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How to make content marketing generate results for your business by focusing on 5 success factorsTraditional marketing is self-centered. More often than not, it offers little more than a seductive image or a brief statement of your product’s qualities. On top of that, after decades of similar campaigns, consumers have grown adept at tuning out the noise.
Consistency Is KeyHowever, if you want to reap the benefits of an effective content bank, you’ll have to keep your output consistent. And I’m not just talking about maintaining the frequency of your posts. Here are five areas of consistency that will help you not only build a great bank of assets, but also build your audience:
Strategy: Everyone involved in your company needs to understand the mission and the specific objectives behind your content. When everybody is singing a different tune, things get chaotic. It’s especially important to have a coherent, consistent plan in the world of social media.
Message: Just like with your strategy, when you have multiple teams working in multiple markets and using multiple platforms, the message has to stay chúng tôi is a great example of this. As an enormous company, it has numerous blogs posts on a range of topics. Yet the message remains consistent across the board, providing technical know-how that’s trusted by millions.
Tone: With so many people producing content, you need to ensure the tone and voice are consistent.Virgin Atlantic’s blog is a good example of this. Its bloggers routinely post collections of photographs taken from Instagram that show the different sides of world — from Tokyo to Montreal. Different writers craft each piece, but the tone and format are almost identical. It’s through posts like these that Virgin Atlantic positions itself as a leading option for business and recreational travel.
Reporting: On the Virgin Atlantic blog, see those subheadings that list the “Tags” and “Topics” of the post? That metadata serves many purposes.
Inconsistency in metadata can create a real mess. Let’s say your team is creating content for specific geographic markets. Some team members are tagging content for “UK” while others tag “United Kingdom.” Then, your boss comes along and wants to know how much content has been created in the past six months for the U.K. This small inconsistency could add up to a big problem.
When your team stays consistent with taxonomies and metadata, reporting gets easier and more accurate. That accuracy is a vital part of understanding what content is working and what isn’t.
Publishing frequency: It’s no use publishing new content if it’s a rarity, but you shouldn’t bombard your Twitter followers with a tweet every 30 seconds, either. Find a balance, and stick to it. Two blog posts a week could be ideal, or you could aim for greater frequency. ShoreTel Sky publishes one article a day in the 200- to 400-word range and longer content on a monthly basis. It’s important to find the frequency that helps you maintain consistent quality.
How Do You Get the Whole Team on Board?Adopting new approaches can be challenging, but it’s important to help your team embrace the power of content. Start small. Prove the process and its benefits with a low-cost experiment, or think about investing in content marketing tools to smooth out the process.
If you’re still struggling to get everybody on board with the new approach, it might be time to offer incentives. These can be tough; different employees have different values, after all. If you put out a general incentive, it likely won’t be a universal win. Here are some options to explore:
Money: This may be obvious, but it will work well with small teams where people with different jobs create a good portion of the content. Pick a dollar amount, and offer it for each piece of content produced. Gift cards are an alternative.
A promotion: Frame the change as a step up the ladder. Let the excellent content producers move up and be a part of the new innovative process.
Profit sharing: Offer employees a chunk of the profits accrued from the new content marketing strategy. Rather than guarantee them a set amount for simply producing new content, push them to produce the best content they can. It’s good for both morale and business.Southwest Airlines runs a profit-sharing scheme, and it is the only airline to make a profit every year since its founding, is ranked by Fortune magazine as the second-best company to work for in America, and has the fewest customer complaints of any airline in the nation.
Skills: If you’re really committed to the transformation, some marketing positions may focus solely on content production. If hiring internally, employees will have to evolve to keep up with the company’s direction. Even if they don’t stick around, these are the same skills they’ll need to find work elsewhere.
Get the Most Out of Your Content MarketingWith consistent, motivated employees, you’re more than halfway to maximizing your content marketing potential. The next step is knowing your audience. If you don’t know whom you’re talking to, all you’ll do is create more noise.
Go through a persona development exercise. This will lay the foundation for your content moving forward. For Birchbox, it’s clear that its audience consists of people who are interested in beauty, while Virgin Atlantic’s audience is composed of world travelers.
You should aim to create a number of personas with clear pictures of what they care about and how you’ll communicate with them. This will inform the channels you use for your content marketing to maximize value.
It really does pay to have a dedicated team with a clear strategic focus, but how do you measure your efforts? How will you justify your activities, and how will you report value? Make sure you identify metrics and key performance indicators that will show the success of each initiative.
With a consistent approach, a motivated team, and a clear target audience, I promise you’ll soon see big results.
Brody Dorland is the co-founder of DivvyHQ, the ultimate content planning and production workflow tool for high-volume teams. Connect with him on Twitter.
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A Marketing Calendar Template To Plan Your Content For 2023
Setting yourself (and your organization) up for success means having a solid marketing plan.
You need a detailed strategy that identifies specific holidays and events you can leverage to maximize the impact of your brand.
But it’s so much work to create.
If only there were some incredible resources you could use. Like a ready-made calendar with all the holidays in one convenient, customizable, and easily referenceable table you could use to help you create your own 2023 marketing calendar…
Just think of how convenient it would be to identify National Weed Your Garden Day (June 13), Better Breakfast Month (September), or International Firefighters Day (May 4) with just a quick glance.
Maybe you didn’t even know holidays like NASCAR Day (May 19), World Tourism Day (September 27), and Meat Week (January 29-February 5) exist.
And you’re in luck – we’ve done all the work to create a marketing calendar template for you. And best of all, it’s free.
Free Marketing Calendar And Template For 2023Some marketers are like the ant in Aesop’s famous fable, planning for the coming year to ensure they’re moving into a new year with a defined and well-thought-out strategy.
And then there are the grasshopper types, who will suddenly recall mid-Christmas break that they don’t have anything on the calendar for 2023.
No matter which one you are, we’re here to help.
2023 Marketing CalendarHere is your marketing calendar for 2023. We’ve created a list of events, holidays, and celebrations, plus a handy template to help you market more effectively this year.
Much of the calendar is focused on the U.S. and Canada, with some major international and religious holidays.
Use the tab titled “All Holidays + Google Calendar” to Google Calendar.
Your 2023 Holiday Marketing CalendarThis calendar is separated by month, so you can jump to whichever month you need:
JanuaryA new year means a new start.
Whether your goal is to stop smoking, lose those pounds you’ve accidentally packed on since Thanksgiving, or take a more positive view of the world, this is the time when it all starts.
And outside of new resolutions, you also have college football bowl games, the Sundance Film Festival, and National Hat Day to look forward to.
