Remember a few years ago when you could put a new business blog post up on Facebook and within a few hours you’d have a significant amount of clicks on it? You’ve probably noticed that over time, (unless you’ve implemented a strategic inbound marketing strategy) those views and clicks have decreased, especially if you’re in the B2B space. You’ve probably also noticed that your feeds and your content just isn’t getting the traction you might think it deserves. Depending on the platform you're publishing content on, there can be a number of reasons this is happening, but the overall reason is because of competition and algorithm changes that put your content behind everything else.
So, what can you do to rise above the competition and get more eyes on your stuff in today’s saturated digital marketing world? Here are a few tips to get you started:
1. Don’t rush to create more content, be smarter with what content you already have.
Pushing content on one social media feed isn’t going to cut it anymore. You also need a distribution plan for that content. For example, if you publish a blog on your website, there’s no reason why that blog shouldn’t also become an article you put on a LinkedIn profile. (And nope, Google won’t ding you for duplicate content for LinkedIn articles.) Also, use the content and break it up into an email campaign, or use the blog copy as a script for a video you can put on your YouTube channel. People consume content all over the place, and in different preferred formats, so if you want to be seen, you have to meet them where they are. Remember that old phrase, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”? Do it with content: reduce the amount you have to create, reuse it in multiple places, then recycle it to work for different content formats.
For HubSpot users, make sure you are utilizing the Smart Content and personalization options within the marketing and sales platforms, searchers today are also gravitating toward content that's catered for them, individually.
2. When you do create new content, make it richer.
The days of those short, 500-word blog posts are over, friends. Today’s searcher wants their question not only answered, but they also want a detailed explanation as to how that answer came to be. And no, this does not mean we’re heading back to the days of “keyword stuffing” and other terrible forms of content creation, it means more in-depth and well-researched pieces filled with stats, charts, videos, infographics, and anything else that better showcases the topic. Make the content easily scannable, too. Today’s viewer doesn’t mind a little scrolling to find the specific area of content they are interested in.
If you’re a HubSpot user, I’d also highly recommend getting yourself well-versed in pillar content and the content strategy area of the marketing platform. If I were to predict trends, I would say that creating pillar content is going to be a key component of all successful SEO efforts in the near future. And the good news about pillar content right now is that not a ton of people are doing it yet, so it presents a unique opportunity to get in [and rank higher] before all the rest. By the time others catch up, your URL will be one of Google’s favorites already.
3. Remember, it’s a pay-to-play world out there now.
We’ve been saying it forever, but it’s never been more true than it is now. Social Media isn’t free. In fact, it’s pricier than ever. Every single social network today is allowing advertisers to boost posts, purchase ads in feeds, and even create ads that are intended to target a very specific job role or interest. Want to market to someone who loves Game of Thrones? No problem. Want to put a video in front of people who are the operations managers at manufacturing facilities? Sure thing. It’s highly customizable and amazing, but you have to be careful how you spend, just getting a click on a LinkedIn ad could cost you $5, so it tends to add up quickly. Utilize the budget tools to ensure you keep your campaigns on track. And if something isn’t working, turn it off quickly and regroup on your strategy.
Social media advertising budgets have doubled worldwide over the past 2 years—going from $16 billion U.S. in 2014 to $31 billion in 2016 -Statista
4. Use video whenever possible.
Over 500 million (half a BILLION) people are watching video on Facebook every day. -Forbes
That statistic is staggering, and there are thousands of other videos statistics out there today that tell you the same thing: video is the preferred form of content for today’s consumer. Think about it the next time you scan through your news feed, what percentage of the posts are video content? People want to see how a product/service/company works before they purchase it. And today, video isn’t just for big brands anymore, small to medium-sized companies can leverage video and stack themselves right up against big competitors. Yes, a quality and well-produced video will cost you some money, but if it proves its ROI, who really cares? And yes, “boring businesses” can still utilize video, you just might have to be a little more creative with how you do it.
51.9% of marketing professionals worldwide name video as the type of content with the best ROI. -HubSpot
Want more tips and tricks? Come see us!
We’ve just scratched the surface here on some new ways to get content seen online today. If you are in West Michigan and want to hear more tips and tools you can utilize, we would love to have you join us at our free HubSpot User Group Event on Tuesday, January 30th from 12-1:30 PM (Lunch is included) at the ManoByte office. (We're right behind the Wendy's across the street from the Gerald R. Ford airport.) You don’t have to be a HubSpot user to attend, these tips will be helpful to anyone who implements digital marketing strategies. And don’t worry, we aren’t into sales pitches either, this is just an informational seminar. Click below to save your seat and we'll order your lunch.
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