West Digital Media Solutions recently joined forces with content and SEO experts from 9thCO, ScribbleLive and PubMatic for a live panel discussion on how to create content that’s engaging, optimized and shareable.
The word “content” can mean different things to different people—blog posts and e-books, videos and infographics, webinars and social media posts, snackable and long-form etc. It can also raise questions among those who create it.
“Why can’t anyone find our content?”
“How can I make our content more interesting?”
“Why don’t customers share our content?”
Today’s consumers spend nearly one-third of their day engaging with digital content and their attention has become a precious commodity. Their search habits and preferences continue to change, as do ways to share with others. The challenge is to attract audiences to your content and earn their clicks and shares.
To hear all of the expert advice, watch the on-demand webinar here, or catch the top five takeaways below to get you started.
1. Video might seem hard to create, but it has 10 times the payoff as text-based content.
Video, on average, converts and engages at 10 times the rate of written content. It’s no surprise that video is the most popular content consumption method for consumers because of its ability to bring a brand to life better than any other digital format.
The vast options for delivering video can ease the stress for brands looking to produce video content. These options include live streaming, webinars using webcams and more. What matters most is the authentic connection to your audience.
2. Data-driven decision-making is key for content creation.
Before diving into any content brainstorm, it’s important to set goals. Are you looking to generate more brand awareness or lead generation? Your strategy should then determine how you shape and deliver your content so you’re accurately measuring for success. Content creation takes great effort and it’s important to reflect on what works and when to correct your efforts.
3. Out of the PESO (Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned) model, owned content is most important.
Owned content is the most direct communication channel between a brand and its audience. Examples of this include blogs, newsletters, webinars and social media posts. Paid, earned and shared content will help build a community around your content, but without strong owned messaging, the other three strategies will fall short.
4. Keyword research is the best place to start for SEO strategy.
When it comes to optimizing your content, marketers can get lost looking for the most innovative strategy and ignore the highly effective basics. If you’re releasing a new product, platform or service, start by researching both the high and low competition keywords to make sure you’re incorporating the terms your audience is already using.
High competition keyword example: Digital investor relations
Low competition keyword example: How to begin a career in investor relations.
5. Refresh your content rather than spending too much time or money on one piece.
Evaluate your content library regularly to find new purposes for pieces and ways to provide new insights on a particular subject. For example: Turn a long-form guide into a social media tweet series or turn a webinar into a blog post to get more life out of your work.
Bonus! For more tips and best practices, download our How to Create Clickable, Shareable & Search-Friendly Content guide.
In this guide, learn more about four key activities to help you drive greater success:
- Create great content that’s relevant and engaging
- Diversify your content strategy with paid, earned, shared and owned media (PESO)
- Optimize your content and rise to the top of search
- Make your content shareable
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Nikkole Couture is Vice President Go To Market, West Digital Media Solutions.