Monthly Observances
Weight Loss Awareness Month
National Blood Donor Month
National Thank You Month
National Hobby Month
National Hot Tea Month
Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month
National Slow Cooking Month
National Skating Mont
Weekly Observances
January 1-7 – Diet Resolution Week
January 1-7 – National Thank Your Customers Week
January 8-14 – Home Office Safety and Security Week
January 15-21 – Hunt For Happiness Week
January 16-22 – Sugar Awareness Week
January 22-28 – National School Choice Week
January 23-27 – Clean Out Your Inbox Week
January 29-February 4 – Meat Week
Days
January 1 – New Year’s Day
January 1 – National Hangover Day
January 1 – Outback Bowl
January 1 – Rose Bowl
January 1 – NHL Winter Classic
January 2 – Science Fiction Day
January 3 – Festival of Sleep Day
January 4 – Trivia Day
January 5 – National Bird Day
January 5-8 – PGA Tournament of Champions
January 6 – National Bean Day
January 6 – Cuddle Up Day
January 7 – Orthodox Christmas
January 8 – Elvis’s Birthday
January 9 – College Football Playoff National Championship
January 10 – Golden Globes
January 10 – National Bittersweet Chocolate Day
January 10 – Houseplant Appreciation Day
January 10 – National Clean Off Your Desk Day
January 12 – Stick to Your New Year’s Resolution Day
January 13 – National Rubber Ducky Day
January 14 – Dress Up Your Pet Day
January 15 – National Hat Day
January 17 – Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day
January 17 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
January 18 – Winnie the Pooh Day (Author A.A. Milne’s birthday)
January 19 – National Popcorn Day
January 19-29 – Sundance Film Festival
January 20 – Penguin Awareness Day
January 20 – National Cheese Lover’s Day
January 21 – National Hugging Day
January 22 – Chinese New Year
January 23 – National Pie Day
January 24 – Compliment Day
January 24 – National Peanut Butter Day
January 24 – Community Manager Appreciation Day #CMAD
January 25 – Opposite Day
January 26 – Spouse’s Day
January 27 – Chocolate Cake Day
January 27-29 – Winter X Games
January 28 – Data Privacy Day
January 29 – National Puzzle Day
January 31 – Backward Day
Popular Hashtags For January:
#NewYearsDay
#ScienceFictionDay
#NationalTriviaDay
#NationalBirdDay
#NationalStickerDay
#GetToKnowYourCustomersDay
#CheeseLoversDay
#MLKDay
#NationalHuggingDay
#PieDay
#NationalComplimentDay
#OppositeDay
#CMAD
#PrivacyAware
FebruaryThough it’s only 28 days long, February is jam-packed with events you can leverage for your marketing campaigns.
Spread the love on Valentine’s Day, celebrate the end of winter (or lament its continuation) on Groundhog Day, and do some good deeds for Random Acts of Kindness Week.
Need a few more ideas to flesh out your calendar? Scroll on.
Monthly Observances
Black History Month
American Heart Month
National Heart Month
National Weddings Month
National Cherry Month
Weekly Observances
February 5-11 – Children’s Authors and Illustration Week
February 9-15 – New York Fashion Week
February 12-18 – Freelance Writers Appreciation Week
February 12-18 – International Flirting Week
February 19-25 – National Pancake Week
February 14-21 – Condom Week
February 14-20 – Random Acts of Kindness Week
Days
February 1 – National Freedom Day
February 2 – Groundhog Day
February 3 – Give Kids a Smile Day
February 3 – Bubble Gum Day
February 3 – Wear Red Day
February 4 – World Cancer Day
February 5 – World Nutella Day
February 5 – National Weatherperson’s Day
February 6 – National Chopsticks Day
February 7 – Send a Card to a Friend Day #SendACardToAFriendDay
February 8 – Boy Scout’s Day
February 9 – National Pizza Day
February 10 – Umbrella Day
February 11 – Make a Friend Day
February 12 – Lincoln’s Birthday
February 13 – Super Bowl Sunday
February 14 – Valentine’s Day
February 15 – Susan B. Anthony’s Birthday
February 15 – Singles Awareness Day
February 17 – Random Acts of Kindness Day
February 18 – Drink Wine Day
February 20 – Love Your Pet Day
February 20 – Presidents Day
February 21 – Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras
February 22 – Ash Wednesday
February 22 – Washington’s Birthday
February 22 – Margarita Day
February 22 – Walk Your Dog Day
February 24 – National Tortilla Chip Day
February 26 – National Pistachio Day
February 28 – Floral Design Day
Popular Hashtags For February:
#GroundhogDay
#WorldCancerDay
#NationalWeatherpersonsDay
#SendACardToAFriendDay
#BoyScoutsDay
#NationalPizzaDay
#ValentinesDay
#RandomActsOfKindnessDay
#PresidentsDay
#LoveYourPetDay
MarchThe beginning of spring, March Madness, and, of course, St. Patrick’s Day – who doesn’t love March?
Okay, that whole coming in like a lion thing is a little rough, but even on the coldest days, you can take heart that the worst is almost over.
Here are some holidays and events you can use to make your brand’s March a great one.
Monthly Observances
Women’s History Month
Nutrition Month
Peanut Month
Music in Our Schools Month
Craft Month
Irish Heritage Month
American Red Cross Month
March for Meals
The Great American Cleanup
Ramadan begins on March 22
Weekly Observances
March 6-12– Girl Scout Week
March 12-18 – Campfire Birthday Week
March 13-19 – National Sleep Awareness Week
March 27 – Apr 2 National Cleaning Week
Days
March 1 – Peanut Butter Lover’s Day
March 2 – National Read Across America Day (Dr. Seuss Day)
March 3 – World Wildlife Day
March 4 – Grammar Day
March 4 – Day of Unplugging
March 4 – Employee Appreciation Day
March 6 – Dentist’s Day
March 6 – Oreo Day
March 7 – Cereal Day
March 8 – International Women’s Day
March 10 – Popcorn Lover’s Day
March 12 – Daylight Savings
March 12– Girl Scout Day
March 12 – 95th Academy Awards Ceremony
March 13 – National Good Samaritan Day
March 13 – Napping Day
March 14 – Pi Day
March 15 – The Ides of March
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
March 17 – World Sleep Day
March 18 – Awkward Moments Day
March 20 – First Day of Spring
March 21 – World Down Syndrome Day
March 21 – International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
March 22 – World Water Day
March 22 – Ag Day (Agriculture Day)
March 22 – American Diabetes Association Alert Day
March 22 – First day of Ramadan
March 23 – Puppy Day
March 26 – Purple Day for Epilepsy Awareness
March 26 – Earth Hour Day
March 29 – Mom & Pop Business Owners Day
March 30 – National Doctor’s Day
March 30 – Baseball Opening Day
March 31 – Crayon Day
March 31 – Transgender Day of Visibility
Popular Hashtags For March:
#PeanutButterLoversDay
#EmployeeAppreciationDay
#ReadAcrossAmerica
#DrSeuss
#WorldWildlifeDay
#NationalGrammarDay
#BeBoldForChange
#DaylightSavings
#PiDay
#StPatricksDay
#FirstDayofSpring
#WorldWaterDay
#NationalPuppyDay
#PurpleDay
#AmericanDiabetesAssociationAlertDay
#NationalDoctorsDay
#EarthHour
#TDOV
AprilJust listen to those birds singing and the bees humming – April is a time of natural rejuvenation.
Give your targets and customers a laugh with an April Fool’s prank, schedule an event around the Master’s tournament (or hit the links yourself), and show your love for our planet on Earth Day. Just don’t forget taxes are due on the 15th.
For more ideas, we’ve provided a list below.
