Content Marketing Tips

Content marketers are in a constant battle of competing for attention to make sure that the right people are seeing the content they produce.

If you’re struggling to get your amazing content seen, I have a list of actionable content marketing tips for you.

Applying those techniques will increase your opportunities in the digital landscape, boost your authority in the industry and help you make more money from your content.

However, content marketing success is about more than simply pumping out content and hoping for the best.

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It’s about knowing what drives people to your content, how you can use that knowledge to increase engagement and how you can apply those insights and learnings to better each piece of content produced going forward.

Without any further ado, let’s dive in.

20 Practical Content Marketing Tips for 2022

  • Understand Your Audience
  • Create Topic Clusters
  • Satisfy Search Intent
  • Utilize SEO Best Practices
  • Use Visuals
  • Create Longer Content Pieces
  • Put Call-to-action in Prominent Places
  • Optimize Old Content
  • Track Your Progress and Engagement
  • Create Linkable Content
  • Don’t Get Inconsistent
  • Use Tweets and Social Media
  • Generate Demand With Your Content
  • Promote Your Content But Don’t Overdo It
  • Make Your Content Relevant
  • Use Content to Fuel Your Personal Branding
  • Be Creative With Your Content Marketing Tactics
  • Don’t Think Like a Publisher
  • Incorporate Social Sharing Buttons

1. Understand Your Audience

This is the first tip for any content marketing piece. There’s no way you can create relevant content if you don’t understand your audience.

If you don’t know the age or gender of your audience then you’re not doing your job. Knowing what type of content to create is 80% of the battle; you know your audience wants information on new products and features so write about that.

Understanding your audience and its needs and wants should be the foundation of your content marketing strategy because, without this, you will write content that satisfies yourself and not your readers.

You might think people will love your content but you will notice nothing but crickets…Why? You haven’t understood your audience and their pain points and what solutions they are looking for.

2. Create Topic Clusters

A topic cluster or a content hub is the best way to organize your content nowadays and it consists of a pillar post and hundreds/thousands of related posts, often short-form pieces of content that tackle various angles of that same topic.

Applying this technique will allow you to become an authoritative and relevant voice in your industry.

This is the way to go if you want to be the most relevant source of information on a topic and that’s why Google loves it so much.

Interlinking all your relevant topics has many benefits, both for your audience and for the algorithm, making it one of the best content marketing tips.

3. Satisfy Search Intent

It’s tempting to want to write about every keyword that’s related to your industry. But will you be able to satisfy search intent?

When I first started SEO, I was frustrated why my content wouldn’t rank even though I was putting out quality content, optimizing the content for the search engines, and so on until I understood search intent.

Let’s say you found an interesting keyword that you think would be beneficial to both your business and your audience.

The first thing to look at is Page 1 of Google for that keyword and see who’s ranking.

If the results on the first page are all eCommerce websites and you are not an eCommerce business, you won’t ever rank.

Google does not see you as authoritative enough to compete with the eCom pages and concludes that you won’t be able to satisfy search intent, period.

Drop that keyword and move on!

4. Utilize SEO Best Practices

There’s no magic wand when it comes to getting results with SEO (Unfortunately!). It takes time…a lot of time for beginners!

But when don’t try to trick Google and make use of the best practices, you can be sure to experience growth in a steady and safe way.

Obviously, you won’t be able to put into action all of Google’s 250+ ranking factors.

However, by implementing a few key strategies, you’ll be on the right track to optimizing your content for search engines and having better results.

5. Use Visuals

There’s no better way to capture the attention of your audience than with visuals.

People are attracted to images and that’s why Google rewarded videos in the past by placing them above the text results (in some cases).

Your content is more likely to be shared on social media if it includes photos and videos.

6. Create Longer Content Pieces

A short and snappy article has its place on the internet. But if you’re a marketer, you have to create longer-focused content pieces that are well-researched and have a purpose.

