7 Ways to Make Your Existing Content Go the Extra Mile

Great quality content is essential for generating revenue for your online business. Googles latest algorithm update supports this statement as it rewards websites with quality content by giving them higher SEO ranking. With a higher position in search engines, the result is more traffic to your website. More traffic inevitably results in an increase in potential leads, or does it. While having content on your website improves your chances of being found more often, it doesnt guarantee your being found by the right traffic. This is where the quality of the content comes into play.

Here are 7 simple tips that will help your content go the extra mile and bring you highly relevant traffic to your website.

Content Must Have A Purpose

You dont do something just for the sake of doing it, right? So, why would you think its ok for your content? The most successful content pieces are those that have been thought out. Stop yourself and ask why are you creating it? Is it to answer a question? Solve a problem? Fill a gap? Think of your website as a storefront, and your content as your sales person, they have one chance to convince a customer to choose you, so make it count.

Content Needs To Be Relevant To Your Audience

A good business knows who their customer is. So, before you start creating content, make sure you truly understand who it is that youre talking to. If youre not sure, try creating a customer persona. What is their name, age, interests, and challenges? Dont be afraid to have fun with it. The more specific you can be, the better youll understand how your business can help them. Knowing your target intimately will ensure your content is successful and engaging to the right audience.

Content Should Be Share-worthy

Now that you know who youre talking to and what you want to talk to them about, be creative. The best type of content is shared simply because its good content. If someone is sharing your content, they relate to it and want others in their circle to know it. Keep it simple, unique and interesting.

Make Your Content Usable

What can you create that will help to make the lives of your customers easier? This can be anything. For example, you are a mortgage broker. Your customer persona is Jim and Karen, a young couple looking to buy their first home. What is important to them? Knowing that they can afford the home of their dreams. How can you help? Create a tool that they can download that teaches them how to budget for their dream home. There you go. Youve now proven your value and knowledge. Its that simple. The thing to keep in mind with content, is that its not always meant to drive a sale. Sometimes, it serves the purpose of introducing your brand to your audience and hope that when they are ready to make a decision, your brand is top of mind.

Cook Once Eat 5 Times

Have you ever heard the saying Cook once, eat five times? No? Well, let me explain. When youve hit the sweet spot with your content, why re-invent the wheel? Re-purpose that content into other formats and channels. Content is not just words on paper. Content can be anything from images, videos, infographics, an ebook, tip sheets, workbooks, and the list goes on! Make your marketing dollars go further.

Promote

Now that youve nailed the content, its time to promote it! Jonah Peretti, found and CEO of BuzzFeed said, You need to spend 50% of your time on the idea and 50% on how you spread it. Most marketers are unaware of what social sharing platforms are available and how best to use them. Therefore, its important that you do your research. Understand the social promotion options available and what makes sense for your business. If your first attempt at promoting content fails, go at it in a different way. Content marketing is a long term investment. The key is to keep trying.

Now all of this would be in vain if no one could find your content, wouldnt it? So, make sure your content can be easily found. Search Engines are going to serve up the most relevant content for a search query. Research and understand how people are searching for your vertical, label your content accordingly and improve your contents chances of being found.