Content is the lifeblood of a website. It’s what brings visitors in, keeps them engaged, and triggers them to think or take action. If you’re trying to build your presence on the Web and you don’t have some type of content strategy in place, you’re unlikely to have much success.
Here on the TSM blog, we recently took a look at some of the many different forms of content, from blogs to social media to video to podcasts and more. But what are the key traits that define great content? How can your business differentiate itself and break through the clutter?
The answers are complex, and can vary based on your industry and objectives. However, I believe there are three overarching tenets that should always be followed when developing content. If you keep these guidelines at the front of your content strategy, you’ll be on the right track.
1. Know Your Audience
This is an important consideration before you even begin writing or producing content. Who do I want to see this? How can I tailor the material to be most useful and relevant to that subset, specifically? The more acute and narrow your focus, the better. It might intuitively make sense to take a broad approach with hopes of reaching as many people as possible, but in the end your content will be more powerful if it is targeted at a particular niche, because there will be less competition for keywords and your message will connect on a more direct and personal level. Perform keyword analysis and market research ahead of time, so you’ll have as much knowledge as possible about your audience and how to reach them.
2. Be Unique
No matter what topic you’re covering, chances are that many different people have covered it before. The internet is an endless resource, with pockets dedicated to almost every subject imaginable. You don’t to publish the same thing that’s been written before, so try approaching it from a fresh perspective. Don’t be afraid to be quirky and humorous. Dig deep into the finer points and address questions that might get overlooked in other places. If you’re bringing in outside help for content (which is highly recommended unless you have the means internally to do it right), find an agency with proven, professional writers/creators that you can trust to represent your brand and project the proper persona.
3. Be Consistent
A good article or video will bring someone to your site, and might get them to stick around and check out some other pages or sections. But what will keep them coming back to is consistent, quality output. If you’re only adding new content once every couple months, it won’t incentivize anyone to bookmark your page or check back in regularly, nor will it maximize your SEO benefit. Google and other search engines love sites that update on a regular basis, and visitors love a blog that they can visit each week and count on finding something new and interesting. Set a schedule, and stick to it. Turn your website from a placeholder to a destination.
Want some help with your content marketing strategy? Enlist the experts. At Top Source Media, we specialize in unique content that boosts SEO and draws in customers. We’ll help you make sure you’re abiding by all three content commandments. Contact us today!