Don’t get lazy because you are not Forbes and you won’t ever rank on Page 1 with a 250-word article!

Of course, not every keyword will require you to write 10,000 words but make it long enough to provide value to your audience.

There are lots of debate as to the ideal length of a piece of content that Google loves. Below are a few tips to help you determine how many words you should write:

  • Check the first 3-5 results on Google for that specific keyword, calculate the average word count and you should have a fair space to play and rank.
  • Use a tool like Surfer that will provide you with the ideal length you should write.
  • Use common sense. Do you think you should write 5k words for a keyword like “how to draw an apple?”.

7. Put Call-to-action in Prominent Places

One of the many benefits of content marketing is the ability to use call-to-actions wherever you see fit.

The placement of your CTAs and the wording are equally important.

Try to think of your page as a funnel and how you want to direct your readers down the path you want.

For example, you do not want to bombard your readers with lots of CTAs at the beginning of your content.

Give them something valuable to consume, and try your best to hook them up so as not to lose them right away.

For instance, you can offer a free eBook to download after they’ve consumed 30% of your content.

They will be more like to download after you’ve shown your expertise in the first few paragraphs.

Also, at the bottom of the funnel is the conversion point so don’t disappoint them by giving them a weak call-to-action.

8. Optimize Old Content

One thing that new content marketers tend to overlook is old content.

The process of updating old posts can be annoying but it’s totally worth it, especially when your content is of high quality.

Optimizing old content is one of the best tactics to increase your visibility on search engines, rank for new keywords, and increase your organic traffic.

Old content optimization is something you can do every 3-4 months by adding new paragraphs, reformulating sections, and adding visuals.

9. Track Your Progress and Engagement

Keeping an eye on key performance indicators is crucial for new content marketers.

You need to benchmark your progress and understand what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong.

Having a clear idea of your audience’s engagement level allows you to tweak your content strategy for higher rankings on the SERPs and more exposure on social media platforms.

For example, a good way to gauge your audience’s engagement is through the use of Google Analytics where you can track time on page, bounce rate, exit rate, and get more info about your demographics.

10. Create Linkable Content

If you want to rank for competitive keywords on Google, you need backlinks from authoritative websites.

And one genius technique to earn those backlinks is to create linkable content, also known in the SEO world as linkable assets.

Linkable assets that are truly valuable will attract links from other sites in your industry, and get shared on social media platforms, thus giving you tons of backlinks.

Brian Dean, from Backlinko, created a comprehensive list of all the Google ranking factors and this article alone has earned him 25k backlinks from 7.8k unique domains.

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This is the power of linkable content! And the more quality backlinks you get, the higher you rank on Google and the more traffic you get.

11. Create Storytelling Content

Who doesn’t love a good old story? Internet people love storytelling content

And today, storytelling in content marketing is a powerful tool as it has the ability to connect your audience on an emotional level.

Back in the day, you had to get people’s attention with broadcast media which was expensive and time-consuming.

Today, you can create engaging stories on your own with content marketing. If you have something worth sharing, make sure to tell your story and make it lovable to the point that people will want to share it and also be a part of your brand.

As mentioned by Single Grain, storytelling has much more capacity to captivate your audience than data and facts.

So, don’t underestimate the storytelling concept and try to incorporate it in your content marketing strategy.

12. Don’t Get Inconsistent

Consistency is a bit controversial in the content marketing world. Why? Because people think being consistent means you have to put out content every single to be able to rank on Google.

It’s true that the search engines and social media platforms love it when you publish or post every day. But taking that route can cause burnout and you might want to throw the towel in the ring.

So what do I mean by consistency then? Staying consistent is keeping the pace steady. For instance, if you decide to post twice per week, then keep it like that.

If you want to post every day, you’ve got to keep up with that too. My point is that you don’t want to post every day during week 1, go silent for 2 weeks and then get back to publishing 10 articles during week 4.

