It’s no secret that social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are goldmines for marketing, with a whopping total of 4.95 billion active users worldwide. 

Since 60% of the global population is on social media, it’s no wonder that almost 93% of marketers will leverage these platforms in 2024. 

While registering and setting up a profile on social media is easy, crafting content that goes viral amongst your target audience is a different story.

How can companies, especially smaller businesses, ensure their voices are heard by the right people?

The answer is to invest a lot of time and effort into creating social media engagement posts. 

Bear in mind that these aren’t your average posts that blatantly promote your products and services. 

Instead, they’re specifically designed to foster interaction and engagement with your brand – building brand awareness and establishing your brand as an authority figure in your industry. 

In this article, we’ll teach you how to develop exciting social media engagement posts that your audience craves, so stay tuned to learn 17 easy ideas for attention-grabbing posts. 

What Are Social Media Engagement Posts and Why Do They Matter?

A social media engagement post is a piece of content crafted to encourage maximum interaction on social platforms – such as likes, comments, shares, and clicks. 

Engagement posts are great because they’re a step beyond passive viewing. Instead of simply consuming your content, users are encouraged to engage with your brand. This usually takes the form of:

• Leaving a comment so the audience member can share their two cents on a topic (which you can encourage by saying something like, “what are your thoughts on the issue? Let me know in the comments!”
• Liking the post due to the quality and helpfulness of the content. 
• Sharing the post on their feed to expand your content’s online reach. 

The average user spends 2.3 hours on various social media platforms each day. 

That means if you want to reach your prospects, you have to be wherever they are, and they’re definitely on social media. 

Engagement posts are key to capitalizing on each prospects’ daily time on platforms like X, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. 

Here are the top benefits of social media engagement posts:

Increased visibility: Engagement posts signal to Google’s algorithm that your content is valuable, accurate, and high-quality. As a result, your content will start ranking higher on its search result pages. 

Build a community: Social media engagement posts lead to thought-provoking conversations, new relationships, and brand loyalty. Before you know it, you’ll have a loyal following of brand ambassadors (which means they actively promote your brand because they’re fans). 

Drive traffic and conversions: Engaging content will direct users to your website’s landing pages, increasing the chances of generating sales or sign-ups.

Boost brand awareness: Relevant, entertaining content that sparks discussion gets shared the most, expanding your brand’s online reach as a result.

Feedback and insights: One of the biggest perks of engagement posts is they shed light on what your audience views as valuable, which is extremely useful information for your marketing campaigns.

Enhance social proof: The more likes and shares you get, the more it’ll be clear to new prospects that your brand is the real deal. 

What’s the Best Social Media Platform for Engagement?

There are tons of social platforms out there, so which should you prioritize when creating engagement posts?

Surprisingly, Facebook is still the king of social media worldwide, with roughly 3.05 billion active monthly users during Q3 2023. 

 As a result, Facebook is also the most popular channel for marketing teams. A global survey showed that 89% of marketers used the platform to promote their business. 

While this is still more than any other platform, it’s down from 93% in 2021. That means the social media landscape is changing, which is something you need to consider. 

WhatsApp now ranks as the second most popular social media app in 2024. While initially known for personal messaging, the launch of WhatsApp Business in 2018 made it a powerful marketing tool for brands. 

As of June 2023, WhatsApp Business already boasts over 200 million monthly users.

Of course, we have to mention the elephant in the room, which is TikTok. 

While Facebook may have more active users, TikTok is the most frequently used app worldwide. 

The proof?

Android phone users spend an average of 34 hours a month on the platform, which beats Facebook’s monthly average of 20 hours. 

Also, TikTok has much higher engagement rates for its organic posts. In 2021, micro-influencers saw a completely unheard-of 17.96% organic engagement rate.

Yet, the social platform that you should focus on the most depends on your target audience’s demographics. 

Even though TikTok boasts more engagement and time spent on the platform than LinkedIn, the latter remains the preferred marketing channel for B2B companies (since LinkedIn has an older, more professional demographic). 

TikTok is the perfect platform if your business targets a younger crowd, as two-thirds of its users are between 18 and 34 years old. 

Not on all of these important platforms yet? 

We can help with that. HOTH Lock My Brand registers your brand name on all the top social sites in the world.

How to Write Engaging Social Media Posts

Just because you post something on social media doesn’t mean that it will receive engagement. 

Instead, it takes a special type of post that’s been handcrafted to foster engagement from your audience. 

Here are our top 9 tips for creating social media posts that get your audience talking. 

1. Know Your Platform

As stated before, the social media landscape is evolving, and marketers are now turning to new platforms. 

For this reason, it’s pivotal to understand the platform you’re currently using, as it may look different than it did just a few years ago (in terms of demographics, features, functionalities, etc.).

First, you need to know the type of engagement you’re trying to elicit. 

Do you want to get shares on Facebook or are you hoping to get duets and stitches on TikTok?

Moreover, you should educate yourself about the platform’s algorithm to learn how it decides which content to show to whom. 

After all, SEO is all about mastering Google’s algorithm to ensure better visibility, so why not learn the ins and outs of your preferred social platform’s algorithm to do the same thing?

For example, X populates users’ feeds with posts from the accounts they interact with the most, while YouTube makes recommendations based on topics the user likes. 

The more you know about a platform’s algorithm, the easier it will be to optimize your content for your specific audience. 

2. Discover What Works

Social media supports numerous types of content, from video campaigns to infographics and beyond. 

Because of this, you need to determine which type of content generates the most interest from your audience. 

Every demographic is unique, and the best way to find out what resonates with them is to track your posts’ engagement levels and then analyze the data. 

Most platforms have some way to monitor your metrics, such as viewing how many followers you have or how many users watched one of your videos. 

To dive deeper into data analytics, you can invest in a social listening tool. 

What’s that?

A social listening tool gathers information from various social platforms and websites online, including Facebook, X, Trip Advisor, and many others. 

You can set up custom listening campaigns for specific keywords and topics, such as:

• Your industry
• Your brand
• Your competitors 

From there, you’ll be able to ‘listen in’ on the entire social conversation surrounding things like your brand and industry, which is great for uncovering opportunities for engagement. 

Here are a few examples of popular social listening tools:

1. Hootsuite
2. Brandwatch
3. Sprout Social  

3. Develop a Brand Voice

Is your content formal and professional or casual and trendy?

Do you sound like you’re 25 or 55? 

Does your brand have a sense of humor?

Answering these types of questions will help you develop your brand voice.

A consistent brand voice aids with social media engagement because followers feel like they know you. 

You’re the funny friend, the helpful expert, or the stylish trendsetter who keeps appearing on their social media feed.

Also, ensure that your posts are as relatable as possible by sharing first-hand experiences, using humor, and even referencing movies and TV shows. 

That will show that your content was written by a human and not automatically generated by AI. 

However, your brand voice isn’t something you can create by yourself, as it should be based on what your target audience likes. 

Document the rules for your brand voice so that different employees can learn how to take the same tone in social media posts. In other words, you need to develop a style guide. 

4. Visuals are key 

Humans are visual creatures, which is why posts with images and videos foster way more engagement than posts with only static text and links. 

Social video accumulates 1,200% more shares than text and images combined, which is significant, to say the least. 

It should come as no surprise that 88% of marketers claim video is integral to their marketing strategies. 

Certain engagement posts naturally include images or videos, but that’s not always the case. 

If your post isn’t inherently visual, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to make it eye-grabbing. 

For instance, let’s say that you’re sharing a blog post through one of your social media accounts. Don’t just drop the link, as that’s too static and easy for people to ignore. Include a relevant, high-quality image that relates to the blog’s topic. 

This tiny gesture is enough to make your post stand out and entice your audience to click the link. 

5. Jump on current trends (carefully)

No matter your platform of choice, one fact remains true: social media runs on trends. 

A clever hashtag or challenge can fill up every user’s feed for a week or two—and joining the trend can boost your brand’s visibility. 

Try to find ways to organically (or humorously) interject your brand into a breaking news story or viral social media trend. 

Avoid getting too controversial here, as you should keep things light-hearted and fun. 

6. Listen to Your Audience

One of the best things you can do to elevate your brand is talk with members of your target audience – but more importantly – listen. 

The same applies if you’re interacting with your audience on social media. 

However, we’re not just talking about paying attention to what prospects have posted on your profiles and in your comments. 

Instead, we’re talking about mentions of your brand that occur outside of your profile, which is where the aforementioned social listening tools come into the picture. 

Of course, you could always simply search for your brand name on a platform like Facebook or Instagram, but that will only provide surface-level insights. 

Tools like Hootsuite and Sprout Social go far more in-depth with social listening, as you’ll have access to pretty much every mention of your brand that happens online. 

Whenever you find positive mentions of your brand, don’t just give yourself a pat on the back and call it a day. Instead, be proactive and reach out to the user to thank them for their kind words (to go the extra mile, you could even share some of their content on your profile). 

If the mention is negative, you should still reach out. 

However, instead of giving them an honest piece of your mind, you should let the user know that you appreciate the feedback and will consider it in the future. If they’re experiencing issues with a product or service, get them in touch with customer support and follow-up at a later date to ensure that everything gets resolved. 

Social listening is a powerful tool, which is why 71% of companies find value in monitoring social media. The valuable customer insights you gain from it will benefit numerous departments in your business (like sales, marketing, and even HR).  

7. Pay Attention to Influencers in Your Niche

Which creators and influencers are popular in your niche, and what are they posting about?

If an influencer is getting great engagement talking about products similar to yours (or posting content related to your industry), you should learn from their success.

Besides taking notes on what they did right, you can also reach out to them with the hopes of building a relationship. That way, they could potentially promote your products and services in the future. 

How do you do that?

The best way to start is to engage with their posts and share their content. After you’ve established a rapport (and hopefully received a few replies in the meantime), you can bring up the idea of partnering with them. 

This will also put you in front of their followers. If you find a creator whose content is likely to resonate with your audience, reach out to them about working together.

For example, Subaru reached out to multiple influencers with its #MeetAnOwner campaign (geared toward promoting the Impreza hatchback), which had fantastic results. In one instance, a popular YouTuber filmed himself and friends shooting off a slip-and-slide that propelled them off a 500-foot cliff (while highlighting the Impreza along the way). 

The video generated 1.3 million views for Subaru and provided serious entertainment value. 

8. Post at the Right Time

There’s no single “perfect” time to post on social media that guarantees success, but there are undoubtedly better times than others (depending on the needs of your demographics, of course). 

The best times depend on several factors:

Studies show that Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:00 to 10:00 AM tend to see good engagement across most platforms. 

You should avoid late nights and weekends, as engagement generally dips during those times due to people sleeping, running errands, and enjoying time off work.

Here are the factors that influence the best times to post: 

Your target audience: Where are they located? When are they most likely to be online? Don’t forget to consider time zones because they can completely throw off your game. For instance, if your work is located in the central time zone but most of your audience lives in California, you’ll need to calculate the difference whenever posting content – or you could wind up posting two hours earlier than you intended. 

Platform: Each platform has its own peak usage times. For example, LinkedIn sees more engagement during business hours, while Instagram might be more active in the evenings. Most millennials admit to browsing social media whenever ads play on TV or streaming services, so the evening (after work hours) is a good time to post new content. 

Industry: B2B audiences may be more active on weekdays during work hours, while consumer-focused brands may see better results on weekends. However, you should confirm this with data first. Some audiences may limit their social media use on weekends due to traveling or errands, so you should never make assumptions. 

Your own data: Most social media platforms provide analytics, which you should definitely capitalize on. Track when your posts historically get the most engagement, and you’ll uncover the perfect times to post new content.  

9. Cross-promote social media profiles

At this point, most people are on multiple social media platforms (if not all of them). 

As such, don’t be afraid to post a “Follow us on Instagram” on X or vice versa.

Your followers may be more interested in engaging on one platform than another, so cross-promoting your accounts gives them options. 

Plus, you’ll be posting different types of content on each one, which increases your chances of seeing more engagement.

Also, your website is prime real estate for promoting your social accounts, so don’t forget to include social buttons where your audience can clearly see them. Most websites stick with the very top or left-hand side of the page since they naturally attract the eyes. 

17 Creative Social Media Engagement Post Ideas to Captivate Your Audience

At its core, a social media engagement post can be anything that entices users to interact with your brand. 

If that seems extremely broad, it’s because it is. 

Fear not, as there are some tried-and-true content formats for encouraging interaction. 

Here are 17 battle-tested ideas for engagement-boosting posts. 

1. Ask a Question

The concept is simple: you want people to reply to your post, so you give them a question to answer. 

It doesn’t have to be complex, but it’s best if it’s related to your industry or the habits of your target audience.

Why it matters 

• Generates comments. Asking a question is one of the most effective ways to get your audience talking in the comments section. 

• Discussions build a sense of community. Once you get your audience talking, it will start to build a sense of community amongst your fans. 

• Learn more about your audience. Ask the right questions, and you’ll learn a lot more about your follower’s preferences, needs, and pain points – all of which is valuable marketing information. 

How to do it 

• Stay relevant. Remember, your goal is not only to generate comments but also to learn more about your target audience. As such, your questions should remain relevant to your brand in some way. 

• Use a mix of open-ended and specific questions. To get a diverse mix of responses, try using both open-ended (“what’s your dream vacation?”) and specific (“If you could add one feature to our product, what would it be?) questions. Whatever you do, avoid simple ‘yes and no’ answers like the plague. 

