It’s Time for a Content Strategy Tune-Up

Over time, all content strategies need a tune-up. Either due to shifting marketing conditions or evolving business priorities, the time may be now to relook at your marketing efforts and squeeze more value out of your investment. Maintaining an effective, data-driven content strategy is proven to increase website traffic and conversions while also improving overall brand awareness and is an essential marketing strategy for B2B firms.

An optimized content strategy will enable marketers to:

    • Communicate their message with clarity
    • Target specific audiences
    • Track metrics
    • Optimize campaigns along the way
    • Increase revenue streams from digital sources

Whether it’s time to update your existing marketing content strategy or create one for a new business or product launch,  here is how to do it and maximize your ROI.

Pillar Topic Clusters

Adopt a Pillar-Cluster Model to Transform Your Content Strategy

The pillar-cluster model is an effective content methodology that involves creating content around core topics, or “pillars”, and then expanding upon them with additional related topics, or “clusters”. The idea behind this approach is to create comprehensive coverage of information around your chosen pillar topics. This allows you to go to market as a credible, authoritative, and reliable source of quality content in your industry.

This pillar-cluster approach greatly benefits your SEO ranking by building topical authority and simplifying navigation for users and search engines.

Pillar topics support topic clusters

Start with your pillar topics. These are the broad-stroke foundational information themes for your website. Pillar topics should reflect the subject matter that your brand should be seen as an expert in.

Once you have identified the pillar topics, use topic clusters to create related blog articles. This process establishes a hierarchical information architecture that organizes and links related content together, enabling readers and search engines to find the information they are looking for quickly.

steps to a successful content strategy

1. Audit Content and Research Competition

Use SEO tools like Ahrefs or Semrush to perform deep-dive content quality and competitive audits. Analyzing and logging your current content quality will reveal what content is working and what content needs work to perform better. It will also reveal areas where your site may be lacking information. The competitive research audit will help you understand how your competitors use content to engage their audiences. You will use this data to inform your own strategy.

2. Identify Keywords and Fill in the Gaps

Keyword research provides data on what information your audience is searching for. This data can be used to generate ideas and inform your strategy for creating engaging and valuable content.

Scrape competitor websites to understand the keywords they’re using to get more traffic and cross-reference it against your own website. The keyword gaps become the foundation for creating new website content around. Group these keywords into topics and attach them to your subject pillars.

3. Upcycle and Recycle Dated Content

Updating and recycling dated content will refresh your content, improve SEO results, and re-present valuable information for your prospects. Plus, this is an efficient way to get more value out of your budget.

Identify this old content when you conduct your website quality audit and then decide on the best approach to update it. Sometimes a minor tweak is enough, while other articles might require a complete rewrite. Some you may toss all together. Too many “dead” pages can drag a site’s performance down. It is usually better to remove this type of dead weight if it isn’t adding value.

While you’re updating your content, consider using it for new videos, infographics, audio files, or downloadable assets.

4. Update Your Marketing Calendar

Organizing content ideas into an editorial calendar makes it easier to plan and execute. When updating your marketing strategy, revisit your schedule. Take a look at the data from your existing marketing calendar and determine if it might be time to increase or decrease frequency.

Ideally, your content marketing calendar should enable your team to produce content on a regular cadence with enough lead time to implement well. At the same time, maintain flexibility to accommodate timely or urgent marketing communications as needed.

An up-to-date calendar will also make it easier for your team to collaborate on content and ideas, assign tasks, and achieve better results.

Specialist Agency vs. In-House

An effective content strategy requires a lot of time, expertise, and resources to create and execute. Companies may not have the bandwidth to devote themselves to their content strategy, or perhaps may not even have qualified resources in place to do this type of strategic work.

Working with a digital marketing agency is the perfect solution for businesses that want to get the most out of their content strategy — especially during economic downturns. The benefits of working with agency experts include the following:

    • Working with experienced and knowledgeable professionals
    • Access to advanced training, technology, tools, and data
    • Receiving in-depth analysis and recommendations
    • Ability to quickly create high-quality content on a consistent basis
    • Cost savings due to economies of scale

If your business lacks the bandwidth, resources, or abilities to develop and implement a high-performing content strategy, consider working with an agency that specializes in inbound and content marketing. This engagement can range from just the strategic part to full implementation. It could even include training and empowering your own in-house team.

The right agency will assist you in developing an engaging content plan that resonates with your target audience, optimizes existing content for better visibility, and provides a higher return on your investment.

Is it Time for a Content Strategy Tune-up?