That’s super inconsistent and you don’t want to do this. You want to keep the pace that you started with and if you want to start publishing more, then do so.

Consistency is key to ranking on Google and on social media.

13. Use Tweets and Social Media

In this day and age where social media is the pulse of the digital world, you cannot afford to ignore it.

In fact, social media is one of the best ways to reach your audience and grow your business without much investment.

While building a successful blog is still a good long-term investment in your marketing strategy, social media can help you grow your business faster.

You can use Twitter to promote your content, build an army of loyal followers, get new leads and connect with the right people in your industry.

Some of the most successful brands today use Twitter to promote their content and engage with their audience.

You can also use your Instagram account to add some visual flare to your content, create an online community, and grow your brand.

14. Generate Demand With Your Content

OK, this is one of the most important things people tend to forget when it comes to content marketing.

The reason why big brands get it right is that they know how to generate demand based on their content.

They publish content that has enough value and has a specific demand, which in turn draws other people to consume that content. Here are some things you can do to generate demand:

Build Relationships

This is the simplest way to get people to read your blog posts and eventually their emails too. No one likes to hear “Hey if you like my blog, let me know about it!”.

But instead, you can say something like: “Here is an article I wrote for [insert your audience]. You might be interested!”

Outline Benefits

What is the value of this article? Why should people buy the product after reading it? Here are some ideas to help you create demand:

  • Explain what your readers can gain by reading it
  • Show how they can help themselves by reading it
  • Show how they can save money when buying the product
  • Let them know that a lot of people have already bought that particular product and found it useful (Social proof, testimonials, case studies…)

Create Scarcity

This is a great way to compel people to act. For instance, if you want to sell a product about an effective way of losing weight, tell them “Hey, this is only for the next 24 hours! Don’t miss it!”

A simple call-to-action like this will create a sense of urgency and they will be enticed to take action immediately.

Make it Clear

You need to make your message clear when creating demand so that people know what they are signing up for. Don’t use ambiguous wording, overpromising messages that you won’t honor, and so on.

15. Promote Your Content But Don’t Overdo It

When it comes to content promotion, you have to strike the right balance. You cannot simply promote your content and hope for the best.

You also cannot ignore it and expect to rank on Google or grow your business.

You have to know what kind of content you need to promote, who you should promote it to, and how to get them interested in reading your stuff.

Make sure that you discuss every aspect of content promotion with your editorial team so that you can get the maximum benefit out of it.

Here are some things to consider when promoting your content:

  • Do not spam the comment section of an online thread or a forum with a link to your blog. This is a big no-no. People will see you as a spammer and you can lose a lot of credibility with such an act.
  • Do not blast your content on social media nor ask your followers to share it. This can be perceived as too pushy and people will see straight through your intentions.
  • Don’t post the same content on social media. Your followers can get annoyed when they notice their feed is flooded with your posts.

16. Make Your Content Relevant

People have different ways of reading online content. If you know what your audience wants, then you can ensure they are getting the right messages when they read your blog posts and articles.

The key is to keep it fresh and relevant by having a consistent message that resonates with your readers. Here are some things to consider:

  • Make sure you have your own unique voice when writing your content
  • Keep your message consistent
  • Maintain a balance in your content – don’t publish too many articles on one topic and don’t publish too few on another
  • Use imagery to make your content more engaging
  • Create a tone or an emotion in your content
  • Make your content, regardless of what it is about, interesting and engaging
  • Know who your target audience is
  • Create a message around your topic that matches the needs and desires of your readers

17. Use Content to Fuel Your Personal Branding

One of the greatest things about content marketing is that you can use your content to build your personal brand.

If you regularly publish useful and engaging content, it will help people to get to know you and what you do.

It can be used as a channel for your business promotions, and it can also build credibility in the industry you are in.

Personal branding is becoming increasingly important today because people tend to trust brands that they recognize and that they know something about the person behind the brand.