• Make it easy. Avoid asking questions that are too complex or require a lot of thought. Your goal is to ask relevant, fun questions that you know your audience will want to respond to. 

Example

2. Poll Your Followers

A twist on the question post is the poll, and it’s equally as effective at generating interaction and comments. 

While polls can help you learn more about your audience, the best are typically lighthearted in nature. 

For instance, asking, “Do you like pineapple on pizza?” is more likely to elicit interaction than serious market research questions (yawn). 

Why it matters

• Builds brand awareness. Polls are extremely popular, and if you make a particularly interesting one, your audience will share it with their friends. This will generate more awareness for your brand, which is a plus. 

• Sparks conversations. Posts that include polls are excellent conversation starters, as your audience will want to justify their choices and debate others in the comments.

• Audience insights. Even if they aren’t super deep, polls will help you gain insights about your core audience. 

How to do it 

• Think of a fun question to ask that has multiple answers. The question you ask needs to have several available answers, and they should vary quite a bit. 

• Create a poll on your platform of choice. Nearly every social platform has the option to create a poll built-in, so you won’t have to worry about coding or using any external software. On Facebook, all you have to do is click Create Post and then select Poll from the list of options. 

Example 

3. “Caption This”

It’s no secret that memes are extremely popular on social media, so a great way to encourage interaction is to get your audience to create their own. 

Upload a strange or goofy photo and ask your followers to add funny captions. 

It’s a simple concept, but it can be endlessly entertaining and is excellent at building brand loyalty (you’re sharing laughs with your audience, which can build a lasting bond). 

Why it matters

• Great use of humor. Creating memes is undeniably fun, so your audience should have a blast coming up with captions for your photo. 

• It grants your audience agency. Instead of simply responding to a question or adding their two cents on a topic, ‘caption this’ posts make your audience the star of the show. Granting your audience this kind of agency will help you gain their loyalty. 

How to do it 

• Find a funny (non-offensive) photo. A ‘caption this’ post is only as strong as its source material, so you should hunt down a photo that’s funny, unique, or cringe in some way. 

• Let your audience’s creativity take over. Once you’ve got the perfect photo, your part is done. Simply ask your audience to caption it, and they’ll be off to the races. 

Example 

4. Go Live

Another great way to boost engagement is to go live, or ‘doing a live’ as Vin Diesel would say. 

Just like polls, most social media platforms enable you to stream live video without having to take any special extra steps. 

Why it matters

• • Audiences prefer live video. Users love this format, as 80% of consumers prefer to watch live videos instead of reading a blog. 

• You can chat with your audience on the fly. Whenever you stream live, DO NOT forget to interact with the live chat. Besides answering their questions, give individual shout-outs to each person interacting with you. 

How to do it 

• Brainstorm a topic to cover. You shouldn’t go live if you don’t have anything to talk about. After all, who wants to watch someone sit and twiddle their thumbs? Instead, pick one of the content topics you’ve researched (like for your blogs) and go from there. 

• Use your preferred platform to stream live video. Once you know your topic, all you have to do is start a live stream on a platform like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok. 

Example

A brand that makes excellent use of TikTok’s live streaming feature is McDonald’s, as they make frequent use of employee livestreams – like workers engaging in ‘fast food battles’ (which is where they try to outperform their co-workers). 

5. AMA (Ask Me Anything)

The AMA format was popularized on Reddit. It’s exactly what it sounds like—people can ask you any question, and you answer it. 

Why it matters 

• Your audience learns more about you. This engagement post is a twist on the ‘ask a question’ post, as your audience gets to learn more about your brand instead of the other way around. 

• It gets your audience thinking about your brand. If they want to ask a question, they’ll have to sit and think about your brand, which is what you want. 

How to do it 

• Create an AMA post. Just because Reddit coined the AMA doesn’t mean that they own exclusive rights to it. Regardless of your preferred social platform, you can create an AMA with ease. 

• Answer every question. Once the questions are in, don’t skip any. Instead, provide a thoughtful response to everyone who has a question. 

Example 

Online influencer and podcaster Steve-O recently did an AMA on Reddit, and the amount of interaction he got was impressive. 

6. Contest or Giveaway

There are two things that everybody loves: winning and free stuff. You can hold a giveaway for prizes, large or small.

It could be a contest, like a photo or video competition, or you could automatically enter users into a giveaway if they like you, follow you, or fill out a form. The important thing is that you clearly publicize the rules.

Why it matters 

• Contests provide incentives for engagement. There are plenty of users who will scroll past AMAs, question posts, and polls without skipping a beat. Their kryptonite? Any post that has an incentive like the possibility to win something free. 

• They position your brand as generous. Do your best to publicize the winners of your contests as much as you can, as that communicates to others that your brand is generous and cares for its customers. 

How to do it 

• Select a prize. Pick a prize (or prizes) that A) won’t blow your budget and B) are desirable enough for your audience to take part in the contest. 

• Decide on the rules. Will your audience compete for something, or is it a random giveaway (like giving the prize to the 1000th person to comment)?

Example

Canva’s Design Challenge is an ongoing example of a branded contest that fosters lots of engagement. 

They challenge graphic designers from around the web to come up with an impressive design (this week’s theme is a process diagram). 

7. Expert Interview

Film a video interview with an expert in a field related to your product. This is more interesting and authoritative to users than simply promoting your products.

Why it matters

• Audiences prefer video. We’ve already gone over how users prefer video to blogs, which is why you should film your experts instead of having them write a guest post. 

• Adds credibility to your brand. One of the best things you can do to build brand loyalty is to educate your audience, and expert interviews do just that. 

How to do it 

• Find an industry expert. It could be someone you know in the field, or they could be directly employed at your company. 

• Shoot a brief yet informative video. Without going too in-depth (as that’ll bore your audience), have the expert give a brief rundown on a topic relevant to your industry. 

Example 

In this example, a finance expert reviews BBC’s Industry to comment on the show’s accuracy (i.e., how well it depicts the financial world). 

8. Customer of the Week

Reward your fans by putting them in the spotlight. Feature a customer each week or month with a photo and a brief Q&A or story about how they use your product.

Why it matters

• Shows you care about your audience. The most loyal customers are ones who truly feel valued by their preferred brands, and choosing a customer of the week is one of the best ways to show how much you appreciate your audience. 

• Builds brand ambassadors. The customers you feature will likely become loyal brand ambassadors, meaning they’ll recommend your products and services to their friends and family. 

How to do it 

• Find your most loyal customers. An easy way to go about this is to look at the customers who frequently post about your products. 

• Reach out to them. Send your prospect an email and inform them that you’d like to include them as your customer of the week. Request a photo and a brief bio to include. 

Example 

9. Share a Review

If you’re getting good online reviews from customers, promote them on your social media.

But make sure you’re engaging with your audience. Thank the person who left the review and everyone else who’s taken the time to do so. You can also ask your followers to join the conversation.

Why it matters 

• It provides social proof for your brand. Positive reviews communicate to your prospects that your brand is high-quality and worth their time and money. 

How to do it 

• Gather reviews online. If you don’t have any reviews on your Google Business Profile, check third-party sites like Yelp, Angi, and Better Business Bureau (BBB). 

• Post them on your social channels. Create engagement posts highlighting positive reviews for your followers to see. 

Example 

10. Introduce The Team

Your followers like to know that your organization is made up of real, relatable people. In a post, feature your team or an individual team member.

Why it matters

• Humanize your brand. Without the occasional staff profile, your audience will have no way to associate a face with the name – so to speak. 

• Provide insight into your working environment. Besides getting to know the staff member, your audience will also get to peer into your work environment. 

How to do it 

• Select a member of your team to profile. Make sure the person you choose is comfortable with sharing their information online. 

• Take plenty of pictures and videos. Static interviews are boring, so include visuals like images and videos of your office. 

Example 

11. Ask For Recommendations

You know how your friends are always recommending new movies and TV shows to try out?

Well, you can mimic that dynamic on social media by asking your audience to recommend their favorite books, movies, TV shows, music, and more. 

Why it matters 

• Build rapport with your audience. By asking your audience for recommendations, you’re showing that you care about what they think. Also, do your best to respond to recommendations that you find interesting.

How to do it 

• Create a post asking your audience for their recommendations. This one’s pretty straightforward, as all you need to do is create a standard post and ask your followers for their favorite media (or whatever else you’re asking about). 

Example 

12. Offer a Social-Only Deal

Who doesn’t like a good deal? Promote a special offer that shoppers can only take advantage of if they like, follow, or comment on social media.

Why it matters 

• Expand your reach. There are some users that simply can’t resist a deal which will help you expand your reach to new prospects. 

• Engagement is guaranteed. Your followers will only receive the deal if they interact with your brand in some way, so you’re guaranteed to see more likes, follows, and comments. 

How to do it 

• Choose a special offer. First, you need to determine what type of deal you’ll offer your audience. It should be enticing enough to elicit interaction while not draining your budget (or affecting your profit margins). 

• Inform your followers of the special deal. Besides informing your followers that the deal is active, don’t forget to include detailed instructions on what they have to do to receive it (such as tagging a friend or commenting something specific). 

Example 

13. Share Something (Mildly) Controversial

We’re not recommending that you wade into the realm of political debates. You can stir up a little controversy while keeping it lighthearted and fun.

A funny “unpopular opinion” post is sure to get people talking, even if it’s about something trivial — like how winter is the best season.

Why it matters 

• Catch your audience’s attention. With a slightly controversial take, you’re more likely to raise some eyebrows and get people to stop endlessly scrolling. 

• Foster a lively debate. Another perk is that you can spark a lively conversation in the comments, as your followers will be eager to state their side (and why it’s right). 

How to do it 

• Select a hot take that’s not too hot. Keep things light-hearted but don’t shy away from truly controversial topics (as long as they aren’t too political). 

• Encourage your followers to take it from there. Once you’ve introduced the topic, your job is done. All you have to do now is monitor the discussion and add your two cents wherever necessary. 

Example 

Ben & Jerry’s are notorious for their stance on sustainable and organic food solutions, which is a controversial take – but also made their brand famous since they don’t skimp on quality and refuse to use artificial ingredients. 

14. Post a challenge

Do you remember the viral ALS ice bucket challenge of yesteryear? There are new challenges trending on social media every day, and they present engagement opportunities for your brand. 

Why it matters

• Challenges attract a lot of attention. Social media challenges blow up all the time, such as the infamous ALS ice bucket challenge. You never know when the next challenge you participate in will take off – so stay vigilant. 

How to do it 

• Monitor social media trends. Trends and challenges pop up all the time, and keeping up with them can feel next to impossible. Luckily, there are online resources like Slaying Social that keep up with the trends for you. 

Example

Chipotle makes excellent use of social media challenges, and they’re coming up with new ones all the time. 

A notable example was the Lid Flip Challenge featuring YouTube influencer David Dobrik. 

15. Post valuable content 

If you truly want to build an audience that sticks by your brand, you need to regularly publish content that informs, educates, entertains, and solves problems. 

Why it matters

• Builds trust. Your audience will appreciate that you always solve their problems, so your brand will be the first place they look whenever they experience a new issue. 

• Keeps followers coming back. Remaining consistent with your content efforts will keep your readers coming back for more. 

How to Do It

• Learn your audience’s pain points and interests.You should always be monitoring your audience’s social discussions to learn more about their wants, needs, and pain points. 
• Share industry insights, tips, and tutorials. The more accurate and informative your content is, the better. 

Example

16. Post timely content 

Don’t shy away from posting about time-sensitive events like new store openings, concerts, and notable news stories. 

The content may not be evergreen, but you’ll capitalize on viral news stories and generate more traffic. 

Why it matters 

• Boosts visibility. You’ll improve visibility for audience members searching for time-sensitive events. 

• The ability to participate in broader conversations. The world is a fast-moving place with tons going on at once, so posting timely content will enable you to participate in broader conversations. 

How to do it

• Hashtags. Follow trending hashtags and news relevant to your industry.
• Content based on trends. Create quick, reactive content (memes, image posts) related to trends.
• Consider holidays. Plan ahead for holidays and major events.

Example

17. Post high-quality photos 

The quality of your photos is extremely important, especially if you want to boost engagement. 

You should only use visually appealing images that are perfectly composed, feature impeccable lighting, and pertain to the topic at hand. 

Why it matters

• Catches the eye. Above all else, you want your followers to stop scrolling and pay attention to your content, and high-quality photos are great for that. 

• Boosts professionalism. Your audience will correlate the quality of your images with your brand (whether they realize it or not), which is why immaculate images are a must. 

How to do it

• Invest in good photography equipment or work with a photographer.  Original images will have more impact than stock photos, so look for a reputable photographer. 
• Use photo editing apps to adjust brightness, colors, etc. Taking a solid photo is only half the equation, as you’ll want to edit it to perfection. 

Example 

Final Thoughts 

These tips are your roadmap to creating social media content that truly connects with your audience. 

But let’s be honest – social media is just one piece of the puzzle. 

There’s SEO, paid advertising, content creation…a complete digital marketing strategy demands a lot!

Imagine having more time, resources, and expert guidance to amplify your digital marketing results across the board. Let us take those worries off your plate and simplify your SEO success.  

Schedule a call with a HOTH marketing expert today, and let’s revolutionize your social media presence! 

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You should know that content remains a pivotal marketing channel in 2024, with 73% of B2B marketers and 70% of B2C marketers using content marketing as part of their overall strategy.  