Content strategy is essential for driving traffic, leads, and conversions. Companies need to realign their content strategies on an ongoing basis to remain competitive. By regularly conducting a website quality audit, identifying upcycled and recycled content opportunities, updating your editorial calendar, and working with an agency partner when necessary, businesses can create effective content that resonates with their audience. This will lead to a better return on investment and improve overall brand awareness.


How to Use AI Writing Tools to Help with Marketing Content

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an integral component of modern marketing and website copywriting. AI writing tools like Jasper and Writesonic are helping businesses create content in new ways. As of this writing, the technology is starting to appear integrated into other tools that many of us are already using for marketing, including Grammarly’s GrammarlyGO, and HubSpot’s ChatSpot.

AI writing tools are capable of producing quality marketing content quickly and efficiently, but getting the most out of these tools requires a learning curve, experimentation, research, and good editing skills.

What Are AI Writing Tools?

AI has been around for decades, long before AI writing tools were developed. Today, AI is used in many different fields, from healthcare and finance to security and military applications. Business and marketing software has long included AI for features like chatbots, automation, product recommendations, and more.

Lately, generative AI has exploded, including AI writing tools. These are computer programs that leverage AI-driven natural language processing (NLP) algorithms and are designed to assist writers in creating written content (obviously). They use natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to understand context, generate ideas, analyze data, and refine drafts. AI writing tools can help marketing writers create content more efficiently and effectively by generating ideas, expanding on concepts, editing bad grammar, and suggesting improvements to word choice.

How To Use AI Writing Tools for Marketing

At Bynder Group, we use AI writing tools to help create content for our clients and ourselves more quickly and efficiently. While AI has proven helpful in saving time, it also requires some skill and experience in understanding how to get the best output.

One of the biggest drawbacks of using AI for marketing content is the risk of producing low-quality content. AI writing tools can often produce copy that is repetitive or does not accurately reflect the company’s brand and tone. Additionally, AI tools are not (yet) able to capture subtle nuances in language, which may lead to misunderstandings or misinterpretations.

To ensure quality content, it is important to spend time refining the output of AI writing tools with careful editing before publishing. Additionally, setting clear guidelines on topics and brand language can help steer AI copywriting in the right direction.

Tips For Getting the Most Out of Generative AI Software for Marketing

Using AI Writing Tools for Website Copy

AI writing tools can be useful for creating website copy, such as product descriptions, customer reviews, and landing pages. They can be used to quickly generate a first draft of content without having to spend hours researching and crafting each sentence by hand. This saves time allowing businesses—particularly those with limited budgets—to focus their resources on other equally important tasks. What’s more, when used properly these tools can help ensure consistency across all of your website’s pages by ensuring that each page follows the same style guide and tone of voice.

Using AI Writing Tools for Marketing Copy

AI writing tools can also be used for creating marketing copy, such as email newsletters and social media posts. These tools make it easier for businesses to craft engaging, personalized messages and help generate new ideas for content. For example, users can feed their customer data into an AI tool which will then generate personalized emails tailored to each customer’s needs and interests. When used in tandem with a CRM and marketing platform like HubSpot, the results are genuinely compelling.

Using AI Writing Tools for Content Idea Generation

Using AI writing tools to generate blog ideas can be a great way to quickly come up with creative and interesting topics. By feeding data into the AI writing tool, such as current events and industry news, as well as keyword phrases related to your topic of choice, you can quickly generate lists of new topics.

Using AI Writing Tools for SEO and Content Strategy

By feeding in relevant keyword phrases, AI writing tools can suggest topics likely to rank highly on search engine results pages (SERPs). Additionally, these tools can be used to generate new versions of existing content, keeping it fresh and helping to ensure that it performs well for search.

Writer Assist vs. Auto-Pilot

Using AI writing tools for marketing content has the potential to revolutionize how businesses produce copy and reach their audience. However, it is important to remember that AI is still in its early stages, and it can take time to master the tools and ensure quality output. AI writing tools should be used with great care and as part of a larger marketing strategy which includes other methods of generating original content ideas and engaging customers. With proper use and careful editing, these tools can be handy for creating engaging content that resonates with your audience.

Make the Most of Your AI Writing Tools with These Best Practices:

  • Edit, edit, edit: Ensure your brand’s voice and style are present.
  • Proofread (and edit more): Don’t hit “publish” without proofreading and editing your copy.
  • Enhance: Don’t rely only on AI-generated copy; balance it with human-written content.
  • Verify: Make sure you take a close look at and correct any content that may be biased, offensive, misleading, or just wrong, especially facts and statistics.

