Need to optimize your Content Marketing strategy? What if you conduct a competitive audit? By analyzing your competitors’ content strategy, you can see the path of their Inbound Marketing funnel. If these competitors have market shares higher than yours, there is surely a lesson to be learned from their editorial line. The objective? Do better than them on the medium and long term!

UPDATE YOUR COMPETITIVE UNIVERSE

The competitive study requires companies to have a thorough knowledge of competition. A little updating is necessary, to know the new entrants on the market.

Even if they do not yet have your experience and a large customer portfolio, they have a more “new” vision of the market. Knowing their strength and weakness is a strong source of inspiration for your own Content Marketing. Of course, your audit will have to integrate your historical competitors to take stock of your respective positions.

DISCOVER THE CONTENT OF YOUR COMPETITORS

After updating the list of your competitors, it is time to discover the publications that they broadcast on their blog and their website. Do not forget to study the “Resources”, “White Papers”, “Case Studies”, “Case Studies” tabs … Look for all forms of content that can help you learn more about the problems of your market And how competitors are dragging them into their conversion funnels.

Do not limit yourself to the consultation of the website, also check the contents offered on all communication channels used by your competitors: social networks, newsletters, forums in the specialized press … To optimize your competitive study, use SEO tools such as Moz, able to list the backlinks of your competitors. You can find external content more easily in their own media.

AUDIT COMPETITOR CONTENT MARKETING

After mapping the communication channels used by your competitors, you must study the various published contents. Four key elements need to be examined in particular:

  • The amount of content broadcast
  • It’s frequency of publication
  • The type of content with the greatest impact
  • Methods of promoting content

Measuring the volume of content produced is not limited to a total number. In order for the collected data to be properly exploited, it is essential to count by the types of format proposed: number of videos, 500-word articles, 1000-word studies, white papers, Etc. The goal is to determine the key formats of their Content Marketing strategy.

Frequency is another factor not to be overlooked when conducting a Competitive Content Marketing Study. Ask about the pace of publication of each format. Also analyze the ratio between the production of articles and that of video or visual, for example. Finally, measuring the impact and the commitment rate generated by the content makes it possible to detect any discrepancies between the formats. You see the preferences of their buyer’s persona, which is also yours, do not forget it.

To do this, tools like Buzzsumo or SocialShare are very effective. Depending on the results, you can adapt your Content Marketing strategy. For example, you see that computer graphics are very successful among your competitors, whereas your company never produces them. This means that your editorial line needs to be reviewed to leave room for this type of content.

EVALUATING QUALITY

To verify the quality of a content is a subjective process … To add a more objective character, it is recommended to establish specific quality criteria according to:

  • The complexity of the subjects
  • The added value of content
  • The usefulness of content
  • Their originality

ANALYZE THE IMPACT OF CONTENT IN TERMS OF CONVERSION

You must understand the role that content plays on the conversion rate. Indeed, this step allows you to fully master your competitors’ Content Marketing strategy. You should pay special attention to calls to action, links or landing pages that refer to off-site content. This method gives you precise information about the objectives of your competitors and how they fulfill them.

Through a competitive Content Marketing study, you have information important to your own strategy. The final objective of this audit is to find ways to improve your content while continuing to differentiate you from competitors.