As Insider Intelligence notes, a content strategy is ‘table stakes’ for any business wanting to compete in the digital age. 

That’s because content is integral for building brand awareness, connecting with audiences, and generating consistent leads.

However, random content creation won’t cut it (we’re looking at you, ChatGPT addicts). 

A successful content strategy takes clear goals, an in-depth understanding of your core audience, keyword research, and high-quality content containing original insights (translation: written by humans). 

Additionally, you need to understand what content formats resonate best with your audience – like short-form videos, in-depth blog posts, or something else entirely. 

For instance, some audiences will prefer short-form videos on TikTok (younger audiences), while others prefer in-depth blog posts (B2B clients). 

With a thought-out content strategy and editorial calendar, nothing will stand in your way from achieving your SEO goals. 

Ready to build a winning content strategy in 2024? Stick around to learn how! 

What is a digital content strategy?

A content strategy is a type of marketing plan where you create digital content to A) provide value to your target audience, and B) achieve your business goals.

In particular, businesses use content to boost their online visibility via search engine optimization (SEO), build brand awareness with target audiences, and generate leads & conversions.

It encompasses all organic digital marketing channels, like social media, SEO, blogging, video marketing, podcasts, and more.

The types of content used in these strategies include:

• Blog posts
• Podcasts
• eBooks
• Whitepapers
• Infographics
• Social media posts
• Video content 
• Webinars

Content creation is a form of inbound marketing, meaning you attract customers to you instead of pursuing them through disruptive ad placements (like interrupting a user’s experience on YouTube with an ad).

An example would be attracting leads to your website by answering common questions they have through your blog posts. 

The thinking is that whenever a prospect asks a search engine like Google one of these questions, they’ll come across one of your blog posts.

Another example would be converting prospects with in-depth video content and blog posts that link to your product pages via CTAs (calls to action). 

Whatever type of content you use, the idea remains the same – to grow your business and enhance your reputation by consistently creating great content that appeals to your target audience. 

Why Bother With A Formal Digital Content Strategy? 

We’ll clue you in on an insider secret: a content strategy isn’t just about creating content. 

Instead, it’s about creating the right type of content that your audience craves and aligns with your business goals. 

For example, you could write a blog post that A) answers a question the user has been searching for and B) directs them toward one of your products that will solve their problem forever. 

Content creation is also powerful because it’s a reliable and cost-effective way to consistently generate organic traffic to your website. If your landing pages are optimized for conversions, you’ll boost your sales and lead generation efforts along the way. 

However, you need to stay organized, or the whole thing will fall apart. 

Here’s a look at the benefits of taking the time to form an in-depth digital content strategy. 

Benefit #1: Clarity & Focus

• It eliminates guesswork: A strategy outlines your audience, goals, and what content will help you achieve those goals.
• A strong strategy aligns the team: Everyone knows what needs to be done and why, promoting efficiency and collaboration.

Benefit #2:  Improved Results & ROI

• Targeted content: Your efforts will place your content in front of the right people at the right time, increasing the likelihood of conversions.
• Data-driven decisions: With tracking and analysis built into your strategy, you’ll optimize what works and cut what doesn’t, maximizing your ROI.

Benefit #3:  Building Brand Authority

• Consistency builds trust: A cohesive brand voice and high-quality content position you as a knowledgeable and reliable authority figure in your field. Consistent efforts will help you achieve the coveted and much sought-after thought leader status. 
• Thought leadership: Become a go-to source of information in your industry. Thought leadership blogs are relatively inexpensive to produce, and they can yield impressive results. In fact, 55% of brands gain new clients thanks to their blogging efforts, and marketers that prioritize blogging see a 13x higher ROI than those who do not. 

Benefit #4:  Increased Efficiency & Consistency

• Content calendars save time: With a detailed content calendar, you won’t be scrambling at the last minute to come up with posts.
• Repurposing power: A single strong piece of content can be adapted into multiple formats like infographics, blogs, and videos.

Benefit #5:  Competitive Advantage

• Stand out from the noise: A well-executed strategy helps you outshine competitors who are simply winging it (the chances are there are many).
• Adaptability: Your strategy allows you to respond to industry shifts and pivot when needed.

How to Develop a Digital Content Strategy in 10 Steps 

Consistently knocking it out of the park with outstanding content for your audience is definitely easier said than done. 

That’s why you need to know the core components of a winning content strategy. 

Whether you’re sitting on a vast content library or are about to sit down to write your first blog, these 10 steps will teach you how to develop a content strategy from scratch. 

#1: Audit your existing content 

Before you do anything, you need to know where you stand SEO-wise, which means auditing the content you’ve already published to ensure it’s properly optimized. 

This step won’t apply if you don’t have existing content on your website. However, it will apply once you’ve accrued a library of content, as regular audits are necessary for a healthy SEO profile. 

Here’s what a thorough content audit entails:

• Understand your audience’s preferences. Diving into your analytics will help you realize which types of content receive the most engagement and shares. Take notes on what your audience finds valuable and aim to produce similar types of content in the future. 

• Identify outdated content. If some of your content is no longer accurate or relevant, it will only hurt your user experience and credibility. Create a list of aging content that needs updating to become relevant again. 

• Find content gaps. Do you have a well-rounded content library that touches on all aspects of your business, or are you oversaturating one topic?

• Keyword optimization. During the content audit, pay attention to the target keywords (if any) for each post. If your older posts aren’t specifically targeting relevant keywords, edit them so that they do. 

• Goal alignment. A content audit will also let you know if the content you’re currently producing is inching you closer to your current goals or not. 

To summarize, a content audit bolsters your overall content strategy by discovering what works, removing what doesn’t, and making sure all your content pieces work together as a cohesive whole. 

#2: Clearly define your content goals 

A winning digital content strategy begins with a crystal-clear understanding of what you want to achieve for your business. Don’t fall into the trap of vague goals.

Here’s an example of a poorly defined goal:

To achieve higher SERP rankings and generate more revenue. 

This goal is far too scarce on essential details like a timeframe and specific targets to hit. 

Here’s a better version of the same goal:

To rank in the top 5 for our target keyword and increase revenue by 2x in 14 months. 

By now, the goal has some specifics you can sink your teeth into when developing the rest of your strategy. You know that you want to rank within the top 5 and see a twofold increase in revenue, and you’re giving yourself 14 months to make it happen. 

Not only will this better inform your overall content strategy, but it will also give you clear metrics to measure your success. 

#3: Develop a customer avatar 

Next, you need to get inside the heads of your target audience to better understand how they behave as consumers. 

How do you do that?

The best way is to create a detailed customer avatar (aka buyer persona), which is a consumer profile representing one of your typical audience members.

Your customer avatar needs the following:

• A Name 
• Age 
• Occupation 
• Interests
• Hobbies
• Consumer habits
• Pain points 

Feel free to get as detailed as you want with your avatar, as you can even include a picture if that helps you. The purpose of a customer avatar is to understand what your potential customers want and how they think. 

That will make it far easier to develop relevant content ideas that will appeal to them, which will help you achieve your content goals. 

Creating a customer avatar requires lots of research. In particular, you need to read and analyze:

• Customer interviews. Sit down and talk with your customers to peer inside their minds. What makes them get up in the morning? Are there any specific things that attracted them to your brand? 

• Surveys. Customer surveys are another great way to get in touch with your audience, specifically about the things they like/don’t like.

• Product reviews. What do past customers have to say about your products and services? Looking up third-party reviews is an effective way to learn more about your target audience. 

#4: Assemble a content creation team 

How do you plan on creating all the content you need for your strategy?

This is a question you need to ask yourself before you go any further with your content plans. 

You’ll need to decide how much content you’ll create by yourself (if any), how much your in-house team will handle (if you have one), and how much you’ll outsource to freelancers/automate with AI. 

If you plan on tackling some of the content yourself, do a ‘test run’ to see if it’s realistically feasible with your schedule (content creation is notoriously time-consuming, so beware). 

If not, consider services like iWriter and UpWork, as they’re excellent resources for finding freelance content creators – including writers, editors, graphic designers, web developers, and more.

You may also need to hire videographers and video editors for your video content, or you can choose to film it in-house. It’s crucial to work out the logistics of your videos before shooting to determine if you need elaborate production or if winging it with an iPhone and Windows Movie Maker can work. 

Publishing content can also be a challenge if you don’t have experience. If you don’t know how to upload content to a CMS (content management system) like WordPress, you’ll need to hire a freelancer to handle that for you as well. 

#5: Gather the necessary tools and resources

A well-planned digital content strategy isn’t just about the content itself; it’s about having the right tools to streamline the process. 

Here’s a look at what you’ll need at each step of the way:

#6: Conduct SEO keyword research

Once you’ve got your team and tools in place, it’s time to start conducting keyword research – not only for SEO purposes but also to guide your content strategy in the right direction.

Keywords or search queries are what your target audience types into search engines to find information about products and services related to what you do. 

By uncovering and targeting these keywords, you’ll not only appeal to search engines, but you’ll also better understand the types of content your target audience is looking for the most. 

It always helps to consider an example, so let’s say you sell gardening tools online. 

After doing a little digging using our free keyword planner tool, you land upon the long-tail keyword ‘how to prune roses.’

It has a high search volume and an upward trend, which means ranking for it will benefit your SEO profile. In addition, the keyword provides a hint at which type of content you should produce for it. 

Since it’s clear that lots of people want to learn how to prune roses (and the keyword has informational intent notated by the blue lowercase ‘i’), developing a how-to guide or tutorial in either video or blog format is the way to go. 

Ideally, your piece of content will begin to attract organic visitors eager to learn how to prune their garden roses properly. With a well-placed CTA or lead magnet, this helpful how-to guide will start generating sales & leads for your business. 

That’s a brief and idealistic breakdown of keyword research, but the principle is there. You need to identify trending keywords in your niche to create content for, and our free tool can help with that.

#7: Brainstorm content ideas for your keywords 

Once you have at least two to three keywords to target per piece of content, you can start brainstorming ideas for them. 

Pay attention to the intent behind the keyword, as that will provide clues to what type of content you should create. Is it informational? Then, you should consider blog posts, guides, and how-to posts. If it’s commercial, product reviews and free demos are the way to go. 

Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what to produce, but you should base your decisions on your research. 

Let’s say you own a gardening accessories store and want to promote your gardening hoes. 

A quick look at our free keyword planner might initially discourage you – the term “how to use a garden hoe” seems to be on a downward trend. 

However, a gem emerges: “hoe garden tool” has a much better trend. Also, this has commercial intent – as signified by the tiny skyscraper next to it

This means the user is actively comparing gardening tools, which gives you the chance to land a conversion if your content is convincing enough. 

Content ideas:

Blog: A blog post like “The Top 10 Hoe Garden Tools You Must Try” is perfect for this keyword.  Review a mix of popular tools, including your own. Call-out boxes and a compelling CTA naturally promote your product.

Video demo: Consider a short video demonstrating the effectiveness and unique features of your gardening tool. Share it on YouTube and social platforms where how-to searches are common.

Infographic: Create a visually appealing infographic comparing different garden hoe types (draw hoe, scuffle hoe, etc.). Include the pros, cons, and best uses of each, all while subtly highlighting your own product’s strengths.

Key takeaway: Let trending keywords guide your content types. Pay close attention to the search intent behind the terms to ensure your content meets the searcher’s needs.

Other things to consider: 

Audience: Factor in your target audience’s age, online habits, and preferred platforms.  Younger audiences might respond best to short, engaging videos on TikTok as opposed to blog posts on LinkedIn (which are better for B2B decision-makers).

Goals: Are you aiming for brand awareness, product education, or direct sales? This influences content type.

Repurposing: Can a single piece of core content (like a blog post) be adapted into social posts, a short video, or an infographic?

Experiment: Don’t be afraid to try different formats. Tracking engagement helps you refine your choices over time.

#8: Create a content roadmap 

By now, you should have a list of relevant keywords and content ideas to go along with them. 

Yet, you still need to map out your path to victory via a content roadmap.

A content roadmap is a detailed, visual timeline that outlines your planned content initiatives.

It’s a centralized, ‘living’ document that guides your content strategy, not just a list of topics you want to cover.

 A content roadmap is usually a spreadsheet that includes the following:

• Content titles and topics
• Target keywords
• Content formats (blog posts, videos, social media, etc.)
• Publication dates or deadlines
• Responsible team members
• Distribution channels (blog, social media, email, etc.)
• Metrics and KPIs to track success

Why is a content roadmap important?

Alignment: A content map ensures that every piece you produce supports your overall business goals. It keeps everyone on your team working towards the same objectives, which is a plus. 

Organization: Content maps reduce chaos, which most organizations have an abundance of already. It also provides structure for content planning, assigning tasks, and staying on schedule.

Accountability: The map clarifies ownership of each content piece and its deadlines.

Adaptability: While a roadmap provides a plan, it also allows for flexibility as you track results and make adjustments based on audience engagement.

Long-term vision: A content roadmap helps you see the big picture and spot gaps or overlaps in your content calendar.

You should aim for a mix of evergreen and timely topics to achieve the best of both worlds. While your evergreen pieces continue to put in work for you, your timely pieces will ensure you capitalize on massive spikes of traffic that occur from reporting on buzzing topics. 

If you focus entirely on producing evergreen content, you’ll miss out on these traffic spikes – which can mean missing out on potential revenue and boosted brand awareness. 

When forming your release schedule, ensure that you’re blogging at least 2 – 4 times a week to see the best results. 

