Do you ever get the feeling that your content marketing’s gone stale? Do you feel as if you’re just churning — doing the same old, same old — without seeing much of a difference when it comes to results? It’s time to give your content marketing some life and zest. Not sure where to start? Here are a few content marketing ideas that can serve as a springboard to content marketing success.
Come at your content from a new angle.
Content saturation is a real thing. It happens when there’s just way too much out there about a particular topic. The internet becomes full of blog posts, videos, and whatever else, all talking about the same thing.
When there’s too much talk about the same topic or same story, people lose interest. Why read blog post B when blog post A covered the subject so well? Content saturation leads to a drop in interest and social shares, as research from BuzzSumo revealed.
So what can you do? Don’t scrap an idea just because it’s super popular and has already “been done.” Instead, come at it from a new angle. Can you be the voice of dissent? Can you put a new spin on an old story (for example, maybe you can offer the “old timer’s” perspective or the feminist perspective on a trending story).
The trick is to think about how you can make the content unique. What sets you apart? Work that angle into every piece of content you make, and it will always stand out, no matter how crowded the field becomes.
Throw money at it.
Sometimes money can solve problems. In a world where organic social reach is plummeting, sometimes the best thing you can do is switch from free models to paid ones.
You want XYZ social media user to find your content? You might have to shell out the dollars to put together a targeted social ad campaign. You want the people who hang on to the every word of a particular influencer to read or watch your content? You gotta work with that influencer, and either have them share your content on a pay-per-click basis or partner up with them to put together an entire campaign.
Another way to make your content reach more people is to put some money into paid search or PPC ads. SEO can be a bit of a dice roll. If you want to guarantee that your content gets on the first page of the search results and is at the top of the page, you’ll have to pay to end up there.
Look to your users.
The people who already follow you and love your content can also be the people who end up creating content for you. Although user-generated content can be hit or miss, if you sift through it and publish the best of the best, you’ll be setting your brand apart in a few ways.
First, you’ll be letting your followers/audience/customers know that you value their opinions and contributions. Next, you’ll be building trust with your customers/audience. You’re giving people a voice and letting them share their real experiences with the world.
There are a few caveats when it comes to working user-generated content into your content marketing strategy. First, you want to be sure to have someone who can serve as the eyes and ears for your brand. Don’t just post any UGC that comes around. Someone’s got to vet it and choose the best of the best, otherwise things can get ugly.
Second, you have to give people something in return for their contributions. You don’t have to pay people, but you should thank them or acknowledge them in some way. Free stuff or gift cards tend to work. For some people, a thank you and a shout-out is sufficient.
As more and more brands hop on the content marketing wagon, things are going to get a bit more challenging. To stand out, you’ll have to keep thinking of new ways to approach an old problem.