Monthly Observances
Earth Month
National Volunteer Month
National Autism Awareness Month
Keep America Beautiful Month
National Garden Month
Stress Awareness Month
National Poetry Month
Ramadan ends on April 21
Weekly Observances
April 17-23 – National Volunteer Week
April 17-23 – Animal Cruelty/Human Violence Awareness Week
April 24-30 – Administrative Professionals Week
April 24-30 – National Princess Week
April 25-29 – Every Kid Healthy Week
Days
April 1 – April Fool’s Day
April 2 – Palm Sunday
April 2 – Equal Pay Day
April 2 – World Autism Awareness Day
April 2 – National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
April 3 – Don’t Go To Work Unless it’s Fun Day
April 3 – Find a Rainbow Day
April 4 – School Librarian Day
April 3-9 – Masters Tournament PGA
April 6 – National Walking Day
April 7 – Good Friday
April 7 – National Beer Day
April 7 – World Health Day
April 9 – Easter Sunday
April 9 – Winston Churchill Day
April 10 – Golfer’s Day
April 11 – National Pet Day
April 12 – National Grilled Cheese Day
April 15 – National Titanic Remembrance Day
April 15 – Tax Day
April 14-23 – Coachella Music Festival
April 17 – Boston Marathon
April 18 – Patriot’s Day
April 20 – Lookalike Day
April 21 – National High-Five Day
April 21 – Last day of Ramadan
April 22 – Earth Day
April 27 – Denim Day
April 27 – Administrative Professionals Day
April 28 – Take Your Daughter and/or Son to Work Day
April 28 – National Superhero Day
April 28 – Arbor Day
April 30 – National Honesty Day
April 30 – National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day
Popular Hashtags For April:
#AprilFools
#WAAD
#FindARainbowDay
#NationalWalkingDay
#LetsTalk
#EqualPayDay
#TaxDay
#NH5D
#NationalLookAlikeDay
#AdministrativeProfessionalsDay
#DenimDay
#EndMalariaForGood
#COUNTONME
#ArborDay
#NationalHonestyDay
#AdoptAShelterPetDay
MaySchool is winding down, temperatures are heating up, and barbecue grills are being lit – it can only mean the arrival of May.
Monthly Observances
ALS Awareness
Asthma Awareness
National Celiac Disease Awareness Month
Clean Air Month
Global Employee Health and Fitness Month
National Barbecue Month
National Bike Month
National Hamburger Month
National Salad Month
National Photo Month
Gifts from the Garden Month
Lupus Awareness Month
National Military Appreciation Month
Weekly Observances
May 1-7 – National Pet Week
May 1-7 – National Travel & Tourism Week
May 1-7 – Drinking Water Week
May 2-6 – Teacher Appreciation Week
May 6-12 – Nurse’s Week
May 8 – May 14 – Food Allergy Awareness Week
Days
May 1 – May Day
May 1 – Mother Goose Day
May 3 – Thank A Teacher Day
May 3 – National Teacher’s Day
May 4 – Star Wars Day
May 4 – National Firefighters Day
May 5 – Cinco De Mayo
May 5 – World Password Day
May 6 – National Nurses Day
May 6 – Military Spouse Appreciation Day
May 6 – Kentucky Derby
May 8 – World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day
May 10 – National Receptionists Day
May 11 – Eat What You Want Day
May 14 – Mother’s Day
May 14 – World Fair Trade Day
May 15 – National Chocolate Chip Day
May 16 – Love a Tree Day
May 18-21 – PGA Championship
May 19 – NASCAR Day
May 20 – National Bike to Work Day
May 20 – Be a Millionaire Day
May 20 – Armed Forces Day
May 22 – Victoria Day (Canada)
May 25 – Red Nose Day
May 25 – Geek Pride Day
May 25 – National Wine Day
May 26 – Sally Ride Day
May 28 -June 11 – French Open
May 28 – Indianapolis 500
May 29 – Memorial Day
May 31 – World No-Tobacco Day
Popular Hashtags For May:
#RedNoseDay
#MayDay
#WorldPasswordDay
#StarWarsDay & #Maythe4thBeWithYou
#InternationalFirefightersDay
#CincoDeMayo
#MothersDay
#BTWD
#MemorialDay & #MDW
#NoTobacco
JuneSummer, summer, summertime. June is the month when it finally starts to feel like summer.
Make your brand a must-have companion for planning a beachside vacation or hosting a cookout.
And don’t forget it’s also the month for LGBTQ+ Pride, Flag Day, and Father’s Day, along with all the other events listed here.
Monthly Observances
Men’s Health Month
National Safety Month
Acne Awareness Month
LGBTQ Pride Month
National Adopt a Cat Month
Aquarium Month
Candy Month
Weekly Observances
June 4-10 – Pet Appreciation Week
June 12-18 – Men’s Health Week
June 19-25 – National Camping Week
June 23-26 – Watermelon Seed Spitting Week
Days
June 1 – Global Parents Day
June 2 – National Rocky Road Ice Cream Day
June 3 – National Donut Day
June 3 – Belmont Stakes
June 4 – Hug Your Cat Day
June 4 – National Cheese Day
June 5 – World Environment Day
June 7 – National Chocolate Ice Cream Day
June 8 – World Oceans Day
June 8 – National Best Friends Day
June 9 – Donald Duck Day
June 10 – Iced Tea Day
June 13-15 – Bonnaroo Music Festival
June 13 – National Weed Your Garden Day
June 14 – Flag Day
June 15-18 –U.S. Open PGA
June 18 – National Splurge Day
June 18 – World Juggler’s Day
June 19 – Father’s Day
June 21 – First Day of Summer / Summer Solstice
June 21 – National Selfie Day
June 22 – National Kissing Day
June 25 – National Take a Dog to Work Day
June 29 – Camera Day
June 30 – National Handshake Day
June 30 – Social Media Day
Popular Hashtags For June:
#NationalDonutDay
#FathersDay
#NationalSelfieDay
#TakeYourDogToWorkDay
#HandshakeDay
#SMDay
JulyFrom pet safety tips for the Fourth of July to Amazon Prime Day, July presents lots of opportunities for savvy marketers.
So, celebrate your independence, gorge yourself on too many hotdogs, and celebrate your friends with one of many July-themed events.
Monthly Observances
Family Golf Month
Ice Cream Month
National Grilling Month
National Picnic Month
National Independent Retailer Month
National Blueberry Month
Weekly Observances
July 17-23 – Capture the Sunset Week
Days
July 1 – National Postal Worker Day
July 1 – International Joke Day
July 1 – 23 – Tour de France
July 2 – World UFO Day
July 3-16 – Wimbledon
July 4 – Independence Day
July 4 – Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
July 5 – National Bikini Day
July 7 – World Chocolate Day
July 8 – National Video Games Day
July 11 – National 7-Eleven Day
July 12 – Pecan Pie Day
July 13 – Rock Worldwide Day
July 13 – French Fry Day
July 16 – World Snake Day
July 17 – World Emoji Day
July 17 – National Ice Cream Day
July 19 – National Daiquiri Day
July 20 – Hot Dog Day
July 20 – National Moon Day
July 21-25 – Summer X Games
July 24 – Amelia Earhart Day
July 24 – Parents’ Day
July 26 – Aunt and Uncle Day
July 28 – World Hepatitis Day
July 28-30 – World Lumberjack Championships
July 30 – Father-in-Law Day
July 30 – International Day of Friendship
July 30 – Friendship Day
Popular Hashtags For July:
#NationalPostalWorkerDay
#WorldUFODay
#WorldEmojiDay
#DayOfFriendship
AugustAugust means the hottest days, back-to-school and the return of football.
Whether you’re celebrating the end of summer or trying to finish your tan in the dog days, August means lots of opportunities for fun.
Here are some holidays and celebrations you can use for your August marketing calendar:
Monthly Observances
Back to School Month
National Golf Month
National Breastfeeding Month
Family Fun Month
Peach Month
Weekly Observances
August 1-7 – International Clown Week
August 6-12 – National Farmers’ Market Week
August 14-20 – National Motorcycle Week (Always 2nd full week of August)
August 14-20 – Feeding Pets of the Homeless Week (Always 2nd full week of August)
Days
August 1 – National Girlfriends Day
August 2 – National Ice Cream Sandwich Day
August 3 – Hall of Fame Game/ NFL Preseason begins
August 4 – National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day
August 5 – International Beer Day
August 8 – International Cat Day
August 9 – Book Lover’s Day
August 10 – National S’mores Day
August 11 – National Son and Daughter Day
August 12 – Middle Child’s Day
August 13 – Left-hander’s Day
August 16 – National Tell a Joke Day
August 18 – Bad Poetry Day
August 19 – World Photo Day
August 19 – World Humanitarian Day
August 20 – National Lemonade Day
August 21 – Senior Citizens Day
August 26 – National Dog Day
August 26 – Women’s Equality Day
August 30 – Frankenstein Day
August 31 – National Trail Mix Day
Popular Hashtags For August:
#InternationalCatDay
#NationalBookLoversDay
#WorldElephantDay
#LefthandersDay
#WorldPhotoDay
#WorldHumanitarianDay
#NationalLemonadeDay
#NationalDogDay
#WomensEqualityDay
SeptemberThe heat has finally broken, and Autumn has started to roll in – what better reason for dancing in September?