You should also factor in niche holidays that matter to your target audience, as publishing content around these events can help you generate more traffic and build a loyal following.

Want to learn more about content roadmaps? Check out our comprehensive guide to content mapping now. 

#9: Create and publish content 

Now that all the prep work is done (yeah, it’s a lot), you can finally start creating and publishing your own content. 

Along the way, keep an eye on your project management tools to ensure everything is going smoothly. 

Make sure that your content creation team knows when each piece is due to keep things running smoothly. Also, do your best to provide them with supplementary information like outlines, style guides, and detailed instructions. 

#10: Analyze data & monitor progress

While content marketing and SEO take time to start gaining traction, you should keep an eye on essential metrics and key performance indicators as soon as possible. 

That means checking Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor your SERP rankings, organic traffic, and conversion rates. 

If you don’t see the results you want within a few months, it’s a sign that you need to go back to the drawing board and try something else.

Common Digital Content Strategy Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Quantity over Quality

Some site owners are too eager to fill up their websites with lots of content, causing them to go for quantity over quality. 

However, this is a mistake because thin, poorly thought-out content dilutes brand messaging, fails to engage readers, and hurts search rankings.

Patience is a virtue here, so focus on creating fewer, higher-quality pieces instead of going ham with AI-generated content. 

Mistake #2: Neglecting SEO

Creating content isn’t just about providing value to your target audience (although that should be goal #1). Search engine optimization exists for a reason, so you don’t want to neglect SEO’s role in the process. 

That means you must dive into thorough keyword research, utilize a proper site structure, and build high-value links from trusted websites. 

Mistake #3: Ignoring your audience 

You should never create a piece of content on a whim because it’s what you think your audience wants. Even if you’re extremely familiar with your audience, every piece of content requires in-depth research to ensure it’s viable. 

Otherwise, you risk lowering your engagement, missing opportunities for lead generation, and forming a disconnect between your brand and its potential customers. 

Mistake #4: Not creating content for every stage of the sales funnel

Content plays a crucial role at each step of the buyer’s journey, so you shouldn’t limit your focus to only one stage of your sales funnel. 

Why is that?

It’s because only focusing on one stage will cause you to miss out on potential leads and conversions. 

For instance, some businesses only create content for prospects at the bottom of the funnel (BOFU), which is content that aims to convert. While scoring conversions is always great, this technique fails to cater to prospects who aren’t ready to make an immediate purchase. 

That’s why you need to produce content for each stage of your sales funnel. Here’s a quick breakdown of what that looks like:

TOFU (top-of-the-funnel): At this stage, the prospect is looking for information, usually to educate themselves by answering a question. Content types include informative blogs, videos, and infographics. 

MOFU (middle-of-the-funnel): By now, the prospect wants to learn more about your products and services. Content types for this stage include product videos, nurturing emails, eBooks, and webinars. 

BOFU (bottom-of-the-funnel): This is where the prospect is ready to make a purchase; you just have to convince them that you’re the best. BOFU content includes glowing reviews & testimonials, product demo videos, and blog posts that link to product pages.

Understanding the distinct needs of potential customers at each stage will ensure you reach all your prospects, not just the ones looking for information or making a purchase.

Putting Together a Digital Content Strategy That Works for You

That’s what it takes to develop a successful digital content strategy for any business.

As long as you base all your decisions on informed research, develop a content roadmap, and monitor your progress, you shouldn’t have trouble getting a winning content strategy off the ground.

Ready to take your content to the next level?

Let the experts at The HOTH do the heavy lifting. Our managed content services deliver a data-driven content strategy, granting you the freedom to focus on growing your business.

Then look no further than our managed content services at The HOTH. Our team of digital marketing & SEO gurus will provide a winning digital content strategy for you so you can focus on running your business. 

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Our guess is never. 

That’s because a typical purchasing experience is much more complex than ‘see the product, buy the product.’

Instead, there are levels to this, which is why you need to use content mapping. 

In particular, those levels comprise your buyer’s journey and the different stages of your sales funnel – and content mapping is how you present the right c

In particular, there are levels to your buyer’s journey and sales funnel. 

For example, the levels of a typical customer’s journey look something like this:

1. Research products and services using a search engine like Google (this is the first step for 89% of customers online). 
2. Compare a few different providers to determine who has the highest quality, most affordable offering. 
3. Make an ultimate decision and make a purchase. 

These correspond directly with the levels of your sales funnel:

1. Awareness. The prospect becomes aware of your brand. 
2. Consideration. They begin researching your products and services. 
3. Decision. They decide to purchase something from you. 

A content map helps you develop the right type of content for each level since each stage has different content needs. 

During the awareness stage, prospects are looking for informative and educational content. Once you have their interest, then you move on to content like buyer’s guides, testimonials, and reviews to convince them to buy something. 

Stay tuned to learn how you can develop a detailed content map to ensure you always deliver the perfect content at the right time for your audience (making you appear like a mind reader in the process).  

What Is Content Mapping? 

A content map aligns your brand’s content with a typical customer’s buying journey. 

It’s a literal blueprint that visualizes:

• The specific people you’re trying to reach (their interests, desires, pain points, etc.).
• The stage of the sales funnel they’re in (awareness, consideration, decision).
• The kind of content that best resonates with your audience at each stage of their journey (blog posts, videos, infographics, etc). 
• The end goal of each piece of content (to educate, generate leads, drive sales, etc.).

Why Bother with Content Mapping?

If you’ve put in the SEO work and your web pages are ranking well, you may not feel the need to bother creating a content map. 

After all, if it’s not broken, why fix it?

However, you need to ask yourself a very important question:

Are my search rankings translating into the results I want for my business?

#1 search rankings are great, but if your conversion rates, bounce rates, and dwell times are less than stellar, you’re doing something wrong. 

For example, if you’re ranking in the #1 spot for crucial ‘money’ keywords (keywords that drive purchases), but you still have low conversion rates – that’s a telltale sign that your content is failing you. 

With the lack of a content map, you may create content that doesn’t fully satisfy your visitor’s search intent (the reason they clicked on the page in the first place). 

If a visitor wants to learn more about your brand but gets directed to a hard-sell product page straight off the bat, they may get turned off and click back to the search results. 

That’s why content mapping and SEO go hand-in-hand. 

A content map maximizes your SEO investment by ensuring you’re delivering the right content to satisfy search intent. This means more conversions, happy visitors, and a stronger brand reputation.

If you’re ready to see your SEO efforts pay off, let’s explore how a content map will transform your customer experience.

How to Create a Content Map

Just as a pirate’s treasure map leads to treasure, your content map leads you to more online revenue. 

However, you need to know how to create a quality content map for it to work. Otherwise, it will lead you to a pile of coal instead of a pot of gold. 

To create a content map, you need to understand your target audience, which brings us to the first step.

Step #1: Build buyer personas

A buyer persona (also called a customer avatar) is a fictional representative of a member of your target audience. It’s a tool for familiarizing yourself with your target audience by outlining their key characteristics, challenges, and motivations.

Personas help you tailor your content to truly resonate with your audience’s needs, desires, pain points, and interests. 

When done correctly, this leads to more engagement and better results from your content strategy.

Let’s work together and create a buyer persona from scratch. 

We’ll say that your fictional company is Acme Solutions, a software company specializing in human resources management software.  

Demographics

Start with the basics like: 

• Name: Overworked Olivia  
• Age range: 32 – 45 
• Gender (if applicable to your product/service): Female
• Location (general region or even specific cities): Suburban/urban areas 
• Job title/Industry: HR hiring manager  
• Income level/Budget: Willing to make a modest investment to improve productivity and time management 
• Education level: College graduate 
• Hobbies: Reading novels, gardening 

Pain points 

What problems does your ideal customer experience that your product or service can solve? Be as specific as possible.

As an example for Overworked Olivia, many recruiting specialists struggle with finding enough time to review all the resumes they receive for open positions. The average open job position receives hundreds of applications, which provides a daunting amount of work for hiring managers. 

If you were selling automated applicant tracking software, you’ve got the perfect solution to her problem, so you should create content based around that pain point. 

You could draw her in with a blog piece like ‘How to Easily Manage Hundreds of Applications’ where you show off the automated features of your applicant tracking system. 

That’s one simple example of how you can use your audience’s problems and pain points to market your products and services. 

Goals 

What is your ideal customer hoping to achieve? What are their aspirations, both personally and professionally? How does this align with what you offer?

It could be that your target audience wants to learn a new skill to take their career to the next level, and you sell a product that teaches them that skill. 

For Overworked Olivia, she wants to increase productivity and improve her time management. She also wants to gain better visibility into ongoing projects and her current workload. 

If you’re able to align your product/service offerings with your audience’s goals, you’ll have an easy time convincing them to make a purchase. 

Motivations

What truly drives their decisions? Is it a desire for status, security, convenience, or something else? Understanding motivations helps you craft more persuasive messaging.

This goes a bit deeper than appealing to your audience’s goals. 

In particular, someone’s goals are usually driven by their motivations. For instance, if your prospects goal is to advance their career, their motivations are likely to achieve higher status and more security – which you can play to with your content. 

Overworked Olivia, as her nickname implies, is overworked and highly stressed. She’s motivated by a desire to free up more of her time and de-stress during the workday. 

Online behavior

To really understand your ideal customer, you can also peer inside your customer’s minds by frequenting their favorite online haunts. Think: 

Social media platforms: Your audience’s preferred social media platforms influence your content’s format, tone, and promotion. LinkedIn = professional tone. Instagram/TikTok = informal and fun. 

Websites and blogs: These let you know the type of content your audience regularly consumes online, so take notes.

Search terms: Specific keywords have the power to uncover your audience’s search intent and the problems they need solutions to. 

If you don’t have that kind of data yet, then now is the time to get cracking and start talking to your customers. 

For Overworked Olivia, she searches Google for phrases like ‘best HR software for saving time.’ She also reads HR industry blogs and follows relevant social media influencers. She subscribes to an HR newsletter for business tips, and she prefers blog posts and short explainer videos. 

Tips for creating buyer personas 

Here are some pro tips for creating buyer personas from scratch:

Don’t rely on guesswork. Conduct interviews with existing customers, analyze your sales data, and use website analytics tools to gather hard insights into your audience’s behavior.

Interview real customers. Nothing beats direct conversations for understanding motivations and pain points.

Give your personas names and personalities. This makes them more relatable and will help you remember key details about their motivations/desires/pain points (e.g., “Data-Driven Dave” or “Ambitious Anna”).

Create 3-5 personas to represent the main segments of your target audience. Instead of treating customer personas as a ‘one-and-done’ deal, you should create multiple personas for each segment of your target audience. If your products and services appeal to multiple demographics, then each one needs a buyer persona. 

Regularly revisit your personas and update them as your business and customer base evolve. Tastes and needs change with time, so your personas will grow stagnant over time. Regularly revisit and update your buyer personas to ensure they stay fresh and relevant. 

Step #2: Understand your buyer’s journey 

Next, it’s time to map out the unique buyer’s journey for each one of your personas.

The buyer’s journey consists of three main stages: Awareness, Consideration, and Decision.

For this section, we’ll preview each stage of the buyer’s journey to ‘Overworked Olivia,’ our fictional buyer persona. 

She’s an HR professional who has far too many responsibilities and tasks to keep track of during the day. As a result, she’s teetering on burnout and seriously needs a productivity solution to stay organized and take some of the work off her hands. 

Your fictional software company has the perfect solution: a comprehensive human capital management (HCM) system that automates repetitive tasks and stores all employee records in one location. 

Here’s how you can map out content for Olivia during each stage of her buyer’s journey:

1. Awareness stage

At this stage, the buyer has become aware that they have a problem or a need. They may not have a clear definition of it yet, but they’re beginning to experience some pain points or are seeking to improve something (i.e., their mental health, physical fitness, career advancement, etc).

In the case of Overworked Olivia, she’s feeling overwhelmed and knows she needs a change, but she’s not yet aware of the specific solutions available. 

Content focus: Aim for educational and thought-leadership content that helps the prospect understand their problem and positions you as an insightful resource.

Awareness stage content should focus on informing and educating your audience above all else. Avoid hard-sell tactics at this stage, as your primary goal is to position your brand as a helpful resource that will answer their questions and provide solutions to problems. 

In addition to providing answers and solutions, awareness stage content can also help define a problem your target audience wasn’t yet aware they had – like that Olivia is feeling burned out due to the lack of HCM software. 

So, we want to let Overworked Olivia know that A) she has a problem and B) that we can solve it. 

Here are some content ideas:

• Blog post: ‘How Stressed-Out HR Managers Can Boost Productivity’
• Infographic: ‘5 Signs Your Business Needs HCM Software’ 
• Social media posts: Short posts providing tips on how to automate tasks using HCM features

2. Consideration stage

The buyer has now defined their problem and is actively seeking solutions. They’re busy comparing options, weighing pros and cons, and looking for anything that will help them make the most informed decision.

Olivia is now aware that HCM software will make her life a lot easier. She’s actively researching software tools, and she’s comparing features and pricing. 

Content focus: Provide content highlighting your product/service as a solution, demonstrating its benefits, and addressing common objections. Formats like comparison guides, case studies, testimonial videos, and demos are valuable here.

At this stage, your goal is to convince your audience that your brand stands tall above the competition. That means providing plenty of social proof via case studies and testimonials to show off your past successes. 

For Olivia, we want to convince her that our HCM software is the no-brainer choice for her specific needs. 

