicated readerships as examples of the direction they envision for their blog. However, achieving this is more difficult than it might seem.
Even large, well-established corporate blogs can glean valuable insights from the influential blogging superstars who dominate the digital publishing world. One key takeaway is that these individuals exude authenticity because they write as themselves and represent their brand by simply being themselves – a significant challenge for many corporate blogs. They effectively sell themselves by being genuine, a valuable lesson that any corporate blog can benefit from learning and applying. Whether you’re tasked with revitalizing an underperforming corporate blog or building one from scratch, avoid seeking inspiration from other corporate entities. Instead, study how the individuals behind the most popular and influential blogs have built their audiences and adapt those strategies. Your readers will appreciate your efforts and keep coming back for more.
3. Continuously Improve Your Writing Skills
One of the most common questions I encounter is, “How can I become a better writer?” For many aspiring content creators, a lack of experience or confidence in their writing abilities is the biggest hurdle. Simply telling them to keep practicing and hoping for improvement isn’t particularly helpful.
I’ve been blogging professionally for a considerable amount of time now. While I’m confident in my writing, I’m always striving to improve and seeking advice from experts. Writing, much like other skills, is a craft that can always be honed. Expand your reading horizons by exploring material outside your comfort zone (and yes, I mean actual books, not just online articles). Make it a habit to write daily, even if it’s just a hundred words or so. Be relentless in your pursuit of excellence, and don’t settle for mediocrity. Even if you’re already skilled in content creation, embrace the mindset of a lifelong learner and never stop seeking improvement. Continually challenge your writing abilities – and then push yourself further. The more you invest in refining your writing skills, the larger your audience will grow.
2. Use Your Content to Answer Complex Questions
We’ve discussed the importance of targeting specific keywords in your content. If you’re already doing this, you’re likely targeting (and hopefully ranking for) a significant number of relevant keywords. While this remains a worthwhile strategy, aiming for higher rankings for more complex search queries can yield even greater rewards, particularly ranking in Google’s Featured Snippet – or “position zero,” as Moz’s Dr. Pete Meyers calls it.
The Featured Snippet is prime real estate on the search engine results page. Securing this coveted spot by providing comprehensive answers to complex questions can result in a substantial increase in referral traffic and establish your brand as an authority on the subject. User trust in content featured in the Featured Snippet is high. If Google selects your content, it reflects positively on your brand. Interested in securing a spot in the Featured Snippet? Dive into this post on position zero and the benefits of addressing complex questions with your content.
1. Implement Content Remarketing
Content creation often requires significant time and effort, only to result in a blog post or whitepaper that fails to meet expectations. The potential for a low return on investment, coupled with the actual costs of content production, can discourage newcomers from recognizing the value of content marketing – a misconception that even large companies and seasoned marketers can fall prey to. However, there’s a guaranteed way to increase the visibility, engagement, and impact of your content: content remarketing.
Just as you would utilize remarketing in your PPC campaigns to maximize their effectiveness, you can apply the same principles to your content. You start by defining the audience you want to target with your content remarketing efforts. Then, you tag visitors who arrive on your site, allowing you to reach them later using banner ads on the Google Display Network. This strategy can boost brand awareness and, ideally, increase engagement with the content you’ve worked hard to create. Despite its effectiveness, content remarketing remains the exception rather than the norm. Many companies simply don’t consider utilizing remarketing to promote their content. If you’re looking to get ahead and expand your content’s reach, check out this comprehensive guide to content remarketing by Larry Kim.