There are a lot of popular holidays and events you can leverage for marketing this month, including the kickoff of Hispanic Heritage Month, Grandparents Day, and, of course, Labor Day.
And if you forget to include National Talk Like a Pirate Day in your marketing calendar, someone may make you walk the plank, matey.
Monthly Observances
Wilderness Month
National Preparedness Month
National Food Safety Education Month
Fruit and Veggies—More Matters Month
National Yoga Awareness Month
Whole Grains Month
Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15)
Little League Month
Better Breakfast Month
Weekly Observances
September 10-16 – National Suicide Prevention Week
September 19-25 – Pollution Prevention Week
September 18-24 – National Indoor Plant Week
September 20-27 – National Dog Week
Days
September 2 – World Beard Day
September 3 – International Bacon Day
September 4 – Labor Day
September 5 – Cheese Pizza Day
September 5 – International Day of Charity
September 6 – Read a Book Day
September 10– Grandparents Day
September 11 – 9/11
September 12 – Video Games Day
September 13 – Uncle Sam Day
September 15 – Greenpeace Day
September 15-17– Rosh Hashanah
September 16 – Constitution Day
September 17 – Citizenship Day
September 17 – Oktoberfest Begins
September 17 – Boys’ and Girls’ Club Day for Kids
September 18 – Wife Appreciation Day
September 19 – International Talk Like a Pirate
September 22–25 – Presidents Cup PGA
September 21 – International Day of Peace
September 22 – Car-free Day
September 22 – First Day of Fall
September 22 – Native American Day
September 23 – Checkers Day
September 27 – World Tourism Day
September 27– National Voter Registration Day
September 28 – World Rabies Day
September 28 – National Good Neighbor Day
September 29 – World Heart Day
September 30 – International Podcast Day
Popular Hashtags For September:
#LaborDay
#NationalWildlifeDay
#CharityDay
#ReadABookDay
#911Day
#NationalVideoGamesDay
#TalkLikeAPirateDay
#PeaceDay
#CarFreeDay
#WorldRabiesDay
#GoodNeighborDay
#InternationalPodcastDay
OctoberGet your trick-or-treat bags ready, fill up that pumpkin spice latte, and light up the bonfire – it’s October.
There’s so much more to this month than just Halloween. It also has Teacher’s Day, International Coffee Day, and the beginning of the World Series.
Take a look at some other marketing themes for this month:
Monthly Observances
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Bully Prevention Month
Adopt a Shelter Dog Month
Halloween Safety Month
Financial Planning Month
National Pizza Month
Weekly Observances
October 2-8 – Great Books Week (always the first full week)
October 2-8 – National Work From Home Week (always the first full week)
October 16-22 – Mediation Week (third week in October)
October 16-22 – National Business Women’s Week (third week in October)
October 23-31 – National Red Ribbon Week
Days
October 1 – Coffee Day
October 1 – World Vegetarian Day
October 2 – Name Your Car Day
October 2 – Brow Day
October 3 – Oktoberfest Ends
October 3 – National Techies Day
October 3 – National Boyfriends Day
October 4 – National Taco Day
October 4-5 – Yom Kippur
October 5 – World Teacher’s Day
October 7 – National Kale Day
October 7 – World Smile Day
October 9 – Leif Erikson Day
October 9 – Columbus Day
October 9 – Indigenous Peoples’ Day
October 9 – Thanksgiving Day (Canada)
October 10 – World Mental Health Day
October 11 – It’s My Party Day
October 14 – World Egg Day
October 15 – Sweetest Day
October 16 – World Food Day
October 16 – Boss’s Day
October 17 – Spirit Day (anti-bullying)
October 22 – Make a Difference Day
October 24 – United Nations Day
October 28 – MLB World Series begins
October 30 – Mischief Night
October 30 – Checklist Day
October 31 – Halloween
Popular Hashtags For October:
#InternationalCoffeeDay
#TechiesDay
#NationalTacoDay
#WorldSmileDay
#WorldTeachersDay
#WorldHabitatDay
#WorldMentalHealthDay
#BossesDay
#UNDay
#ChecklistDay
#Halloween
NovemberSmell that crisp air, take in the beauty of changing leaves, and warm up around the fire pit this November.
The month in which we all give thanks, it’s also Peanut Butter Lover’s Month and Movember.
Kick off your marketing calendar with a Day of the Dead celebration, honor those who served on Veteran’s Day, and get ready for the big sales on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Monthly Observances
Movember
National Healthy Skin Month
Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month
National Adoption Month
National Gratitude Month
Peanut Butter Lovers’ Month
National Diabetes Awareness Month
Weekly Observances
November 7-13 – World Kindness Week (second week: Monday – Sunday)
November 13-19 – American Education Week
November 20-26 – Game and Puzzle Week
Days
November 1 – Day of the Dead
November 1 – All Saint’s Day
November 1 – World Vegan Day
November 2 – Day of the Dead Ends
November 3 – Sandwich Day
November 4 – King Tut Day
November 6 – Daylight Savings Time ends
November 8 – Cappuccino Day
November 8 – STEM Day
November 10 – Marine Corps Birthday
November 11 – Veterans Day
November 12 – Chicken Soup for the Soul Day
November 13 – World Kindness Day
November 13 – Sadie Hawkins Day
November 14 – World Diabetes Day
November 15 – America Recycles Day
November 15 – National Entrepreneurs Day (third Tuesday of November)
November 16 – International Tolerance Day
November 17 – Homemade Bread Day
November 20 – Transgender Day Of Remembrance
November 23 – Thanksgiving Day
November 24 – Black Friday
November 25 – Small Business Saturday
November 27 – Cyber Monday
November 28 – Giving Tuesday
Popular Hashtags For November:
#WorldVeganDay
#NationalSandwichDay
#DaylightSavings
#CappuccinoDay
#STEMDay
#VeteransDay
#WKD
#WDD
#BeRecycled
#EntrepreneursDay
#Thanksgiving
#ShopSmall
DecemberThe end is in sight – you’ve made it to the last month of the year. But you know what that means, right? 2024 is right around the corner.
Send your year off in style with marketing campaigns dedicated to more than the holiday season. This is also the month featuring Nobel Prize Day, Bill of Rights Day, and the first day of winter.
And don’t forget to check back here for a handy guide to 2024 marketing content.