Here are some content ideas:

• Case studies: Success stories from HR professionals who used your software 
• Webinars: In-depth demonstrations of what your software can do (and comparisons to competitors) 
• Product reviews/testimonials: Highlight positive reviews and testimonials from past customers vouching for the quality of your product. 

3. Decision stage

The buyer has nearly made up their mind and is ready to commit to a particular solution/vendor. They’re likely conducting a few final comparisons of their top options, and it’s up to the strength of your decision stage content to ensure your brand comes out on top. 

Overworked Olivia is just about ready to commit to your software, but she has a few lingering doubts. As a result, she’s doing some final searches to compare the price, value, and learning curve of your product compared to her second most-liked option. 

Content focus: Content for decision-stage buyers could offer free trials, personalized pricing consultations, testimonials, and any further information that reassures them of their choice. Also, hit potential customers with strong product pages containing your highest converting CTAs (calls to action).

Here are some content ideas for Olivia:

• Free trials or product demos: Give Olivia hands-on experience with your tool to put her mind at ease regarding the learning curve. 
• Pricing guides: A pricing guide provides Olivia with different pricing plans that cater to her budget needs. 
• Dedicated consultations: A consultation gives Olivia the chance to ask any lingering questions she has about the product. 

Bonus: Delight stage 

Some models expand the buyer’s journey to include post-purchase stages focused on customer retention and advocacy.

After all, it would be a shame to convert a prospect only to lose their repeat business down the line. 

By ‘delighting’ your customers with additional content and support, you’re showing that you value their business – and that you’ll do whatever you can to provide helpful resources. 

At this point, Olivia has decided to implement your software. Now, the challenge becomes ensuring she gets maximum value out of your program and becomes a lifelong customer and brand advocate. 

Content focus: Onboarding materials, knowledge bases, exclusive content, and community-building initiatives help keep customers engaged and successful, turning them into advocates for your brand.

Here are some delight stage content ideas for Overworked Olivia:

• Onboarding tutorials: Easy-to-follow setup guides and tutorials for using your software. 
• Knowledge base articles: Olivia can reference these if she runs into an issue or doesn’t know how to access a certain feature. 
• Community forums: If Olivia runs into a particularly perplexing problem, she can ask some of the user experts on your community forums for assistance. 

Step #3: Conduct a content audit

Before you start pumping out new content, you’ve got to know what you already have. A content audit helps you identify gaps, repurpose existing assets, and streamline your content strategy. Here’s how to knock one out:

Step 1: Gather your inventory

Create a content master list: Use a spreadsheet or a content management tool to compile a comprehensive list of ALL your existing content. Include:

Blog posts

Website pages (landing pages, product pages, etc.)

Videos (webinars, explainer videos, etc.)

Social media posts (if they contain substantial content)

Ebooks, whitepapers, reports

  Slide decks

Any other content formats you use

Step 2: Analyze and categorize

For each content piece, record the following:

Topic: What is the main subject matter?

Content format: Text, video, infographic, podcast, etc.

Buyer’s journey stage: Which stage does it primarily address (awareness, consideration, decision)?

Additional notes: You might add columns for publication date, keywords, performance metrics like page views and social engagement (if available), and any additional relevant observations.

Why does a content audit matter?

This sounds like a lot of work—and it is—but it’s worth it. So, dig in and be as thorough as possible. The more complete your inventory, the better insights you’ll gain from it.

Also, don’t be afraid to prune the hedges. 

If any of your content is outdated or irrelevant, don’t hesitate to mark it as a candidate for removal or optimization.

Once the content audit is complete, you’ll have a crystal clear picture of what you have, what’s working well, and where your strategy might have gaps. 

This sets you up perfectly for the next step: identifying new content opportunities.

Step #4: Identify content gaps and opportunities

Now that you’ve audited your content, it’s time to pinpoint areas for improvement and expansion. 

In particular, you need to keep an eye out for:

• Gaps in the buyer’s journey 
• Topics you haven’t covered yet 
• Existing content that needs updating 

Gaps in the buyer’s journey

Analyze your content audit. 

Do you have sufficient content for each stage of the buyer’s journey (awareness, consideration, decision)? 

If not, those are immediate content gaps, and they aren’t good. They could cause prospects to fall out of your sales funnel, so you should avoid them. 

Refer back to your buyer personas. Does your existing content address all their pain points, questions, and aspirations? Have you drafted content that educates and persuades users to make a purchase?

Identify topics you haven’t covered

Are there industry trends, competitor offerings, or common customer questions that your content library lacks?

Keyword research tools (SEMrush, Ahrefs, etc.) can help uncover popular topics relevant to your personas.

You can also check popular online forums like Reddit and question/answer platforms like Quora to peek deeper inside the minds of your target audience. 

Upgrade existing content

Can you transform existing content assets into new formats to reach a wider audience? Here are a few ideas:

Can successful content be repurposed into different formats? For example, a popular blog post could be repurposed into a video or an infographic – both of which increase the chances of users sharing your content (infographics and videos generate more shares than regular blog posts).

Are there outdated pieces that need updating or can be combined for a more comprehensive resource?

Does underperforming content have the potential to be optimized with better keywords, a stronger call to action, or new visuals?

This is a lot to take in, we know, but you shouldn’t panic. 

Here are some questions to help you identify your content gaps. 

Where do your competitors excel? What content are they creating that you aren’t? (Don’t copy – but look for inspiration!)

What are people asking? Monitor industry forums, social media, and customer support inquiries to identify common questions and knowledge gaps.

Where are potential customers dropping off? Analyze your website analytics to see which pages have high bounce rates or where fall out of your sales funnel (i.e., at the decision stage). This can point to content weaknesses.

Where are potential customers getting stuck in their journey? Do you need more content to move them to the next stage?

What questions keep coming up in sales conversations? Could content preemptively address these and streamline their decision?

Step #5: Create your content mapYour content map is the beating heart of your content strategy. It combines all your previous work’s insights and lays out a clear execution plan.

If you’re just starting out, an Excel spreadsheet is a simple and accessible way to organize your content map. Start with a template and customize it to your needs. It should include the following columns:

Content Title/Topic: A brief description of the content piece.

Content Format: Text (blog, article), video, infographic, podcast, etc.

Target Persona: Which of your buyer personas does the content primarily address (e.g., “Overworked Olivia”)?

Buyer’s Journey Stage: Where does the content fit (awareness, consideration, decision)

Keywords: Primary and secondary keywords targeted by the content.

Distribution Channels: Where you’ll promote the content (social media platforms, email newsletter, website, etc.)

Here is an example: 

You can also add additional columns, including:

• Publication Date: For scheduling content
• Owner: The person responsible for creating the content.
• Status: (Idea, in progress, published, etc.)
• Notes: Any additional details or context

The sky’s the limit! With that said, don’t feel pressured into using all the additional columns at first. Expand as needed.

The outcome: Your content map is a blueprint to guide your content creation. It ensures strategic alignment with your goals and audiences, leading to a more effective content marketing strategy overall.

Final Thoughts: Content Mapping is Worth the Effort 

Content mapping may seem like an extra step, but it’s a vital one that pays off in the long run. 

Your content will make or break your entire SEO campaign, so it’s worth putting in the prep time to ensure it’s successful. 

By making candid efforts to better understand your target audience and align your content with their needs, you’ll transform your content marketing from a guessing game into a lead-generating, customer-delighting machine.

If you want to enjoy a winning SEO strategy (complete with a content map) without having to lift a finger or learn any confusing jargon, don’t wait to check out HOTH X, our renowned managed SEO service.        

The post Content Mapping: The Secret to Reading Your Customer’s Minds appeared first on The HOTH.

Before someone else utters the tired cliche ‘content is king’ for the umpteenth time (seriously, it’s time to put that phrase to bed already) – it’s crucial to acknowledge how content marketing will change in the coming years. 

In particular, things like voice search and Google’s AI-powered SGE are changing the way users search for content online. 

As such, some of the content types that bore fruit in the past have gone out of style. 

15-minute-long videos that dive deep into a topic of interest?

Yawn. 

That was so 5 years ago. 

Short-form videos are all the rage now (think TikTok and YouTube shorts), so you’ll want to produce bite-sized clips that are packed to the gills with information, eye candy, and music. 

If you’re still a fan of longer videos, you’ll find more success with live streaming instead of on-demand. 

According to research, 80% of users would rather watch a live stream than read a blog post or watch an on-demand video. 

Blogs are still very much a thing, but they must be lengthy, extremely informative, and answer commonly asked questions (which will boost your chances of appearing in an SGE AI Snapshot). 

In short, people’s tastes in content are changing, so read on to learn the top 5 content types that will matter most in 2024. 

Why Do You Need Optimized Content?

Regardless of your business’s industry, your users A) use search engines, B) have social media accounts, and C) have email addresses. 

These three online channels also happen to be perfect for promoting your business through content marketing. 

What’s that?

Content marketing is where you regularly publish online content to both build an audience and promote your products and services. 

It’s one of the most effective forms of inbound marketing, where you draw your audience to you instead of disrupting their experiences (like interrupting a YouTube video they want to see with an ad).

76% of marketers claim that content marketing generates leads, which is why so many companies swear by it. 

In fact, 73% of B2B and 70% of B2C companies already implement content marketing, so you don’t want to get left behind. 

Here’s a glimpse at a few of the perks a robust content strategy will bring:

• You can achieve thought leadership status, where members of your target audience turn to your brand to learn about the latest developments in your industry. 
• As long as you incorporate SEO best practices in your content, you’ll enjoy higher SERP (search engine results pages) rankings – generating more traffic as a result.
• Authoritative content attracts backlinks from other websites that are eager to share your insights – which will help your SEO and reduce the amount of time you have to spend on building links. 
• Lots of insightful content that answers common user questions will help you appear in Google’s new SGE Snapshots. 

The 5 Most Popular Content Types to Incorporate 

Online content is akin to fashion in that certain trends go in and out of style. 

That’s why it’s critical for websites to evolve their content strategies in accordance with the trends. 

For example, if your products target a younger crowd but you’re still posting blogs on Facebook, it’s the equivalent of showing up to a modern party rocking acid-washed jeans and a mullet. 

Trends change, and the younger crowd has moved onto platforms like TikTok and Instagram, and they prefer short-form content like quick video clips and carousels. 

Here’s a look at the 5 content types that matter most to today’s audiences. 

#1: Informative blog posts that cater to Google SGE 

The blogosphere is about to go through some considerable changes – as most websites will shift to writing longer blogs that answer frequently asked questions. 

Google’s SGE features an AI Snapshot for some queries, where Google’s generative AI directly answers the user’s query in its own words. 

Along with the response, the AI also cites 3 sources online that it drew information from, which is about to become the new organic top 5. 

For searches that feature a Snapshot, organic results (and any SERP features) are pushed further down the page into obscurity. 

It’s predicted that most users will get the information they need from the Snapshot, which is why getting featured in it is so desirable. 

As such, most blogs will cover a topic as thoroughly as possible – while making a point of answering common questions. 

Why is that?

Since SGE replies directly to users, most will begin to ask conversational-style questions instead of using ‘industry’ keywords (which has long been the tradition in SEO). 

Blogging best practices 

So, moving forward, your blogs should contain a minimum of 2,000 words and should target longer, more conversational queries. That will improve your chances of appearing in the SGE Snapshot for your most important keywords, which will be crucial once it’s implemented on a large scale. 

Keyword research will still matter in a big way, but it’s also important to do some detective work on your own. 

The better you understand your target audience, the easier it’ll be to read their minds when it comes time to create content. 

Track down your audience’s online hangouts, and just observe. 

Online forums, social media groups, and sites like Quora and Reddit are great places to learn more about a particular audience. 

What topics keep coming up? Are they asking a lot of the same questions? Do they have any problems or pain points that your products and services can solve?

Combining this kind of sleuthing with in-depth keyword research is the best way to uncover the topics that matter most to your potential customers. 

You should also ensure that all your on-page and technical SEO factors are in order, such as proper keyword usage, optimized metadata, fast loading speeds, and a logical internal linking structure (every page on your site should have at least one internal link pointing to it). 

#2: Short-form videos for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram 

The rise of TikTok brought the prominence of short-form video with it (while taking everyone’s attention spans as a sacrifice, apparently). 

Since then, short videos have been the dominant form of content on social media, bar none. 

Don’t believe us?

Just take a glance at this graph to see what we mean. Short-form videos are lightyears ahead of other social media content types like long-form videos and even infographics, which is surprising. 

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. 

Short-form videos don’t take a lot of resources to make, so there’s not much reason not to join in on the fun. 

All you need is a camera (any smartphone works), a 60-second script (roughly 150 words), an actor, and a visually appealing backdrop. 

AI-powered content tools will also help you produce videos, as they can help you write scripts, create visuals, and even generate entire videos from scratch. 

This type of technology is a game changer for smaller businesses that lack the funds to produce high-quality ads and videos. 

Once you start churning out short videos, you can upload them to TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram. If you don’t have profiles on these platforms already, now is the time to sign up and start networking. 

#3: Interactive content like video live streams 

As stated in the intro, live streaming has become more popular than on-demand video and blog posts. 

Popular streaming services like Twitch and YouTube are no doubt responsible for this shift, as millions of users tune into live streams every single day. 

As a form of promotion, live streams are amazing because they provide more engagement than pre-recorded videos. 

Your audience members are right there with you via the live chat, and you’ll be able to interact with them on the fly by answering their questions and addressing their comments. 

