CREATE A CONTENT CALENDAR
Rather than creating content on the fly, why not create a content calendar for the year ahead? What are the significant dates for your company or brand? Are there industry-wide landmarks or awards or conferences that you need to gear up for or report back on?
Keeping such a calendar would enable you to come up with relevant blog and SoMe topics well in advance and then to plug the gaps with evergreen topics that will always be relevant.
The calendar will also be an invaluable tool for reviewing content and comparing it with analytics, to see which posts are the most successful and to tweak planned posts in line with this.
COORDINATE CROSS CHANNEL CONTENT
As implied in the above section, the most effective content is consistent across many channels. If there is a strong topical theme then maximise its effectiveness by sharing it across all channels.
Content does not need to be directly duplicated but can overlap so that each piece can be read in isolation and can also be read in conjunction with that on other channels to form a coherent whole. So cross-reference between channels – with incentives where possible – and get the most mileage you can from every single piece of content!
CRITIQUE CURRENT CONTENT
Take a good look at your current content and ensure it is working as well for you as it can. Check all titles to make sure nothing is broken. Do new keyword research to ensure that yours are as up to date as they can be to optimise ranking and match up with the latest Google algorithms, which are constantly changing. Check for grammar and spelling. Make things perfect!
CLEVER COPYWRITING
If you are not good at writing content then get someone who is! Any investment will reap a good return. Contract out either your copywriting, proofreading or editing and there will be a significant impact on the quality of your copy. Your content will be stronger and will also be grammatically correct and free from spelling errors.
You could also find someone who is trained in SEO, to ensure that your keywords are being used as much as possible. High quality and relevant content can really help set you apart from your competitors, and dramatically boost your rankings.
CONSTANT CHANGE
Content is never static. To stay still means to get left behind! All the above steps need to be consolidated as part of an ongoing process. Not only will the subject matter of your intended topics change and evolve on a regular basis but so will trends in digital marketing and also the strategies and activities of your competitors.
You need to keep up – or, better still, to forge ahead! Stay on top of all the changes that are happening and keep tweaking your content to adapt to them. This will be an ongoing learning curve, but the alternative will be to get stuck in a rut that becomes increasingly ineffective and leads to you losing customers old and new.
Be content with your content! Follow the five C’s above to keep your content contemporarily clever.