Monthly Observances
National Human Rights Month
Operation Santa Paws
Bingo Month
Weekly Observances
December 7 – December 15 – Chanukah
December 26 – January 1 – Kwanzaa
Days
December 1 – World AIDS Day
December 1 – Rosa Parks Day
December 3 – International Day of Persons with Disabilities
December 4 – Cookie Day
December 6 – St. Nicholas Day
December 7 – Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
December 9 – Christmas Card Day
December 10 – Nobel Prize Day
December 12 – Poinsettia Day
December 14 – Roast Chestnuts Day
December 15 – Bill of Rights Day
December 15 – National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day (Third Friday in December)
December 18 – Free Shipping Day
December 18 – Bake Cookies Day
December 20 – Go Caroling Day
December 21 – First Day of Winter / Winter Solstice
December 23 – Festivus
December 24 – Christmas Eve
December 25 – Christmas Day
December 26 – Kwanzaa
December 26 – Boxing Day
December 27 – National Fruitcake Day
December 31 – New Year’s Eve
Popular Hashtags For December:
#IDPWD
#NationalCookieDay
#NobelPrize
#WinterSolstice
#NYE
Featured Image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Journal
Level Up: 3 Tricks To Try When Your Content Marketing Plateaus
If you’ve been playing the SEO game for a year or more, odds are you’ve got the basics down by now. By “basics,” I mean stuff like:
Keyword research – You have a strategy when it comes to the topics you select and the keywords you target in your site content. This strategy is driven by actual keyword research, data, and trends, not guesswork.
On-page optimization – You employ sound title and URL structure, use meta tags wisely, optimize your images, utilize your keywords without stuffing, and so on.
Link building and social promotion – You “get your content out there,” via manual outreach (emailing potentially interested parties to alert them of your new content) and posting updates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social networks.
Commission an InfographicInfographics – those big, (hopefully) beautiful, shareable images packed with (hopefully) data – aren’t the newest kid on the marketing block anymore, but they are still a good way to drive a large amount of traffic and links in a short amount of time, and are often your best bet at snagging links from big-deal domains like the New York Times.
Strong infographics are usually pretty resource-intensive, but the good news is that you can commission a design firm to do most of the work. (In the past, we have worked with Nowsourcing and Killer Infographics, in addition to producing our own graphics.)
Some tips for getting it right:
Choose a concept that’s tied to your brand – People will take your infographic more seriously if it’s on a topic that you’re uniquely positioned to cover. For example, we have always specialized in keywords (hence the name “WordStream”), and our infographic on the most expensive keywords in AdWords has been our most popular to date.
Consider your target pickups during the concept/research stage – If you know you want a link from, say, Mashable or Wired, do what you can to gear your angle toward those publications (hip and techy!). If you want links from more straight-laced news sites like the Wall Street Journal, focus on the value to business people.
Review and revise (and do it again) – Make sure your facts are double-checked, nothing is misspelled and so on before you “go to print.”
Devote significant time and manpower to pitching – Things rarely “go viral” without being forced to. Spend at least a day sending out pitch letters to news outlets and other sites that you want to publish the infographic. Do your research – target people who cover topics similar to what you’re pitching.
Implement Author Markup to Increase CTRTo implement author markup on your site/blog, you’ll need a Google+ profile and an author profile page on your own site for each writer that you want to feature, and you’ll need to link these pages together. Below is my Google profile page, which lists me as a contributor to the WordStream blog as well as Search Engine Journal:
Here are more tips from Google on getting your author information in the search results.
Syndicate Your Content for Passive Link BuildingControversy alert: Some marketers will tell you that syndication is a bad scene because it creates duplicate content. As always, YMMV: weigh your options carefully and perform tests when possible.
So far, we have found syndication to be a great way to passively build links (once you set up syndication by RSS, there is little to no additional effort involved) as well as referral traffic. Like guest blogging, it gets your message in front of people who might not otherwise have seen it.
If you want to explore syndication, be sure to choose reputable sites that will clearly credit you as the original source of the content and keep your links intact.
20 Best Content Marketing Tools
What’s in your content marketing toolbox?
Today’s consumers are thirsty for great content. But crafting compelling content and pushing it out to the right platforms is often easier said than done.
Content marketing is many jobs rolled into one; let’s admit it, we could all use a little help!
This is where content marketing tools come in.
From grammar-checkers to AI-driven software and content-optimizing tools, there are tons of handy options to help your content sing.
In this post, I’ll cover the top picks for the best content marketing tools available.
1. BuzzSumo
Primary Features: Content research, influencer marketing, content analysis, trending topics, and performance monitoring.
In content writing, the challenge starts long before you type in the first word.
There’s an often lengthy research process involved when it comes to generating content ideas, scoping out the competition, and identifying the right target keywords.
BuzzSumo simplifies the content research process by pulling in popular posts based on keywords.
These results can then be sorted according to their reach on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
This allows you to scrape the web for content ideas that pique your target audience’s interest.
You can also use custom filters to refine your search further.
For example, you can look specifically for “how-to” posts, narrow your search to a specific country, exclude a certain domain, and much more.
Pros:
Customizable to your content marketing goals.
Detailed performance metrics and analytics.
Multi-purpose content planning and marketing features.
Cons:
High cost.
Annual contracts only.
No A/B testing on lower-tier plans.
2. Buffer
Primary Features: Social media content planning, social media content scheduling, user insights, social content analytics, content marketing workflows, and team collaboration.
Buffer is an all-in-one social media content marketing tool that empowers you to grow your audience, engage users with compelling content, and track the performance of your social media content.
In fact, Buffer includes more features than I can think to exclude from this list!
Buffer will help you determine the best days, times, and channels to publish your content, what content resonates most with your audience, and what content you should publish next.
You can tap into their content marketing analytics, user insights, engagement data tools, and more.
Pros:
All-in-one social media content marketing tools.
Plan, schedule, publish, and monitor content in one dashboard.
Collaborate with your team and streamline your workflow.
Very affordable.
Cons:
Limited to social media channels.
No SEO tools.
The “Free” tier has limited analytics features.
3. Semrush
Primary Features: Keyword research, keyword gap analysis, competitor analysis, content editor, and social insights.
Semrush is a favorite amongst SEO professionals due to the wealth of data and insights it provides, not only when it comes to SEO, but also competitor research, content creation, and link building.
You can use the Keyword Magic Tool to find high-search volume, low-competition keywords to turn into a webpage and blog post ideas.
Then, you can use the SEO Content Template and SEO Writing Assistant to optimize your content for search engines better.
This will help you increase your organic traffic, attract backlinks, and stand out from the competition.
Pros:
Free and paid subscriptions.
All-in-one SEO and content tool.
Easy-to-use interface.
Cons:
High cost of Guru and enterprise tiers.
Limited social media marketing tools.
No video content marketing features.
4. Constant Contact
Primary Features: Email templates, email campaigns, email marketing analytics, and A/B testing.
Constant Contact is a cloud-based email marketing platform that empowers business owners and marketers to run highly targeted, engaging email campaigns.
You can even create customer surveys, newsletters, and email courses.
Pros:
Free “list building” tools to grow your subscriber base.
A/B test subject lines and email copy.
Track open rates and engagement metrics.
Create landing pages and social media campaigns.
Cons:
High cost for lead gen and customer relationship management (CRM) package.
No built-in SEO features.
5. Asana
Primary Features: Project management, team collaboration, lead tracking, content workflows, automation.
Asana is a project management tool that allows teams to collaborate on projects, monitor deadlines, share details, and more.
This makes it easy to stay on deadline and ensure quality control for your content.
Pros:
Super customizable to your business goals and projects.
Cross-user and cross-team collaboration.
Create tasks, set deadlines, share materials, and automate workflows.
Cons:
(Somewhat) steep learning curve.
No built-in content planning features.
No SEO features.
6. Surfer SEO
Primary Features: SERP analysis, content outlines, content editor, competitor research.
Surfer SEO is one of the best tools on the market for SEO content creation.
Essentially, Surfer SEO works to analyze the top-ranking search results for your target keyword.
It provides an array of suggestions to help you create content that will be competitive in search.
These suggestions might include aiming for a target word count, including your target keyword in your page title, or increasing keyword usage on the page.