This is a fantastic way to build a loyal following. 

If your prospects are able to hang out with you during a live stream while learning a useful skill, they’ll feel a personal connection with you. 

That’s especially true if you frequently address the chat, converse, and thank people for their comments. 

It makes perfect sense if you think about it. 

Which brand would you rather buy from, one where you’re another anonymous customer or one where you personally chatted with the creator?

The choice is obvious, and it proves why forming personal connections with prospects via live streams, virtual events, and webinars is worth it. 

#4: Podcasts 

The popularity of podcasts is still on the rise, and that trend will likely continue into the coming year. 

There are currently 464.7 million podcast listeners online, which is a massive market to capitalize on. Podcasts made a comeback in a big way during the COVID-19 pandemic when everyone was locked inside with not much else to do besides get lost in a stimulating conversation.

Podcasts are also relatively inexpensive to produce, which is a plus. 

Not only that, but podcasts are highly versatile and niche-friendly. 

There’s a podcast for every topic you can imagine, so it really doesn’t matter if your business caters to very specific interests. 

#5: Carousels 

Lastly, don’t sleep on the rising popularity and effectiveness of image carousels on platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram. 

According to a report by Social Insider, carousels yield the most engagement out of any other content type on Instagram, maintaining an impressive average of 1.92%. 

What are carousels?

They’re a series of images and text boxes linked together in a series of slides. 

Carousels have become a popular way to deliver complex information, as they’re more interactive and palatable than long blog posts. 

Your carousels should contain a balance of images and text, and you should always kick things off with a call to action (remind them to ‘swipe left’).

Implement a Winning Content Strategy for Years to Come 

Those are the top 5 types of content you’ll want to start producing for 2024 and beyond. 

By writing blogs that cater to SGE, shooting short-form videos, live streaming, recording podcasts, and creating image carousels – your website will continue to thrive despite the changing search landscape. 

If you need help mastering SEO and content marketing in 2024, don’t wait to sign up for HOTH X, our managed SEO service.

The post The Top 5 Content Types for Growing Your Business in 2024 appeared first on The HOTH.

If so, you’ll need an airtight content marketing strategy to attract new prospects and rise to the top of the SERPs (search engine results pages). 

Content creation is so effective that 82% of marketers actively invest in content marketing. 

According to a study by the Content Marketing Institute, 67% of marketers report that their content helps generate leads, and 72% say it’s excellent for educating their audience. 

These stats reflect the importance of content production for modern businesses, but how are you supposed to keep up with the competition?

After all, for a content strategy to find success, consistency is key. 

The frequency of your posts also matters as you should try to blog at least 2 – 4 times a week, not to mention releasing new social media posts as often as you can (without sacrificing quality, of course). 

Trying to put together a quality content strategy without a way to stay organized isn’t fun, as you’ll waste time keeping track of email threads, checking up on projects, and coming up with new content ideas. 

That’s why you must create an editorial calendar for all your content. 

Trust us, a detailed content calendar will revolutionize your entire strategy, so don’t wait to check out the 10 reasons why we love content calendars. 

Understanding Content Calendars 

A content calendar is a central location that contains all your upcoming pieces of content, their due dates, and the names of the content creators assigned to complete them. 

It’s an invaluable project management tool for content planning & production, as it will help you stay consistent with your content efforts. 

As mentioned previously, a successful content strategy is all about releasing relevant content to your target audience on a consistent basis. 

The more consistent you are with your content, the better it is for your SEO profile – and your target audience will learn when to expect your upcoming content. 

Your content calendar should encompass all the types of content you produce, not just blogs. Be sure to include videos, infographics, and social posts in your content marketing calendar as well. 

That way, you’ll only have to monitor one location to keep track of your entire content strategy instead of having to bounce back and forth between multiple apps. 

There are lots of ways to go about developing a content calendar, from using advanced project management tools like Asana to creating one manually in Excel or using a free content calendar template that you find online. 

Whatever method you choose, creating a content calendar will streamline your workflows, improve the quality of your content, aid in brainstorming new ideas, and keep track of your freelancers & content creators. 

Speaking from personal experience, we don’t know what we’d do without our precious content calendar at The HOTH. It keeps our posting schedule consistent and provides accountability for our content creators, which is why you should develop one too. 

10 Reasons Why Marketers Love Content Calendars 

Content calendars are to digital marketers what daily planners are for busy professionals; they’re a priceless resource that helps keep everything organized and running smoothly. 

Imagine how difficult it would be to stay on top of all your meetings and corporate events without your handy business calendar.

That’s how hard it is for digital marketers & content strategists to keep track of their publishing schedules without their trusty content calendars. 

If you’re still on the fence about developing one for your business, here are the top 10 reasons why we love content calendars. 

#1: They take the stress out of content creation 

When it comes to your content strategy, flying by the seat of your pants is a recipe for elevated stress levels. 

That’s because a content schedule has so many moving parts that trying to keep track of it all without a calendar will drive you crazy. 

Every day, you’ll have to brainstorm new content ideas, select which social media platforms to post on, and scramble to edit & publish content your creators submitted in the days prior. In other words, it’ll be a constant struggle to keep your head above water, which is bad for both your content strategy and your mental health. 

Missed due dates, inaccurate facts, and irrelevant content can all occur easier than you think if you don’t have a reliable way to stay organized. 

To get ahead of the curve, you need a content calendar to plan out your posts in advance, keep track of assignments, and maintain a consistent publishing schedule. 

Doing this will not only supercharge your content strategy but will provide tremendous stress relief on your part. 

No longer will you have to show up to work in a state of panic, scrambling to put together a few posts or videos each week. 

Instead, you can rest easy at night knowing that you have two full weeks of posts already outlined and ready to go. 

#2: They help you maintain consistency 

If you want to generate lots of organic traffic, leads, and sales from your content marketing strategy, you have to be remarkably consistent with your efforts. 

As shared previously, you need to post blogs several times a week, as well as post to social media platforms at least once a day. That’s not even mentioning the videos, webinars, eBooks, and press releases you need to consistently release, either. 

With such steep content demands, your content calendar is the secret weapon that keeps you on track. 

Publishing 4 unique blogs a week won’t seem like such an impossible task when you have a central location to brainstorm ideas, outline topics, and assign posts to writers with detailed instructions. 

If you ever feel a bit lost, taking a peek at your calendar view is all it takes to understand where you are and where you need to be. Some content calendar apps, like Asana, allow you to color-code tasks to distinguish the type of content, social media channels, the assignee, and more. 

That makes it effortless to keep track of your marketing team as they complete their assignments. 

With a properly organized content calendar, you won’t have any trouble meeting your publishing goals week after week, gaining new customers, and boosting your SEO profile along the way. 

#3: A bigger ROI for your content marketing campaigns

Your content calendar will grant you the biggest superpower there is for improving ROI – more time to plan. 

By taking the time to put together a detailed editorial calendar, you’ll be able to develop relevant, evergreen pieces of content for your audience that will continue to earn you money years down the line. 

What’s evergreen content?

Content is evergreen whenever it remains fresh to readers for a long period of time. Publishing a piece of evergreen content will yield a higher ROI than a time-sensitive piece. 

Examples of evergreen content include product reviews, how-to tutorials, and listicles that cover topics that don’t go out of date. For instance, a how-to video teaching the viewer how to restring a guitar will have tremendous longevity, as there’s no clear ‘expiration date’ for it.

Compare that to a piece entitled ‘Key Takeaways from the 2023 Guitar Expo,’ which has a clear date when it becomes obsolete. As soon as 2023 is over (or even after a few months pass), interest in the Guitar Expo will fade, whereas learning a practical skill like stringing a guitar won’t see such a dramatic dropoff. 

The luxury of a content calendar will allow you to come up with more evergreen ideas instead of producing one-off posts that will only see one spike in traffic before fading into obscurity. 

#4: They enhance the overall quality of your content 

With a social media content calendar guiding your efforts, you’ll see an improvement in the quality of all your content. 

More time to plan means more fleshed-out content ideas, better writing, tighter editing, and streamlined workflows. That will make your blogs more insightful, videos more impactful, and infographics more eye-grabbing. 

Better quality content means more conversions, organic traffic, and improved metrics like CTR (click-through rate) and bounce rate. 

If you’re a startup or small business struggling to compete in your niche, a content calendar can be just what you need to even the playing field. That’s because a well-thought-out strategy with unique, high-quality content will help set you apart from the crowd. 

Instead of struggling to release any content at all, you’ll have enough time to plan stand-out posts & videos that outdo your peers – carving out a space for your business in the fiercely competitive market. 

#5: Improved metrics & data analysis 

Having a content calendar will make it far easier to track & analyze the performance of your content, which will help you tweak your strategy to perfection. 

In particular, you should pay close attention to your audience’s feedback and engagement levels with your content. 

Are your readers leaving comments on your posts? Have you seen an uptake in newsletter signups & conversions? How long are users staying on a piece of your content before clicking off to another page?

These questions all become far easier to answer with a content calendar.

Why is that?

It’s because you’ll have all your content in one convenient location, making it effortless to find & track your older posts. 

Monitoring your metrics and making any necessary adjustments to your strategy is how you find the most success with releasing content. 

For instance, you may uncover that your CTR is dwindling, meaning not enough users are clicking on your hyperlinks from search engines. That’s a sign that your meta titles aren’t attention-grabbing enough, so adding some pizazz to them should solve the issue. 

That’s only one example of how your content calendar can improve your metrics & data analysis. You can also analyze your traffic & engagement metrics through tools like Google Analytics to uncover the best times to post new content. 

#6: They foster innovation & creativity 

It’s challenging to think outside the box and get creative with your content when you’re simply trying to keep your head above water. 

A proper content calendar will remedy that issue, granting you plenty of time to research, plan, and outline all your posts. 

As such, it’ll be easier to innovate and develop more creative ideas, which will help you stand out from the crowd. Instead of simply copying what everyone else is doing, you’ll be able to find ways to set your brand apart. 

That could mean shooting interactive videos, writing blogs that provide unique insights & first-hand experience (which is now more crucial than ever due to the E-E-A-T update), and creating informative infographics that have fun custom illustrations. 

With the additional breathing room an editorial calendar provides, you’ll have time to brainstorm new ways to earn extra revenue through your content. 

For instance, why not sign up for a few affiliate programs and start linking to relevant products in your blogs & videos? Anything you earn can help pay for your content efforts, which will preserve your budget. 

You can also start thinking about writing guest posts to acquire high-authority backlinks, which will boost your SEO profile. 

#7: They enable you to work at maximum efficiency 

Content marketing is very demanding, and if you aren’t highly efficient at producing content, you’ll likely get overshadowed by your competitors. 

You need to plan content for upcoming corporate events, product launches, holidays, and news events, which means you’ll be working around the clock unless you have a content calendar. 

Taking a quick peek at your calendar will inform you of any upcoming events or launches that you need to plan content for, which will prevent it from creeping up on you at the last minute. After all, nothing is worse than having to slap together a piece of substandard content just to make a crucial publishing date.

In addition, your content calendar serves as a hub for your content team, enabling you to monitor their progress on their assigned tasks. 

That’s excellent news for your efficiency, as you’ll be able to stay ahead of any issues before they affect your release dates. If any of your team members are falling behind with their tasks, you’ll be able to see it in your content calendar before it becomes a real issue – giving you the time to reassign the task to someone else. 

Working at maximum efficiency will perform miracles for your content strategy and SEO profile, which is definitely a plus. 

#8: They provide consistency for your audience 

Besides catering to search engine algorithms, posting content consistently will also benefit your audience. 

That’s because they’ll get used to your regular release schedule and will look forward to your content each week – which is a fantastic way to build a loyal customer base. 

You’ll likely have inconsistent publishing dates without an editorial calendar, which won’t do your business any favors. 

Think about it this way; do you subscribe to any prominent content creators on YouTube or other platforms? 

In that case, it’s probably because they uploaded so consistently that you started to rely on seeing new high-quality uploads each week. 

The same principle applies to your blogs, videos, podcasts, and other forms of content. Your audience will grow more rapidly if you remain consistent with your publishing schedule. 

#9: A content calendar unifies your content creation team 

You’re wasting a ton of time if you have to bounce back and forth between apps and spreadsheets to monitor your content creators. 

That’s why you need to make your content calendar the central hub for all your content creators. 

With tools like Trello & Asana, you can assign tasks, monitor progress, and check deadlines all from your content calendar. That ensures that your entire content creation team always remains on the same page. 

Not only that, but your team can communicate with one another through the built-in messaging system to ask questions & pass off tasks (i.e., a writer assigning a blog draft to an editor) without the need for your input. 

Even a simple content calendar created in Excel will align your team, as it gives them (and you) one easy location to look for their assignments and due dates. 

#10: Content calendars let you plan for the future 

The final reason we adore content calendars so much is they enable you to look at the big picture – not only for your content strategy but for your business as a whole. 

Rather than focusing on what you have to release in the next day or week, a content calendar lets you project much further into the future. You’ll be able to ponder your business needs for the coming months & years, all while brainstorming innovative new content ideas. 

You won’t enjoy this freedom of thought if you’re struggling to stay on top of your content needs day by day. A detailed content calendar will help you plan for a bright future for your business, which is why using one is an absolute must for any marketing team. 

Final Thoughts: 10 Reasons Marketers Love Their Content Calendars 

A content calendar provides marketing teams with so many benefits; it’s no wonder why we love them so much. 

