What makes GE so successful when it comes to digital content creation, and why should digital publishers care about the content that brands are posting online?
GE is one of many global brands that has invested heavily into content marketing, with impressive results to show from their efforts.
Disruption within the digital publishing industry, coupled with the broad availability of web publishing tools and platforms like WordPress, has made it incredibly easy for brands of all sizes to get involved in digital publishing. Brands no longer need to invest in expensive technology. They don’t even need to hire in-house teams to manage their content marketing efforts. All they need is a solid web publishing platform like WordPress, and a few devoted staffers to act as writers and editors on the project.
Such a low barrier to entry means more brands than ever before are getting involved in content creation. Many of these brands are developing content hubs with articles about the products they sell or the services they offer. Great examples of brands publishing this type of content are Red Bull, General Mills, and Intel. These brands are delving into digital publishing with extensive websites that showcase a commitment to the medium. Knowledge bases are also being used as a tool for customer education.
The content that brands craft for their content hubs and knowledge bases can be promoted through other channels, including social media and email newsletters. This is something brands have learned by watching top digital publishers. Another thing brands have learned from digital publishers is how to optimize their content hubs for search engine traffic. Having an SEO strategy is incredibly important for any brand that is seriously interested in investing in content marketing. Without an SEO strategy, it’s going to be hard for people to read and engage with the brand’s content.
Regardless of the distribution channels they choose, brands are finding that content marketing has major benefits. Surveys have shown that businesses with content marketing strategies see increased website traffic, lead generation, and sales. Conversion rates rise when companies engage in content marketing, as well.
An important caveat that’s worth mentioning is that not all content marketing is created equal. One thing brands can learn from digital publishers is that low-quality content won’t be rewarded. In order to rank highly in Google search results, and achieve the increases in leads and conversion rates, brands need to be creating high-quality web content. Articles, images, infographics, and videos are all popular among brands that practice content marketing.
Brands should also learn from digital publishers how to distribute content to their audiences. Like we mentioned previously, social media and email newsletters are considered excellent distribution tools.
Here are four other lessons that brands can learn from digital publishers:
1. Learn from the metrics.
Digital publishers understand the importance of using website metrics to gauge how audiences are responding to their content. Although page views are a common metric, top brands need to go further to evaluate the performance of each piece of content they publish. Other metrics that we recommend keeping a close eye on include shares, time spent on site, and visitor engagement.
2. Investing in the right tools will pay off.
The right software can make or break a brand’s success with content marketing. Platforms like WordPress and YouTube have become popular with digital publishers because they are high-performing and they come with a low cost of entry. Brands should learn from digital publishers and take advantage of many of the same platforms they see top publishers using.
3. Connect the content to the format.
Content hubs, knowledge bases, blogs, newsletters. Brands these days are constantly finding innovative ways to showcase their content on the web. Take a cue from successful digital publishers and carefully consider what the best channel is for each piece of content that your brand develops. Is the longform article best suited for Facebook, an email newsletter, or a company blog? Is an infographic better suited for Instagram or Twitter? Much of the content that brands develop does just fine across all platforms, but some content types–like quizzes and infographics–perform much better on specific channels.
4. Bring back evergreen content.
Some articles or blog posts stand the test of time. In the publishing business, we refer to this content as “evergreen content.” Brands can learn from digital publishers by finding ways to re-post evergreen content for new audiences. The longer a brand has been working at its content marketing strategy, the easier it becomes to re-publish older pieces of content without feeling redundant. We also recommend that marketers repackage older content to meet current needs. For example, an ebook that was published last year can be broken up into a dozen or more posts for the company’s blog.
Are you interested in learning more about content marketing? Reach out to our team of experts at Web Publisher PRO today.
