Leveraging the Power of
Search
There is obvious benefit in publishing
content on your own website, usually
in the form of a blog, but you’re only
going to attract organic search visitors
if your posts are well optimized. Despite
being a fundamental building block
of online marketing, I still meet many
professionals who admit to having a very
limited knowledge of Search Engine
Optimization (SEO).
I’m a firm believer that quality content
will always thrive, no matter how little
thought you put into optimizing it for
search. But brushing up on SEO basics,
like how to conduct keyword research, can
certainly give you a competitive edge and
see your visibility surge. The art of great
content marketing and the science of
SEO combined will really put you ahead
of the pack.
cost of marketing, perhaps to the point
where content marketing is no longer an
economically viable option for some. The
world of content marketing has grown
exponentially in recent years, with the oft-
quoted ‘content is king’ mantra continuing
to flourish. But before you assemble your
content calendar for the next 8 months,
you should carefully consider one thing:
are your efforts actually worth it?
Content saturation means that - if you’re
planning to put time and money into
producing written features, videos or
social media output - a proper content
strategy is essential. You have to plan if
you want to avoid relying on luck. Like
the farmer, you have to understand the
seasons, read the weather, and produce
the right content for the times to collect
a bumper harvest of views - and, more
importantly, sales.
Ultimately, I believe the many and varied
forms of content marketing are essential if
you are serious about getting noticed and
building an online audience. However,
what I am getting at is a serious need to
consider whether each individual piece
of content you produce actually adds
value to the wider conversation or at least
showcases you in the best possible light.
I have come to appreciate that content
for content’s sake will get you nowhere,
and the days of ‘if we build it, they will
22 MAL29/19 ISSUE
come’ are truly over. This is highlighted by
Beckon’s in-depth research, which reveals
that only 5% of branded content garners
90% of total consumer engagement. In
other words, as the report explains, “19
out of 20 content pieces get little to no
engagement.”
The content mar-
keting industry is at
real crossroads, with
the eternal quest to
demonstrate Return
on Investment (ROI)
getting all the more
focused. As an indus-
try, we need to take
this challenge head
on and do all we can
to refine campaigns
until they’re firing
on all cylinders, de-
livering tangible re-
sults in the form of
engagement and per-
formance.
The aforementioned study also notes that,
three times more content was published
between August 2017 and 2018 in
comparison to the years prior; that is
2015 and 2016. This points to the fact
that it’s getting increasingly hard to cut
through the noise and be heard above
the competition. Thus, in my opinion,
if you really want to make an impact in
2019, then it’s best to put the brakes on
and think carefully about what’s going
to get you noticed. That may sound like
simplistic, but the statistics indicate that
this simply isn’t happening often enough.
I am certain that it is not for lack of trying,
in fact, I would posit that many content
marketers try too hard. Their output is
too ambitious, covering too many bases
and trying to talk to too many people.
For example, the trouble with writing
a blog post titled ‘how to win at social
media’ is that it’s not targeted enough, so
you’ll end up scratching the surface of a
massive subject area without really saying
anything meaningful.
It is, therefore, much better to focus
on one aspect of social media, such as
Facebook Live, and really go to town on it,
describing how it’ll impact your customers
and showcasing your detailed knowledge.
This will frame you as a reliable voice
with something insightful to say, which is
much more likely to achieve a respectable
level of engagement.
Another under-appreciated aspect of
content marketing is guest blogging or
publishing articles on third-party sites.
I’m expecting to see many more B2B
marketers embracing outreach programs
this year. Essentially, this amplification
of content works on multiple levels to
maximize marketing efforts, and many
practitioners have experienced significant
gains in doing so.
To begin with, providing content for a
well-respected, widely-read publication is
an excellent opportunity to demonstrate
your expertise. As long as your message
is informative, entertaining and relevant
to the audience without coming across
as an advertorial, you’ll be raising your
brand profile, potentially attracting new
customers.
Secondly, it gives you great material to
share on social media; if your followers see
your brand content published on a leading
website - your standing will increase in
their eyes. Moreover, in the background,
marketing your content will be boosting
your search engine performance. Reference
links from authoritative websites relevant
to your niche act like recommendations
in the eyes of Google, giving your pages
a boost in the organic search results. The
more effectively you do this, the higher
you are likely to rank.
The content marketing industry is at
real crossroads, with the eternal quest to
demonstrate Return on Investment (ROI)
getting all the more focused. As an industry,
we need to take this challenge head on and
do all we can to refine campaigns until
they’re firing on all cylinders, delivering
tangible results in the form of engagement
and performance.
There are many marketing trends to look
out for in going forward but, for my money,
the most important thing to consider is
ensuring that content efforts are focused
on becoming that magical one piece in
twenty, that actually gets noticed. Achieve
that and the market is yours for the taking!
Irene Mbonge is a Communications
Expert and a current affairs
enthusiast. She is the interim
Chair, CIPR-Kenya chapter. You
can commune with her on this or
related issues via mail at: Mbonge.
[email protected].