Content marketing has become one of the most important aspects of any marketing campaign in today’s technology and social media-driven world. This specialized type of marketing can range from posting blogs, press releases, new website content, and social media. It seems easy enough, but there are right and wrong ways to provide information to your audience that will not only get their attention, but will also boost your search engine rankings. Here are the top do’s and don’ts of content marketing for 2014.
Don’t: Stuff Keywords
We all have certain keywords we want to rank our website for, but stuffing the same keywords over and over in your blog articles or website pages will not only do nothing to enhance your site, but could cause Google to drop your site all together. If that is what you have been doing, it’s not entirely your fault. After all, keyword-rich content used to be the name of the game if you wanted to rank well. Once Google Panda was born in 2011, that all changed. Panda put more emphasis on quality content instead of quantity of keywords.
Do: Create Useful Content
What information would your audience find helpful? This could mean useful tips in your industry, product information, or anything else viewers may enjoy reading. Throwing some statistics in your articles is one way to get it read- people love seeing the numbers to back up your statements. Don’t hold back your personality in your writing. Let it shine and this will also help the reader feel connected to you.
Don’t: Share Content Only Once
There’s a good chance your audience won’t all be looking at their Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+ accounts at the same time, especially since some may be in different time zones. If you only post it once, it will most likely get lost in the shuffle of other tweets and posts that they are receiving.
Do: Remember Repetition is Key
Not only will the post be remembered, but you’ll be able to get the attention of people who initially didn’t see the post you published. I don’t recommend posting the same article 30 times a day, but sending out a tweet a few times throughout the day will bring more traffic to your website or blog.
Don’t: Put People to Sleep
Most people like to read information that can help them both personally and professionally, but even the best tips and information will get ignored if it is dry and dull. Keep it lively and, as I previously mentioned, don’t be afraid to let your personality and humor shine as you are writing your next article.
Do: Time Your Content
To increase the chances of your content getting read, publish it during the most popular times and days your audience will be online. If you need a little help knowing what days and times are best, check out your website’s analytics to get an idea of when the most traffic has been visiting. Also, try to avoid publishing anything on holidays, since most people will be with family or on vacation and will completely miss the information you posted. Most blog sites, such as WordPress, allow you to schedule posts by day and time to help you out.
These are just a few of the do’s and don’ts of content marketing that are sure to help you make the most of the content you put out there on the Web.
What other content marketing tips have worked for you?