Surfer SEO also provides docs allowing you to write, analyze, and optimize your content in one place.
Pros:
Automated search engine results page (SERP) analysis.
Word content and keyword density recommendations.
Create and share content outlines.
Cons:
High cost.
No keyword research tools.
No content scheduling features.
7. Grammarly
Primary Features: Grammar checker, readability checker, Chrome extension.
It’s one thing to create content optimized for search engine bots and another altogether to create content that users want to read.
A great content marketer can do both.
With Grammarly, you can improve your content’s readability so you drive traffic and encourage users to read your content from start to finish.
Grammarly provides a free Google Chrome plugin that analyzes your content for grammar issues and readability.
Plus, it can be used in Google Docs, on social media, and across various content platforms.
Grammarly takes the stress out of checking your content for spelling errors and readability issues.
You can edit your content in real-time and then rest easy knowing it’s error-free and optimized for your audience’s reading level.
Pros:
Easy-to-use Chrome extension.
Grammar checker for Google Docs, social media, and email.
Free version available.
Cons:
Does not grammar-check all platforms.
Primarily a grammar-checking/proofreading tool.
8. Ubersuggest
Primary Features: Keyword recommendations, topic ideation.
While intended as a tool for keyword research, Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest can also help you find content ideas that will get your audience’s attention.
It expands the seed keyword using suggestions from Google Suggest and Google Ads Keyword Planner.
In some cases, Ubersuggest results include keyword ideas that can be used as content titles right off the bat. These are usually long-tail keywords that include three or more terms.
With Ubersuggest, you have a near-endless supply of search-worthy content ideas.
Pros:
Keyword data directly from Google Keyword Planner.
Data-driven topic recommendations.
Backlink data available.
Easy-to-use.
Cons:
Limited to web content topic ideas.
No social media planning tools.
No video content marketing features.
9. leadfwd
Primary Features: Website visitor analytics, conversion optimization, lead follow-up.
Leadfwd is a website where you can turn an unknown visitor into a potential lead.
That means if a seemingly anonymous visitor ventures to your site, you may be able to capture their information, follow up, and turn them into a paying customer.
This is a highly valuable tool, particularly for marketers. Lead generation is one of the most important tasks for any digital marketing company.
While the name might suggest that it is not a tool that helps your content creation, the opposite is true.
Since it tells you how visitors spend their time on your website and shows the graph of the session, you can use this information to alter your content and make people spend more time on your website.
In fact, with the use of artificial intelligence (AI), the tool can scan your website in real-time to deliver dozens of insights that help with lead generation and content creation.
For example, the company sector, contact info, key personnel, social footprint, and many more are very much needed to contact the prospect and adapt your content for the right audience.
Pros:
Driven by AI technology.
Captures visitor data in real time.
Streamlines lead follow-up.
Email marketing features.
Cons:
Does not include content topic ideation.
Does not capture all user information (limited).
“Build your growth stack” model for pricing (no baseline cost).
10. Awario
Primary Features: Social listening, social media monitoring, social media content planning.
Awario is a unique tool that lets you monitor and “listen” to people’s conversations on social media.
With this feedback, you can better spot and correct any mistakes you’re making with your content.
What better way to improve your content than to get feedback directly from users?
This tool allows you to bypass surveys and messenger bots to gain insight directly from the source.
You can use this information to create a better user experience on your website.
Pros:
Detailed sentiment analysis and user analytics.
Create social media alerts.
Influencer monitoring and insights.
Cons:
Specific to social media marketing.
API and White Label features are only available at the Enterprise subscription level.
11. Portent’s Content Idea Generator
Primary Features: Blog post topic ideation, related user questions.
Portent’s Content Idea Generator is another awesome tool that can give you various content ideas within seconds.
What’s better, it’s a completely free tool that’s simple to use and provides an endless supply of content topics that you can easily turn into blog posts.
Pros:
Very easy to use.
Great for generating blog post titles.
Free.
Cons:
Limited to blog post topics.
No other content marketing features.
Occasional “weird” outputs.
12. Quora
Primary Features: User questions, authority building, community building.
Sometimes, the best source of attention-grabbing content ideas is the online community itself.
Using Q&A websites like Quora, for example, is a great way to stay in touch with what your target audience is asking.
Simply use the built-in search feature, and a handful of useful suggestions will pop up:
You can comb the Quora results for blog post ideas, questions for your FAQ pages, and more.
You can even leverage Quora to promote your content by offering it as an answer.
Pros:
Easily find user questions for your niche.
Respond to audience questions.
Find brand mentions.
Cons:
Backlinks are not guaranteed.
High competition in responding to user questions.
No other content marketing features.
13. AnswerThePublic
Primary Features: Blog post topic ideation, related user questions.
AnswerThePublic is a free content idea generation tool that provides a “web” of terms or topics users often search for on the web.
Simply enter a primary topic (say, [Pinterest marketing]), and AnswerThePublic will provide a visualization of topics you can turn into blog articles or webpages.
In addition, this tool provides limited data on how these search terms are used, which related terms exist, whether the topics are framed as a question or a comparison, and more.
This is certainly handy if you are completely stumped on what to write about on your blog or social media channels.
Pros:
Easy-to-read “web” of topic ideas.
Free.
Includes related questions and comparison topics.
Cons:
Topic recommendations are not infinite.
No keyword data is provided.
No other content marketing features are included.
14. Slack
Primary Features: Team collaboration, multi-tool integrations, automation, project management.
Slack is perhaps the most popular collaboration tool for businesses, marketers, and teams.
This is due to its user-friendly interface and, let’s face it, a fun atmosphere that allows users to share images, documents, memes, videos, and more.
Slack is designed to replace your traditional email communication.
It also adds value to the company’s management, as you can monitor when your employees are logging in and out.
How does this relate to content creation?
Well, in any organization, communication among all departments is crucial.
Slack makes it easy to collaborate across departments and ensures that each piece of content passes through the right hands.
For example, your SEO team can easily provide the target keywords for the post, your writer can write the first draft, and your editor can put the finishing touches on your content – all within Slack.
This saves time and expedites the content creation process.
Pros:
Easy-to-use messaging and team collaboration app.
Mobile application available.
Set automated reminders.
Integrates with tons of tools.
Cons:
No built-in content planning tools.
Primarily a team collaboration app.
No content scheduling tools.
15. Google Docs
Primary Features: Content doc, file saver, team collaboration.
If you already use a different communication app and simply need something that helps with file collaboration, then you should check out Google Docs.
This is a minimalistic, cloud-based app that allows you to:
Write content.
Add files.
Include images.
Create to-do lists.
Pretty much everything else you’d expect from a word processor.
Google Docs integrates with other online tools, such as Airtable, Typeform, Trello, Google Forms, and many more.
Pros:
Completely free.
Integrates with many other content marketing tools.
Easy-to-use.
Cons:
Limited to content writing, document sharing, and file saving.
No built-in SEO or social media features.
No content scheduling features (though templates are available).
16. Yoast SEO
Primary Features: On-page SEO, WordPress plugin, readability checker.
As a content marketer, you’ve likely heard of WordPress – the most-used content management system for website creation.
If you currently use it in your projects, then the Yoast SEO plugin is definitely a must-have.
Once installed, Yoast works by rating the readability and SEO-friendliness of your content in real time.
It also highlights the specific issues you need to be mindful of as you work:
You can also use Yoast to set a focus keyword for each individual post.
This will provide you with a checklist of objectives that can ensure the optimization of your content.
Keep in mind that Yoast is not the end-all-be-all when it comes to SEO, though.
Pros:
Easy-to-use “SEO checker.”