Here are some things to consider if you want to build a personal brand through content:

  • Don’t expect results overnight – it can help significantly in building your brand, but you must publish quality content consistently in order for it to work.
  • Create a message around your brand – make sure everything you do is consistent with your message; from emails, social media posts, blog posts, and so on.
  • Be authentic with your content – don’t be afraid to tell the truth about things. Don’t change your message just because you think someone doesn’t like it.
  • Protect your brand – do not write anything that will devalue your brand or make people think less of you.
  • Study other personal brands and learn from them – there is always room for improvement when it comes to personal branding and connecting with your audience through content marketing.

18. Be Creative With Your Content Marketing Tactics

Content marketing techniques vary from one industry to another, depending on how people and businesses operate.

If you want to succeed in any content marketing strategy, you need to be creative.

Pushing the boundaries of your ideas and creativity will help you get the most out of your content and it will help you stand out from your competitors.

Falling into regular patterns can be very limiting when it comes to content marketing, but you don’t have to. Here are some ideas that can help you get started:

  • Use humor to attract people
  • Link two seemingly unrelated things
  • Be personal and show how they can relate to your content
  • Experiment with images
  • Consider writing in a different style or tone of voice – this will intrigue your audience and help them read your content
  • Use storytelling as an effective way of communicating with people
  • Use infographics to make your point
  • Share information that is useful and of value to people – share it on social media or through other means so that people can read it
  • Highlight the benefits of using your product or service – if you can show your audience how they will benefit from using it, then they are likely to be interested in doing business with you.
  • Push out new content frequently, but don’t overwhelm people
  • Think of original and fresh ideas that no one else has used before

19. Don’t Think Like a Publisher

This should be common sense, but many content marketers still want their content to look like a newspaper or magazine article.

The unfortunate truth is that the average Internet user does not read online in the same way they read a newspaper or magazine.

Because of this, you need to present your content in a different way.

People’s reading habits are changing and you need to keep up with these changes if you want to succeed in getting people to read and share your content. Here are some things to consider:

  • Write for the web – use bullet points, paragraphs, and bolded or italicized text instead of a lot of text without any formatting
  • Keep an eye on how much text you use – don’t overwhelm people with long blocks of text
  • Make sure your information is structured – consider headlines and subheads to help break up text
  • Categorize your content into different parts – it is easier to digest this way
  • Use images, videos, and other media to make your content more interesting
  • Add in links so that people can click through to get more information or read more about a topic
  • Use statistics and data to illustrate your point
  • Make people’s time count – don’t try to make every word count
  • Settle on a typeface and use it consistently
  • Use quotes or statements from other people in order to add context or positioning for your message
  • Be consistent with the font and color you use
  • Keep things simple – do not make your content too complicated
  • Publish in the way that is most effective for your business, while at the same time keeping it easy to read and understand
  • Be sure to optimize formatting and cut down on unnecessary words
  • Use a lot of white space – this makes it easier for people to read, which is especially important when you are trying to reach an older audience

20. Incorporate Social Sharing Buttons

Social sharing buttons are a must-have on every page of your website. It’s good practice for any business to use them to get more exposure for their content and increase engagement with their audience.

As a content marketer, I often underestimated social media but once I installed a social sharing plugin (I use Grow by Mediavine) on my post pages, I was amazed at the number of times my content got shared on platforms I don’t even promote my content.

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Final Thoughts

Applying these content marketing tips a few at a time will help you get started and grow your business.

Once you have achieved all of these, you can consider expanding your ecosystem to include more content marketing tactics.

The most important of these is writing quality and relevant material that will keep your customers coming back for more.

Once you have set yourself up for success and increased your brand’s exposure, consider adding in some of the other content marketing tactics listed in this guide.

Not only will this make your brand better, but it will also help you reach a greater audience and let you accomplish even more.

When you first start out, focus on one or two things and then move on to another tactic on the list. Try to work through the list systematically instead of randomly adding in new tactics as you see fit.