Ask any digital marketer, and he or she will tell you that content can make or break a brand. Stellar content opens up countless doors by grabbing the attention of readers, generating clicks, sharing offers, products, or services, and thanking customers for their continued support. On the flip side, tired, recycled content can kill brand momentum just as quickly as high-level content can fuel it, alienating the target demographic and damaging brand reputation. Since higher conversion rates and increased ROI is the goal, your brand should be prepared and equipped to produce quality blog content anywhere, anytime. Coming up with a steady stream of quality content is no easy feat, even for a gifted team of accomplished digital marketers. However, with the right resources, strategies, and processes, posting top-notch blog content on a consistent basis doesn’t have to feel like a chore.
Creating a Content Strategy That Works
Behind every team of content creators and stellar blog posts is a carefully planned (and constantly tweaked) content strategy. This document typically outlines when, where, and how you’ll post various types of content to active platforms. Consider following these steps to ensure you create a workable content strategy that will keep your team on track.
Build and Document a Workable Content Creation Process
Brainstorming a content creation process is a great place to start for any brand that wants to improve its content. Whether you partner with an agency, take note from the successes of others, or create your own internal process, having a workable strategy in place and available to everyone on your team will bring structure and clarity to this complex process.
While a majority of brands utilize content marketing, few have taken the time to document a strategy around the drafting, editing, and publishing of content. Spend time drafting a process that takes into account everything that needs to happen for content to make it onto your blog, onto a social media page, or into your customers’ inboxes. Who ideates? Who brainstorms? Who actually writes, edits, and optimizes for SEO? Finally, who uploads the content? Not only does physically recording a strategy help your content team stay on the same page, but it holds everyone accountable for their contributions to each step of the process.
Use Your Resources Wisely
Some of the biggest challenges that come with creating loads of content are tracking it (what’s been covered, by who, when, and for what purpose), organizing all the insights gleaned from feedback and interactions with your content, and leveraging this knowledge to create more content that hones in on topics important to your audience. When your team is creating a high volume of content, it’s crucial to keep it organized to avoid content duplication or gaps in your existing content strategy. Consider using a project management tool like Airtable or creating a spreadsheet to help store and organize key content information.
Follow an Editorial Calendar
With content being a crucial part of any marketing strategy, strategically planning the execution of your content including keywords, SEO, posting timing, posting medium, and more is the best way to maintain clarity and set your content team up for success. Schedule some time each month to sit down with your team and map out upcoming content, ensuring that pieces are timely, topics are relevant, and everyone knows what needs to get done.
Consistency is Key
Just like a one-time jog on the treadmill for a few minutes doesn’t automatically result in a swimsuit-ready bod, posting one solid batch of content isn’t enough to keep your blog performing at a high level. Every athlete knows it takes hard work and dedication to see results. Similarly, original blog content should be posted on a consistent basis and schedule. Not only does consistency help boost brand awareness (since you’re constantly posting new content that can be ranked) and contribute to clicks and site visits, but it also gives first-time visitors a reason to keep returning to your blog for new posts. Make sure to also develop a schedule for any social media accounts that you’re trying to grow, and aim to post at least once a day!
“I Spy” Is Still Everyone’s Favorite Game
Theirs nothing worse than content that’s riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. See what we did there?
No matter how groundbreaking, relevant, or insightful your blog posts may be, noticeable errors are the only thing readers will take away from your content if they exist. At Snap, blog posts pass through a number of team members to ensure that we can stand behind the quality of every blog and post published that goes live. If you don’t have a dedicated grammar genius in your office, turn to an online resource like Grammarly to check spelling and grammar. Whatever your process may be, check and double-check every draft of content to ensure you’re putting your best foot forward. And the same goes for social media and emails—because these pieces of content are shorter than blog posts, mistakes will only stand out to your audience more.
Delegate Away
Posting high-level content consistently requires more than a good content calendar—it takes strong writers. Although the thought of placing one team member out of a small group of people in charge of content creation might sound overwhelming, delegating this important process to your strongest writer or writers is one of the healthiest ways to organize your marketing team. Not only does designating a specific team for content creation and blogging free up the rest of your employees to work within their strengths, but it helps all brand content to maintain a specific tone and style since it’s being drafted by the same people.
Cultivate Quality Content With Snap
Need more help creating or following a strategy to ensure your brand is equipped to post high-quality content on a consistent basis? Contact Snap today. Our talented copywriters and strategists are eager to work with you and develop a unique approach to content creation that satisfies your target audience and search engines alike!