Suggests on-page SEO improvements.
Free.
Cons:
Not a replacement for SEO keyword research.
SEO recommendations do not consider user intent.
Does not include technical SEO.
17. Hemingway App
Primary Features: Readability checker, grammar checker, content editor.
Like Grammarly, the Hemingway App serves as a free online writing assistant but differs in that you paste your content directly into the content editor.
The tool then analyzes your content for readability, passive voice, and any spelling and grammar issues your content may have.
Why does readability matter?
Well, each audience has a certain level of understanding regarding the topic you’re writing about.
For example, writing about SEO for marketers will likely involve more complex terms and explanations than if you write for a novice audience.
Tools like Grammarly and the Hemingway App help you pare down your content and write in a way that makes sense to your target audience.
Generally, you should aim for a readability “Grade” of five to eight for most audiences.
Pros:
Easy-to-use grammar-checker.
Free.
Helps improve readability and phrasing.
Cons:
Not an all-in-one proofreading tool.
No built-in SEO features.
18. Inspectlet
Primary Features: Content analytics, performance insights, user behavior insights.
Let’s face it: Even the most skilled content marketers have room for improvement.
They only need a clearer view of certain performance metrics to figure out what works, what doesn’t, and how to turn these insights into data-driven decisions.
Inspectlet is one of the best content analytics tools to help you accomplish all three goals.
Inspectlet records a video of user behavior, so you can know how long they were on your website, how they engaged with your content, and which elements grabbed their attention.
With this tool, you can also identify where your website is lagging if someone leaves it after facing an issue on your site.
Based on these analytics, you can create your content and make it more appealing to your readers.
Pros:
Analyzes website lag time.
Monitors user engagement and on-site time.
Detailed analytics to inform on-site improvements.
Cons:
Not an all-in-one conversion rate optimization (CRO) tool.
Poor user reviews regarding customer service.
19. Google Analytics
Primary Features: Website traffic analytics, goal tracking, conversion tracking, audience insights, SEO insights.
It’s impossible to leave out Google Analytics if we’re talking about the top analytics tools.
Google Analytics is a free platform that can help you improve your content, optimize your website, and examine the source(s) of your traffic.
With Google Analytics, you can easily measure important engagement metrics such as page views, average session duration, and bounce rate.
This will allow you to identify specific types of content that appeal to your existing audience.
For example, if you notice that your content on email marketing performs significantly better than other posts, you can double down on that topic to maximize your results.
To learn how to integrate Google Analytics into your website, you can follow a step-by-step guide here.
Discover the different reports and features to leverage from this Search Engine Journal article.
Pros:
In-depth website traffic analytics and insights.
Customizable dashboards.
On-site goals and conversion tracking; can assign monetary value.
Free.
Cons:
Steep learning curve.
Not all keyword data is available.
Data may be influenced by spam and bot traffic (filters available).
20. Raven Tools
Primary Features: Keyword research, competitor research, SERP analysis, backlink analysis, SEO performance data.
Raven Tools provides a full stack of SEO and analytics tools to help you increase your web traffic and optimize your content.
Trusted by thousands of agencies, Raven Tools is a top option for those looking to generate detailed analytics reports and gain insight into creating better content for users.
Raven Tools also provides tools for keyword research, competitor analysis, and backlink analysis to implement a holistic SEO strategy.
You can then track the success of your content in terms of keyword rankings, traffic, and social media shares.
Pros:
Easy-to-use dashboards.
White-label SEO audits/reports available.
(Near) all-in-one SEO tool.
Detailed SEO performance data and insights.
Cons:
High cost.
No social media content features available.
No built-in content editor (compared to Semrush and Surfer SEO).
ConclusionIn the modern marketing landscape, content marketers must often wear many hats to do their jobs effectively.
After all, content is the lifeblood of any digital marketing strategy – the secret sauce that will help you establish your brand online.
You can argue that content marketing isn’t all about who has the bigger guns, but tools can make a huge difference in a competitive world.
In this guide, you’ve discovered some of the top tools for creating amazing content like a pro.
Content Marketing For Law Firms: Expand Your Reach & Increase Your Search Rankings
But how do you reach your target audience, especially with your uniquely competitive search results and strict industry regulations for legal businesses?
When it comes to serving legal information to users, Google holds websites like yours to a higher standard of quality and accuracy – there are many considerations to take when creating online content.
As a business that targets clients during some of the most stressful situations of their lives, how do you reach them while they’re actively searching for answers?
How do you create the helpful, informative content they’re looking for without violating the latest search engine policies?
Key Insights:
How to succeed in highly competitive search results with content.
How to create a content marketing strategy when people have high-stakes questions.
How to build high-quality content assets.
Legal Content Doesn’t Have To Be BoringCreating exciting and engaging content for fields in a more serious line of work can be challenging – but it doesn’t have to be.
There are some simple steps you can take to improve your law firm’s content strategy and inspire potential clients to reach out.
It’s time for marketers to reinvent the way they look at creating content for a “boring” niche.
Want to learn how to think outside the box and produce compelling messaging that will resonate with your target audience?
This guide has everything you need to know about taking complex legal material and making it more engaging for potential clients.
Local SEO For Law FirmsWhen marketing for law firms, it’s important to get in front of the right users in the right stage of their journey – and that requires a hyper-targeted approach.
Local SEO tactics can be very effective in narrowing down competitive search results for users.
If you want to rank higher on Google, you’ll want to show up in the most relevant results, targeting local searchers.
This ebook will show you how to optimize your law firm’s website and business listings to rank better for local SEO.
Want to learn more about content marketing for legal businesses?
Download your copy and discover how an effective content strategy can make all the difference for your firm!
11 Ways To Build Links Through Content Marketing
Let’s face it: link building is tough.
And it’s only getting harder.
Long gone are the days when you can get away with buying links, yet links remain one of the top 3 ranking factors.
If you want to rank in 2023, you need a great link profile pointing to your domain.
However, given the fact that earning links isn’t getting any easier, it can often be hard to know where to focus your efforts to gain maximum returns.
Say Hello to Content MarketingFor those running SEO campaigns in the majority of industries, your best approach to earning links is going to be through content marketing.
However, on its own, that can mean many different things.
To some, content marketing means nothing more than running an ongoing guest blogging campaign.
To others, using data-driven studies or even infographics is what first springs to mind.
Content marketing is a minefield.
But the good news?
You can approach it in so many different ways and still drive success in terms of link acquisition.
No two SEO professionals are likely to handle their content-led link building campaigns the same way.
However, to inspire you to try your hand at a new tactic, here’s a look at 11 ways to build links through content marketing, categorized by the budget required to undertake the approach.
(Note: ‘Budget’ refers to the amount needed to produce the content, not in terms of buying links, something which is strongly discouraged.)
Low-Budget Content Marketing TechniquesAre your link building efforts limited by your available budgets?
Perhaps you’re a startup who understands the benefits of SEO, yet don’t yet have the budget to go all out and hire a whole team of your own?
On the other hand, maybe you’re an agency that is looking at ways to grow the link profile for a client without needing to ask them for any extra monetary investment?
Here are five content marketing techniques which only need a minimal budget to execute, with the main resource requirement here being time and knowledge with the availability of a graphic designer to add extra visual appeal to content ideal if available but by no means essential.
1. Case StudiesIf you’re doing great work, why not tell the world about it?
Others love to hear how their peers go about their work and there’s a lot which can be learned from a well put-together case study.
Once you begin to share a case study across social media and within your networks, your insight into the processes becomes valuable and you typically won’t struggle to utilize these to earn links from industry publications.