They serve as our central planner, think tank, social media management hub, workflow manager, and so much more. 

Have you not developed a content calendar & content strategy for your business?

Then you need to drop everything and check out our fully managed content services. If you’re looking for top-tier content creation, our experts at HOTH Blogger won’t let you down, so don’t wait to check us out today.       

The post 10 Reasons Marketers Love Their Content Calendars appeared first on The HOTH.

Why is that?

There are more than a few reasons why. 

For one, 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine, and that includes potential shoppers. Also, organic search drives 53.3% of all website traffic, and creating high-quality content is the most reliable way to snag that traffic for yourself. 

Another reason content creation is such a necessary marketing strategy in today’s age is the ineffectiveness of other marketing channels. 

For instance, a majority of internet users aged 16 to 64 use ad blockers (42.7%), rendering any digital ads you paid for mostly useless. Not only that, but advertising on TV & radio is expensive and not an option for many small businesses and startups. 

On the other hand, businesses of all sizes can write blog posts and shoot simple videos to generate traffic, leads, and sales – which is why content marketing strategies are so powerful.

With a little optimization & keyword research, your pieces of content will improve your visibility on search engines and social media, which is what you want.  

If you’re brand-new to the content creation process, don’t fret because we’re here to teach you how to develop a winning content strategy, regardless of your budget. Stay tuned to learn how to start creating great content for your business.

Why Does Content Creation Matter?

Creating content is vital in today’s age because it’s the ultimate inbound marketing technique. 

What’s inbound marketing?

It’s where you attract potential customers to your website instead of disrupting their online experience with intrusive ads and videos.

By creating valuable content that educates users and answers their most pressing questions, you will draw prospects straight to your website through search engines. From there, the strength of your CTAs (calls to action) and sales funnel will help you convert clicks into customers.

Content marketing is immensely popular due to how effective it is, with 67% (up 7%) of marketers reporting that content generates demand & leads, 72% (2% increase) reporting that it helps educate their audience, and 63% (3% increase) claiming it builds loyalty amongst existing customers. 

The kicker?

These stats are all on the rise, with significant percentage increases since the previous year, meaning that content creation is becoming even more effective. 

As you can gather from those statistics, content does a lot more for your brand than generate more leads & sales. Regularly releasing high-quality content will also:

• Generate brand awareness
• Establish your brand as a thought leader in your field 
• Build loyalty and trust among customers 
• Bolster your company’s reputation 

All these reasons are why it’s worth investing in creating engaging content for your target audience – so it’s best to jump on the content bandwagon sooner rather than later. The good news is that creating a content strategy doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive, and even the smallest companies can do it. 

That’s especially true with the advent of artificial intelligence programs capable of generating entire blog posts at the push of a button. 

Reasons to Invest in Content Creation

While PPC ads are excellent for gaining short-term online visibility, you need an organic SEO strategy to go along with it. That way, once your content marketing efforts begin to take off, you can ease off the gas with your PPC campaigns, saving a considerable chunk of your budget. 

Content marketing campaigns are also excellent for improving your visibility on not only search engines but also social media sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. 

In today’s age, a majority of people are online instead of tuning into television or radio (more than 8 in 10 Americans exclusively use the internet for news and media), which is why creating online content is the best way to get the word out about your business. 

Bearing that in mind, here’s a look at some of the top reasons to invest in content creation.

Reaching the unreachable 

As stated before, many adults choose to browse the web with ad-blockers, rendering most digital online ads obsolete. 

How do you reach these users?

You can reach them by creating the kind of content that they will actively seek out and consume on their own, which is the core principle behind inbound marketing. 

If that sounds confusing, consider this example of a typical internet user that can’t stand online ads. Whether it’s a brief ad before a video or a pop-up, they can’t click away fast enough, and they have every ad blocker known to man. 

While it may seem impossible to advertise anything to them, the right types of content will have them reaching for their debit cards. 

Let’s say that they love to fish, and you sell fishing rods and equipment. Instead of disrupting their experience with an ad (that they’ll click off of anyway), you produce a mix of helpful blogs and videos covering popular fishing topics. 

One day, the user wants to learn more about fly fishing, and they come across a blog you wrote entitled ‘The Ultimate Guide to Fly Fishing.’ They read the post from top to bottom and noticed a convincing CTA at the end:

Want to get started fly fishing? Don’t wait to check out our collection of high-quality rods today.

They click on the link and immediately place an order for a new fly fishing rod. That’s the power of content creation in a nutshell, and it’s how you can reach the unreachable. 

Improve your online visibility 

Having a website won’t amount to much if nobody is able to find it. If your website isn’t in Google’s index, it may as well not even exist. 

Search engines are the #1 way that users discover new websites, which is why SEO is such a big deal amongst digital marketers. Yet, being indexed by search engines is only the beginning of the battle, as ranking below the top 20 results is almost equal to not even being indexed. 

Rising through search engine rankings is no easy feat, which is why content creation is such a coveted practice amongst SEOs. 

There’s no better way to improve your online visibility than by creating a large volume of high-quality website content that’s relevant & valuable to your audience. Good content also makes it far easier to acquire high-authority backlinks, which are a necessity for high SERP rankings. 

Essentially, your content is what drives your SEO strategy and brand-building efforts. 

Also, the more excellent content you release, the more visibility you’ll gain on social media platforms as well. As a rule of thumb, every time you release a blog post, podcast, infographic, or video – release it on all your social media platforms at the same time to maximize visibility. 

Consistently generate leads & conversions

The great thing about content is that once it’s published, it will continue generating leads and sales for you for many months to come. 

In other words, the one-time expense of creating content will pay off more than once, assuming that the content is high-quality and relevant. 

Lead magnet tools like white papers and eBooks will consistently provide leads for your sales team, and convincing CTAs will continue to land sales well into the future. Once a piece of content becomes outdated, simply updating it will make it relevant again, and it will go back to generating traffic for your business. 

By creating content for each stage of the sales funnel, you’ll be able to cater to potential customers that are ready to buy – as well as educate customers that are still in the research phase.

(Image Source)

The Most Popular Types of Content 

It should be clear by now that content creation is well worth your while, so you’ll need some content ideas to get started. 

When most people think of online content, they tend to think of blogs, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. In addition to blogs, there are whitepapers, eBooks, videos, infographics, podcasts, webinars, case studies, social media posts, and many others.

How do you know which type of content to create?

That will depend on a few factors, including your budget, the needs of your target audience, and what you hope to achieve from the content. 

For instance, if you want to collect email addresses from users, offering a free eBook is a great choice. If your goal is to wow and entertain your audience, then fun & engaging video content is the way to go. 

Here’s a look at some of the most popular types of content you’ll encounter when browsing the web. 

Blog Posts 

Blogs are the most common type of content you’ll run into online, which is due to how inexpensive they are to create and their versatility. 

They can take the form of listicles, reviews, opinion pieces, product showcases, and so much more. Blogs can be formal, informal, humorous, and any other tone you want to take with your audience. 

Blogging is a highly effective form of content marketing, as businesses that produce blog content receive 55% more visitors than ones that do not, and they generate 67% more leads each month. 

However, there are more than 600 million blogs online, which will undoubtedly include thousands of blogs within your niche, so you’ll need to find a way to make your content stand out. 

Here are a few quick blog post ideas you can use to create new content.

Answer questions relevant to your target audience

If you want your blog to generate clicks, your content needs to provide real value to your audience – and one of the best ways to do that is to answer your audience’s questions about your field of expertise. 

What kinds of questions is your audience asking?

To find out, you can venture to websites like Reddit & Quora and search for your niche. From there, pay attention to the questions you see asked over and over again, and then create blog content answering them. 

This is a highly effective technique because you intercept prospects looking for answers to their questions, and you get to introduce them to your brand, products, and services. 

Facebook Groups are also goldmines for uncovering the top problems your target audience faces on a daily basis. By answering their questions and solving their issues through helpful blog content, you’ll start to be seen as a thought leader. As such, anytime your audience has questions related to your niche in the future; your blog will be the first place they check. 

Another tactic is to type a question about your niche into Google and then check the ‘People Also Asked’ section for more questions relevant to your audience. These questions are valuable because they’re real questions your prospects asked Google, so they’ll make perfect blog topics. 

Create a listicle 

The most popular blog format online is an odd-numbered listicle, so don’t hesitate to join the craze if you need to generate more traffic. 

A big reason why they work so well is the attention-grabbing nature of a listicle’s headline. They’re also very scanner-friendly, enabling readers to quickly scan each numbered subheading to determine if reading the entire post is worth their time. 

The great thing about listicles is they work for just about any topic, regardless of industry. 

Going with the fishing example from before, you could develop all sorts of listicles, such as ‘The Top 5 Reasons to Try Fly Fishing,’ ‘The 13 Best Fishing Rods You Have to Try,’ and ‘6 Reasons You Need to Change Your Bait.’

As you can see, each listicle covers a different topic, and the number in the title makes them stand out more. 

As such, listicles should comprise a large portion of your blogging strategy because of how good they are at catching readers’ attention. 

How-to tutorials 

Another highly popular blog format is the classic how-to post, where you teach readers a new skill in a step-by-step breakdown. 

How-to posts are excellent because they cater to the core principle of inbound marketing – getting your customers to come to you. If you can uncover the things your target audience wants to learn how to do the most & create tutorials for them, they’ll come flooding to your website in droves.

For all the anglers that have never used a fishing lure before, writing a detailed blog tutorial on how to fish with lures will generate lots of traffic. 

Before you create a how-to blog post, ensure that the method you’re going to teach is safe, accurate, and reliable. The last thing you want is to give your audience unreliable advice, which will tarnish your reputation instead of improving it. 

Videos 

In 2023, videos are set to account for 82.5% of all web traffic, making it the most popular type of content online. 

That means no content marketing strategy is complete without including some sort of video content, as companies can no longer afford to ignore the prevalence & popularity of online videos. 

Visual content is easier for users to consume, and video production has become rather inexpensive, so even smaller companies can join in on the fun. With an iPhone and some basic editing software, you can create informative & engaging videos to go along with your blog posts and infographics. 

Like blog posts, videos are highly versatile, as they can inform, educate, entertain, and more. 

Also, you can tweak some of your blog ideas to make them work as videos instead. So the next time you sit down for a content brainstorming session, don’t forget that listicles and how-to tutorials can just as easily be videos as blog posts. 

Podcasts

Content creators shouldn’t forget about podcasts, as there are 464.7 million podcast listeners worldwide as of 2023. 

People love listening to podcasts while commuting to work, completing menial tasks, and exercising – making them a fantastic way to reach your audience. Like videos, podcasts are relatively inexpensive to produce since all you need is a mic and an internet connection. 

There are thousands of online podcasts spanning all industries, from financial planning to real estate and many more. 

A tried and true podcast format is to interview influencers and notable figures from your field to provide your audience with value. You can also use your podcast to discuss current trends, answer questions from listeners, and hold special contests and giveaways. 

Infographics 

An informative infographic is one of the most powerful content types for acquiring high-authority backlinks. If you’re able to compile relevant statistics and figures in a fun & interesting way, other bloggers will want to link to it in their posts, which will boost your SEO profile. 

They’re also fantastic for sprucing up plain-text blog posts. 

By including infographics with top-notch graphic design, your readers will have something visual to interact with, which will break up the monotony of walls of text. 

Besides using infographics to display statistics, you can also use them for visual storytelling, which can have a powerful effect on your audience. 

For instance, if you’re able to convey the benefits of one of your products or services in a visual way using graphics, it’ll have more impact than using static text. 

Developing a Content Creation Strategy 

Now that you’ve got some content ideas, it’s time to learn how to put a proper strategy together. After all, you can’t just start randomly creating and releasing content. 

Rather, you need to employ a meticulous strategy that entails forming a content creation team, setting clear goals, developing an editorial calendar, and then creating the content. 

You’ll also need to use keyword research tools to help you develop content that your audience wants to consume, like our free keyword planner tool from The HOTH. 

Setting realistic goals 

Your goals form the foundation of your content strategy, which is why you should begin by setting SMART goals. 

That stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound, and it’s the perfect acronym to use to transform a generic goal into an actionable one. 

Here’s a quick example of how to use it:

• Specific: We want to increase organic traffic
• Measurable: We want to see a 25% increase
• Attainable: We have a promising content strategy in place
• Relevant: Increasing our traffic will help build our brand 
• Time-Bound: We want to see the increase within six months

Now you have a highly detailed goal for your strategy, along with a timeframe to make it happen. You shouldn’t stop at just one goal, though, so feel free to use the SMART acronym to form as many goals as you need to grow your business. 

You should think of your goals with every piece of content you create. Before you invest time and resources into developing a blog post or video, ask yourself, “How is this going to get us closer to our goal?”

Form a content creation team

Next, you need to determine who’s going to create your content. Do you have the resources to hire an in-house content creation team, or do you plan on outsourcing the work to freelancers? Either way, figuring out how you plan to create content is crucial before taking the next step. 

If you don’t have the budget for freelancers or in-house content creators, you can choose to use AI to generate content, or you can do it yourself. 

If you need help creating graphics, Canva is an excellent content creation tool for generating graphics and copyright-free stock images. 

Once you’ve assembled your team, you’ll need to create an editorial calendar containing all your content ideas and publishing deadlines. Content planning is equally as important as content creation, so don’t forget to map out your content strategy. 