Master 4 Cornerstones of High-Performing Websites

If you’re building a new website or considering a website redesign, your mind may immediately go to what the site will look like, what colors you’ll use, and how the copy will read. These elements that you choose for your website are critical in creating a good first impression but without the right strategic foundation, your efforts can fall flat. The following are four essential things to consider when engaging in any new website or significant website redesign to maximize your return on investment. If you can nail these foundational elements, you will not only have a website that looks great and compels customers to take action, you will build a site that produces results for your business.

Here we dig into the four cornerstones of your new website or redesign project that you absolutely must get right to ensure the highest ROI, including content strategy, search engine optimization (SEO), lead generation, and technology. Approach these strategic components correctly, and you’re on your way to building a powerful marketing tool for your business.

Start With Your Content Strategy

content strategy by Bynder group
Align your content strategy with your business objectives. Do this before you begin the design or redesign process so that your website information architecture fits your strategy—not the other way around.

Too often, content strategy is an afterthought in a website redesign. By considering the type of content you will create in the long term before you start redesigning your site, you’ll be well ahead of the game and set your business up for sustained growth. 

Content is any tangible media, including written, visual, downloadable, and interactive formats. In many ways, the content a brand or company produces becomes the “voice” of that brand. It represents what you stand for and your values as a business. Content demonstrates industry knowledge, experience, brand values, and more. Content is also critical in educating potential customers who are unfamiliar with your brand, product, or service and is an essential element of SEO strategy. In short, the quality of content on your website matters greatly. The majority of a company’s content will live on its website, which is why content strategy is important to consider now before you launch your new site. 

When you develop your content strategy, consider these questions:

Who is your content for?

Leverage a variety of content types and channels to ensure delivery to each target persona.

What problem do you solve?

Your content should support your prospects as they learn more about you, as well as your customers to keep them engaged and wanting more.

What is your differentiator? 

Communicate your unique attributes and selling points. Demonstrate expertise and knowledge, not only around your product or service but around your target personas. 

What content formats are appropriate for your audience?

Determine your blend of blog posts, videos, infographics and align your content needs with your budget and resources.

What channels are best for your brand?

Consider your owned properties, like your website, blog, and landing pages and also social media properties like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. Where do your customers congregate? You’ll want to be sure to share your content there first and foremost. 

What is your management and creation plan?

Effectively managing the enormous task of content planning and development requires organization and communication. Adhere to a calendar while you remain flexible to address timely or newsworthy events. 

If you’re able to answer these questions before embarking on your redesign, you’ll be able to create a site that fully supports your content marketing efforts.

website redesign success

Are you considering a business website redesign?

Download our comprehensive website redesign guide for everything you need to know about strategizing effectively before you invest.

Download the comprehensive guide for a high-performing website »

Get Higher Visibility with Search Engine Optimization 

Optimize your website for high organic search results and it will generate more traffic and more qualified leads. A website redesign is a perfect time to ramp up your SEO efforts. Even small changes can make a big difference in how your site ranks for your high-value keywords. 

When considering SEO, pay attention to the following key elements:

  • Optimize your homepage and internal content with a thoroughly considered keyword strategy
  • Ensure the entire website has on-page optimization and all images have alt tags
  • Spy on your competition using backlink checkers to find out who is linking to their site
  • Target long-tail keywords that are specific to your brand or product
  • Publish useful, credible content on a regular schedule
  • Build your content around pillar topics and support each pillar topic with supporting content to build higher credibility with search engines

 

Create a Lead Generation Engine

Your website can be the most powerful lead-generation tool in your business arsenal. With the right strategy, you can and should be generating qualified leads 24 hours a day. Those kinds of possibilities make it easy to see why investing in your website makes sense. One survey found that 70% of small business websites don’t even have a call to action on their homepage, which means we know there is a major opportunity for improvement here. 

To optimize your site for lead generation, plan on incorporating:

Calls-to-action

Easy to find and use calls-to-action that direct users where to go, whether that means moving them to another page, compelling them to download content (and get on your email list), or making it simple to contact you directly through a contact form, email, or phone number. 

Visitor engagement

Design and voice that encourages engagement. Your site should be in active voice and should use design elements and copy that makes the user feel compelled to act and learn more about your brand. 

Analytics

Software and methodology for tracking, acting on, and measuring lead generation engagement. As the saying goes, what gets measured gets managed. Be sure that you’re keeping track of your incoming leads with an effective CRM and making changes to your site if you’re not seeing the results you want. 