2. Expert ContributionsAt least one expert works at every business. Many businesses have multiple experts to draw expertise from.
Experts are one of the most valuable assets which can be used from a content marketing perspective.
Too many marketers assume that a linkable asset has to be “something” (e.g., an infographic, a blog post, an ebook), when in fact, people can be one of the most attractive to publishers.
Journalists typically aren’t subject experts, however, they need to utilize specialists to add weight to their articles.
3. Expert RoundupsAlthough expert roundups might not be quite as effective as they once were, they remain a cost-effective way to earn links from bloggers and specialists.
For maximum link earning using this technique, assess whether a blogger or expert is actively linking out to resources which feature themselves while pulling together a list of prospects to touch base with regarding contributions.
A word of warning here: for the best results when using this approach, don’t waste time responding to requests which you’re not a specialist in. This happens all too often and rarely results in coverage. Stay specialist, however, and it’s a cost and time effective way to land top-tier links.
A top tip here, however, is to ensure you actually are speaking with experts. This shouldn’t be a tactic which you abuse attracting contributions from anyone even remotely connected to the topic.
4. InterviewsWhile interviews can be time-consuming to arrange and pull together, if you’re able to interview complementary industry experts and host on your blog, this can be a great way to earn links.
When running an interview, focus your questions on topics which you know your wider audience are genuinely interested in.
If so, again, you’ve got something of value which you can outreach to other relevant publishers to earn links.
Notice the trend of adding value here?
You don’t need to be securing the likes of Gary Vaynerchuk to interview, however. Start small but talk to a specialist.
5. Long-Form GuidesWhether you’re in B2B or B2C, long-form educational guides (referred to by some as “power pages”) can be a great way to earn links from both resource pages and contextually.
Why?
You guessed it: because longer content typically adds value to a topic and contains information that others want to link to.
The first step here is understanding the questions your audience is asking – forming a basis for guides which you can develop to answer these better than any other resource out there (take a look at those which rank in top 5 positions).
Use the likes of AnswerThePublic, Quora, and even Google Autocomplete to begin to understand the questions being asked in your industry and act as seeds of inspiration to write guides around.
Mid-Budget Content Marketing TechniquesIf you’re lucky enough to have a budget available for content marketing of a few hundred dollars per month, or the availability of senior-level, in-house designers and PR experts, your arsenal of techniques can begin to expand, and you’ll be in a position to explore additional ways to earn links through your content campaigns.
6. Collaborate on a Content CampaignIf you’re looking to earn links from new audiences and double up on resources, consider collaborating with a complementary (not competing) brand on a content campaign.
Let’s say you’re doing SEO for a bed retailer. How about teaming up with a road safety charity to raise awareness on the risks of drowsy driving?
You’re able to highlight your expertise through stating the importance of getting a great night’s sleep while the charity is able to add insight into the wider dangers and stats.
With two marketing teams promoting the content, in many cases to very different audiences, this can be an effective way to maximize the success of a campaign.
7. InfographicsEven though high-quality infographics still can be great for link building, the reputation of infographics has taken a hit in recent years.
The reason?
So many low-quality infographics did the rounds a few years back.
Today, publishers want to see something that truly stands out before they’ll ever consider covering it and linking out.
The main thing to consider here: what’s the story?
Simply producing a listicle in infographic format probably won’t cut it anymore.
That said, a unique infographic which contains actionable takeaways can still an attractive asset for publishers and a fantastic way to earn links from both top-tier publishers and bloggers.
8. Local PREven if you’re a national or an international brand, don’t turn your back on local publications.
Local newspapers and online publications (as an example, Lancashire Business View, an online and print publication which connects businesses in the county of Lancashire, UK) are typically great places to do one of two things:
Land news coverage.
What must be remembered is that in many cases, local publications are stretched for resources. This means they, in many cases, welcome high-quality content and stories for two reasons:
They’re geared up to share local success stories.
It’s typically easy work for them to take a well-written press release or article, make a few small edits, and publish as is.
It’s easy to overlook these opportunities as you reach out to the bigger publications, but local links are typically much easier wins while still retaining a great level of authority and relevancy to a business.
9. Whitepapers & Research PapersIf you’re in a position to conduct research of your own and put together a whitepaper, this can be a fantastic way to earn industry-specific links.
Why? Because you’re adding value and giving a fresh insight into a topic.
Now, in many cases, this is more relevant to B2B companies than B2C, however, that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible.
Why not consider teaming up with a local university and conducting research into a topic relevant to the products which you sell?
Whether that’s kitchen gadgets and you’re considering research into food and nutrition or, going back to an earlier example, a bed retailer conducting research into sleep habits.
Working with university students often sees little financial investment required from your end, simply time, on the grounds that they will likely be doing it as part of their studies.
Once complete, reach out and promote to industry-relevant press and so long as there’s a real story, data, and insight available, it can be a great way to earn fantastic links in significant volumes.
High-Budget Content Marketing TechniquesIf you’re one of the few who has higher budgets available to allocate toward content marketing campaigns (typically, we’re talking more than $2,000 per campaign or a large team of in-house resources), you can drive some great results by doing things a little differently and thinking more akin to PR than SEO.
Don’t forget, here, that ideas are everything and, when working with higher budgets, it’s more important than ever to fully sanity check and analyze your ideas before putting them into production.
10. Build Your Personal Brand & Become the ‘Go To’ ExpertBeing totally honest with you here, this isn’t for the light-hearted.
Building a personal brand and establishing yourself as the ‘go to’ expert in an industry isn’t easy. It takes time. Lots of time.
But, when done right, can be very effective, yet not something which most would consider an SEO tactic.
Think of it this way:
If you’ve taken the time to build an audience who consider you as one of the thought leaders in your industry, that’s a fantastic pull.
Offer to write a guest post or monthly column for a publication? If you’re a known expert, they’ll snap your hand off.
Respond to a HARO request as an already respected industry figure? You can almost guarantee that it’ll be your response which is used.
A personal brand is valuable and is an amazing asset from a link building perspective.
Take the time to study what the likes of Gary Vaynerchuk, Social Chain’s Steven Bartlett or MobileMonkey’s Larry Kim have done to build their personal brands through a combination of video content, social media, column writing, and public speaking.
You’ll soon start to get some ideas as to how you can do this for yourself, looking with a longer-term view of using your brand to land links.
11. SurveysSurveys can cost big bucks to conduct, but they give you something which no one else can get – unique data.
If you’re able to pull together stories backed by your own data, collected through a survey, you’re positioning your content as highly attractive to newspapers, industry publications, and the like.
That said, the stories and results of the survey must be interesting.
Before jumping in and investing in a survey (don’t forget you ideally need at least 2,000 respondents for the press to consider it a fair piece of research), take the time to read 8 Tips for Creating PR Surveys.
One final note on surveys: be prepared to follow up outreach with a link reclamation campaign as this approach will often result in large numbers of unlinked brand mentions.
ConclusionContent marketing remains one of the most effective (and potentially scalable) ways to earn links to support your SEO campaign.
You just need to focus on one main thing, regardless of the tactics which you use:
Ensuring you’re adding value at all times!
SummaryTimeframe: Every month
Results detected: 2-6 months
Average links sent per month: 20
Tools:
Google Trends
A survey maker
BuzzSumo
HARO
Google Analytics
Benefits:
Content marketing can work for you, no matter your budget. Great content increases brand awareness and authority and should bring benefits long after its publishing date. Plus, it is and will continue to be a top Google ranking factor for a long time to come.
As long as you know what your target audience wants and needs, you should be able to create assets that drive traffic, rankings, links, and (hopefully) conversions.
Featured Image Credit: Paulo Bobita
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