Content Tips from the Three Most Popular Blogs

Blogs come in all different shapes and sizes and can range from a personal web page updated by one person to a website updated by multiple authors. The key? Blogs are written in an “informal or conversational style.”  To learn from the best, we’ve selected eBiz’s Top 15 Most Popular Blogs for July 2015: The Huffington Post, TMZ, and Business Insider.

So what are their secrets?

Find and publish the best content.

Take The Huffington Post for example – they post viral articles, but not all of these articles are their own. Sure, The Huffington Post has plenty of people writing content for them, but they also have employees who look for content that other people write online. By publishing both types of content, The Huffington Post is able to achieve massive amounts of shares, which increases their popularity.

While this technique may not work for your blog, you can apply similar tactics. For example, you can promote your content to third-party websites, or even invite guests to write for your blog. These tactics will increase your blog’s visibility, while simultaneously generating more traffic.

Keep them curious.

TMZ’s celebrity news output generates more than 30 million visitors monthly. But why? We like to watch celebrities, and we’re generally curious about their lavish and often scandalous lifestyles. TMZ is known for their compelling headlines that generate clicks by leaving readers wanting more detail.

You can apply this to your blog as well – get your readers engaged by piquing their interest with a headline that leaves them dying to know more. Providing exclusive or inside information is an easy way to feed into this curiosity and generate more interaction.

Know your audience inside and out.

Business Insider has a thorough understanding of their target audience; most of their readers are young, business-focused men who consume content during the workday. Knowing this, Business Insider is able to generate content that is specifically tailored to their audience, and keep them coming back for more.

The style in which you write, the content you produce, and the amount of promotion you do is all dependent on your audience. Defining your target market is an important step for planning your blog’s content – you can’t be successful without doing so.

For content marketing and other integrated marketing services, please contact Sagefrog Marketing Group at 215.230.9024 or visit www.sagefrog.com.

Source

5 Ways to Optimize Your Content Marketing

Is your content marketing strategy falling short, or not living up to your expectations? It may be time to optimize. Creating valuable content is a good start, but there are other aspects to consider. Planning the ins and outs of both your current and future content marketing strategy is the only way to ensure success.

Sound overwhelming? Don’t panic – here are a few simple tips to consider.

Switch it up. Don’t get stuck in a rut –producing diverse content is the easiest way to keep your audience active and engaged. Exploring new ways to format and present your content also keeps you current and interesting in the eyes of your audience. Step outside of your comfort zone – don’t be afraid to try something new.

Produce quality over quantity. Mass producing content may seem like a great way to generate clicks, but in the end, people will see right through you. Practicing thought leadership and strategic planning makes your content more credible.

Put yourself in their shoes. Take a walk in the shoes of your target audience and use social listening techniques to keep current about what they are saying. The best way to understand what they’re looking for is to view your content through their eyes and have a clear understanding of their thoughts and opinions.

Take it up a notch. In the world of content marketing, you’re always competing with someone. In order to stand out, you need to make an impression on your audience – and sometimes this includes paying for a service such as paid search or advertising. Consider multiple options for promoting your content – the possibilities are endless!

Think about user experience. The format in which you present your content is just as important as the content itself. The experience users have while viewing your content is crucial – if they aren’t impressed, they may not return. Design accordingly.

For content marketing and other integrated marketing services, please contact Sagefrog Marketing Group at 215.230.9024 or visit www.sagefrog.com.

Source