Sales enablement

A sales enablement plan that supports and coordinates sales and marketing to ensure those leads are not lost. Lead generation is only one piece of the puzzle. You should be prepared to follow up on those leads and help to guide them through their customer journey. 

Don’t underestimate the power of your website to generate high-quality leads for you. It won’t happen overnight, and it will take significant strategic effort on the front end, but the results will be well worth it. 

 

Select the Right Business and Marketing Technology Stack

 

tech stack for successful web strategy
Consider value as well as price when choosing your web strategy technology stack. Save time and get bigger returns with right-fit software.

The software and technology you choose to build your website is an important decision and commitment. What you choose to go with will be determined by your budget, your resources, and your workflows. 

Your technology toolbox should include software for: 

  • Content management system (CMS)
  • Customer relationships management system (CRM)
  • Marketing automation
  • Email marketing
  • SEO
  • Invoicing
  • Sales enablement
  • Account-based marketing
  • Customer service

Consider the value in addition to the price when assembling your technology toolkit. Investing in the right software can dramatically affect the results you get. If your budget isn’t there yet, look for starter-level packages that will allow you to grow into more robust features.

Master these Cornerstones for Higher Returns

When you put in the foundational work, the ROI on a website redesign can be significant. With your strategy in place, you’ll be setting yourself up for a website that looks great and works effectively to get visitors into your sales funnel. 

website redesign success

Are you considering a business website redesign?

Download The Complete Guide to Your Next Website Redesign for more tips on strategizing effectively before you invest.

Download the comprehensive guide for a high-performing website »


Content Toolbox For Building Your B2B Brand [infographic]

DOWNLOAD B2B MARKETING CONTENT INFOGRAPHIC »

It was not long ago that nearly every marketing playbook would start with some variation of the phrase “content is king.”

Nearly every business with a content marketing strategy was struggling to create as much content as possible, as quickly as possible. In many cases, this would lead to blogs filled with tons of posts and very little actionable, valuable content. Google took notice of this and sheer content volume ceased to be enough to register an SEO bump.

So the drive to create content based exclusively on volume has slowed considerably, but B2B businesses should still be doing whatever they can to create high-value content for their key buyer personas. Not only does great content contribute to your owned media profile and give you a chance to share useful information with your potential customers, it can also be a boon for SEO when done right. 

B2B companies that do not yet have a robust content creation process may initially equate “content” with “blog post” or “LinkedIn post” but the reality is that there are a range of different types of content that may be useful in building your brand and driving revenue for your business.

Each type of content offers a unique way to communicate your brand and values and each occupies a unique place in your business website strategyMost companies will benefit from a mix of content types, but the specific types that your company should focus on will depend heavily on what your content goals are as well as what resources you have to devote to content creation. 

8 Vital Types of B2B Marketing Content Infographic

Check out our infographic to get a better idea as to what types of content make the most sense for your business. 

8 types of content marketing

DOWNLOAD B2B MARKETING CONTENT INFOGRAPHIC »


The One Thing You Must Do For Search Engine Optimization

A simple first step that a business can take on their own to improve their search engine optimization is to claim and optimize their Google My Business listing.

A recent study estimates that 25% of Google’s ranking signals comes from a business’ Google My Business listing. Google’s ranking signals are what determines where a business ranks in organic search results. This listing is also where Google gets information to populate the Knowledge Graph that appears on the right hand side of the search engine results page when someone Googles the name of the business.

If you haven’t claimed your Google My Business listing yet, you should do that now. If you have, great! Now, it’s time to optimize it. Doing so is the one thing that a local business can and really should do to improve your search engine optimization (SEO). Once it’s optimized it also requires ongoing monitoring and attention.

Did you know that you can now do posts, text messaging and Q&As all through your Google My Business listing? Did you know anyone can edit your business listing without your prior knowledge? If you are not checking your Google My Business listing on an on-going basis not only do you risk wrong information being listed, but you are not optimizing it to help your search ranking.

Free Search Engine Optimization Guide

free search engine optimization guide by bynder group

If you’re not familiar with how to optimize your Google My Business listing, you’re in luck. We’ve put together a helpful guide that walks you through step-by-step.

The guide includes a basic overview of Google My Business and optimization tips for posts, text messaging, questions and answers, reviews, photos & videos, and insights.

With your Google My Business listing accounting for 25% of what Google looks at in determining your search ranking, following this guide to maximize your listing is a great start at Search Engine Optimization.

DOWNLOAD FREE SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION GUIDE »

 

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