Project management tools like Asana are excellent for keeping your content creation team on track, as they make it effortless to assign & review tasks from one location. 

Promote your content online 

Once you start publishing content, you’ll want to have a plan in place for promoting it. If you only release blogs on your website, the chances are they won’t gain much traction without any promotional efforts. 

This is where it helps to truly understand your target audience. 

Where do they spend most of their time online?

If they’re always on Reddit or Facebook Groups, make a post promoting your new content. Also, don’t forget to share all the content you create on all your respective social media channels, as well as email it to your contacts/newsletter members. 

Lastly, keep an eye on essential metrics like your organic traffic, click-through rate, dwell time, bounce rate, and average ranking position through tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console. If you don’t see the results you want, it’s time to go back to the drawing board. 

Final Thoughts: Content Creation in 2023 & Beyond 

Creating the best content you can is the #1 way to increase online visibility, generate more leads, and convert more prospects. 

Content creation is the ultimate form of inbound marketing, and when done right, your content will continue earning revenue for you well beyond the date you publish it. 

Do you need expert assistance creating a winning content strategy for your business?

Then don’t wait to check out our top-tier content creation services at The HOTH. In addition to producing engaging videos, blogs, and website content – we also offer managed SEO services at HOTH X, so don’t wait to try us out today.

The post Content Creation in 2023 & Beyond: The Ultimate Guide appeared first on The HOTH.

Social media sites are exploding with impressive AI-generated content from programs like ChatGPT and DALL-E. One user even got ChatGPT to write a 30-page children’s eBook that he self-published through Amazon. 

All this buzz has people asking an important and rather scary question – will AI writers make human writers obsolete?

After all, AI writing assistants never get tired or experience writer’s block, meaning they can produce content far faster than humans. Combine that with advanced deep-learning language models like GPT-3, and it’s easy to see why many content writers are concerned. 

Yet, that’s not to say that AI writing tools are perfect, as they still have a long way to go in terms of accuracy, plagiarism, and creativity. 

Even still, short of complete sentience, it’s near-impossible for AI systems & algorithms to comprehend human emotions, which is a major aspect of great writing. That means there’s still a place for human writing, especially when a human touch is necessary. 

In short, there are things that AI writers do best and others that human writers excel at – so you’ll need to know when to use both in your content marketing & copywriting. 

Stay tuned to learn more about the difference between AI and human writers to inform your SEO & content creation strategies. 

Understanding AI Writing 

AI writing involves using machine learning algorithms & language models to automatically generate text like blog posts, poems, essays, creative writing, and more. 

Services like Copymatic allow users to generate AI content, and companies like Forbes have long used AI writing assistants to write their earning reports. Tools like Grammarly have long used AI algorithms for proofreading

Yet, the concept of AI writing really took off in November 2022 when OpenAI released ChatGPT to the public. They released it as open source, so anyone was free to start chatting with it, and its popularity soon exploded – showing up in countless social media posts & mainstream news sites. 

The chatbot can answer user questions, write lines of code, solve problems, and generate essays, blogs, poems, and more. 

While ChatGPT is definitely impressive, it’s not without its issues. Nearly straight away, users began to notice the chatbot making up facts, hallucinating, and producing robotic-sounding nonsense. It’s also exhibited racist & sexist tendencies, likely from inappropriate user interactions. 

Some issues are expected since we’re still in the early stages of the technology, but it still raises some concerns. 

For one, hackers can use programs like ChatGPT to write malware & phishing emails that are nearly impossible to detect. It’s also possible to use the chatbot to produce unethical or inappropriate content, which is a real problem. 

While AI writing is by no means perfect, it can still be incredibly useful to companies and digital marketing agencies, especially when used in tandem with human writers. 

How does AI writing work?

It’s critical to understand how these AI writing tools work if you want to use them properly. While it may seem like magic, there’s a very real process behind what AI text generators do, so let’s take a look. 

AI writing uses a combination of natural language processing (NLP) and deep learning to generate relevant, natural-sounding text. 

Natural language processing allows AI to comprehend, interpret, and write human language. Lots of AI tools use NLP, from proofreading apps like Grammarly to data analytics processors like IBM Watson. 

However, NLP is only half the equation for AI writers like Jasper and ChatGPT. 

Deep learning neural networks comprise the other half, and they attempt to mimic the structure of the human brain to learn from large amounts of data. These neural networks need a large volume of training data to learn by example. 

Deep learning enables AI to replicate various writing styles & dialects so long as they have the appropriate training data. 

AI chatbot ChatGPT was trained on a massive amount of data, roughly 570 GB of data sets that include books, Wikipedia articles, web pages, research articles, and many other sources. In total, approximately 300 billion words went into its database. 

That massive volume of reference data is why the chatbot can answer so many questions and write in so many styles. 

However, ChatGPT’s current iteration only has training for online data up to 2021, meaning it has no knowledge of current events – which is a drawback for now. 

Areas Where AI Needs Some Work 

AI writing tools are still in their infancy, and they certainly have some things that could be improved when it comes to writing original content. 

While AI writers excel at summarizing topics, analyzing data, and presenting numbers and statistics, they need help with creativity and emotion. 

Understanding human emotions

A considerable advantage human writers have over AI tools is the ability to form a personal connection with readers. 

A human writer can engage the audience through relatable stories, personal experiences, and analogies – something AI isn’t capable of yet. Also, AI has no way of distinguishing an emotionally powerful phrase from a mundane one. 

This lack of nuance means the writing AI tools often lack the ‘human touch,’ causing the writing to come across as very stiff and robotic. 

The human touch is crucial because emotional connection and customer purchase rates have a direct correlation. The more connected customers feel to a brand, the more they’re willing to spend. 

Why is that?

It’s because people often make decisions based on impulses, desires, emotions, and morals – all of which have little to do with logic and analytics. 

Human writers can use these emotions and desires in order to market products and services. For example, to market a shirt, a writer might say, “This shirt isn’t just something to wear; it’s your ticket to gaining the confidence you’ve always wanted.” 

That type of emotion-based copywriting appeals to people who want to transform their looks due to a lack of confidence, and it can have a very powerful effect. 

That’s bad news for AI writers, as it’s practically impossible for them to relate to customers on a personal level. 

Providing original insights

Another drawback facing AI writers is a lack of original insights. That’s because an AI writer can’t form its own thoughts on a subject; it can only summarize and reiterate existing content from its database. 

That’s why search engines often flag AI-generated content as plagiarism since it can contain unaltered pieces of the original text. 

If you want to achieve thought leader status in your field, AI writers won’t be enough to make the cut. Instead, you’ll need plenty of original insights and opinions on the most important topics in your industry, which are currently out of AI’s grasp. 

That’s not to say that AI writing tools aren’t helpful, as they’re great for getting the ball rolling for human writers. 

AI vs. Human Writers: A Head-to-Head Comparison

Since you know more about AI writing and how it works, it’s time to pit AI vs. human writers to see which is best. 

That way, you’ll know where to focus the majority of your resources for content creation without sacrificing quality or productivity. 

The Pros and Cons of Human Writers 

First, let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of hiring human writers. A reliable human writer that understands your content needs is extremely valuable and difficult to replace. 

That’s because humans can relate to audiences and appeal to their emotions, morals, and desires. As stated previously, people make decisions based on emotions and impulses more often than strict logic and analysis. 

As such, human writers that understand psychology are often the most powerful. A great content writer commands the reader’s attention, engages them, and then informs them what to do next through a compelling call to action. 

Human writers can help you achieve thought leader status in your niche by influencing how your audience thinks and acts. Through well-written, relatable content produced by humans, you can form loyal brand advocates that will sing your praises to their friends & family. 

That all sounds great, right?

Well, it is when everything goes smoothly and you find a reliable writer. Not all human writers are of equal talent, and it may take a lot of searching until you find a suitable one for your needs. 

Beyond that, human writers can get sick, misinterpret topics, and fall behind deadlines. It also takes a bit of time for humans to research and write on a topic, which can sometimes slow down content creation. 

Human writers are also expensive, as the most talented & in-demand writers will demand higher rates than subpar writers, which is a downside for smaller companies without large content creation budgets. 

Pros 

• Understands emotions and can form personal connections with readers 
• Can produce original insights and form opinions on topics 
• Has an authentic touch that’s difficult to reproduce 
• The storytelling capabilities of humans far exceed those of AI writers

Cons 

• It takes quite a bit of time for humans to research and write articles
• The best writers are expensive
• Writer’s block is a real concern 
• It can be difficult to find a reliable writer that understands your needs
• Humans can get sick and fall behind on their work 

The Pros and Cons of AI Writers

An AI writer never sleeps, never gets sick, and can generate entire articles in seconds or minutes instead of several hours. 

For this reason, AI writing can drastically boost productivity, enabling you to create twice or even three times as much content as you would with human writers. Writer’s block is never an issue for AI tools, either, which is a huge plus. 

AI writing tools can handle everything from brainstorming topics to generating entire articles with minimal input required on your part. Most of the time, all you need is an article title or a few subheadings for an AI writer to generate content. 

AI writers can also generate content on just about any topic, whereas human writers will only have a limited amount of knowledge. As such, it can be easier to use AI writers on highly technical topics that few humans can write about intelligently. 

If you primarily release short-form posts covering data analysis (similar to the Forbes earning reports), then AI writers are the way to go. 

Yet, if you need top-tier marketing content that connects with and relates to audiences, your best bet is to use a human. 

Another advantage of using AI writers is how cost-effective they are to use. Instead of paying a writer each time they create a piece of content, AI writing tools typically involve affordable monthly subscription fees. 

For this reason, many startups and smaller companies like to use AI writers because they’re an inexpensive option for content creation. 

Pros 

• Generates content extremely fast for boosted productivity 
• Never runs out of ideas or gets writer’s block 
• Cost-effective for smaller companies that can’t afford high-quality writers
• Is available to generate content 24/7 
• Can write about any topic 

Cons

• Can’t understand human emotions 
• Has no sense of morals or ethics
• Can’t produce original insights 
• Limited creativity 
• Inaccurate facts 
• Possible plagiarism 

What’s the Best Way to Use AI Writers?

By now, it should be clear there are noticeable pros and cons for both human writers and AI writers. If you want your organization to consistently produce the highest quality content, you should opt for a combination of both. 

For instance, if your best human writer is experiencing writer’s block, having an AI tool write the intro is a great way to remedy the issue. From there, the human writer can fill in the gaps left by the AI (as well as add human touches throughout). 

If you produce a lot of shorter articles summarizing topics and statistics, you shouldn’t have a problem fully automating those – which will boost your productivity. 

However, you should let your human writers tackle marketing content meant to connect to readers on a personal level, only using AI to speed things up here and there (and for things like proofreading). 

By utilizing the powerful one-two punch of AI and human writers, your organization will enjoy the best of both worlds. 

The Verdict: AI vs. Human Writers 

Instead of viewing AI vs. human writers as a competition, it’s best to view it as a collaboration. That’s because it will always depend on your organization’s needs whether you use an AI writer or a human writer. 

Need help with your content creation strategy?

We offer top-tier content creation services at HOTHBlogger, and we provide managed SEO services through HOTH X. Our experts fully understand modern AI tools, so don’t wait to book a consulting call today.     

The post AI vs. Human Writers: What’s the Difference? appeared first on The HOTH.

By that, we don’t mean a generalized version of all your existing customers. 

Instead, we’re talking about a fictionalized buyer persona that has a name, picture, personality, common pain points, and even marital status. 

If that sounds more along the lines of writing a fictional novel than a marketing strategy, you wouldn’t be 100% wrong. Yet, creating an ideal customer avatar is a tried and true marketing effort that produces actual results – which is why companies of all sizes create detailed customer profiles. 

The proof?

93% of companies that were able to exceed lead and revenue goals all had one thing in common – they segmented their databases according to buyer personas. 

Also, Hubspot found that the use of marketing personas made websites 2 – 5 times more effective and easier to use by their target audience. 

These stats reinforce the effectiveness of creating a fictionalized perfect customer avatar for your business. With only a basic marketing persona (created by analyzing demographics only), you’re leaving a lot on the table – which can lead to incorrect assumptions and false categorizations. 

That’s why we’ve put together this guide for fleshing out your ideal customer persona – complete with a customer avatar template you can use. 

Read on to learn how you can create a client avatar for your business or organization. 

What are Customer Avatars Anyway?

First, it’s crucial to clear up the confusion surrounding the terminology, as customer avatars can go by several different names (as you may have discovered in the intro). 

Customer avatars are also called:

• Buyer personas 
• Customer persona 
• Marketing persona 
• Target market 
• Target audience 

All these terms can refer to customer avatars, but they can also refer to more general marketing personas, hence the confusion. 

However, here is the true definition of a customer avatar:

A customer avatar is a detailed profile of your perfect potential customer. It focuses on a single, fictional person instead of categorizing people into generalized groups. As a result, no assumptions are made about the person, and the avatar outlines every detail about them, which provides marketers with a myriad of targeting tools. 

So if you see the term ‘buyer persona‘ referring to a specific person representing a potential customer, that’s a customer avatar. Yet, if the buyer persona is used to represent general demographics, it’s not a true customer avatar. 

Also, many businesses and organizations utilize more than one customer avatar, so it’s crucial not to limit yourself to just one if you market to a broad audience. 

A customer avatar is a great way to avoid trying to market your products and services to everyone, which is always a mistake. With an avatar, you’ll get to know your typical audience member on a personal level, which is highly valuable for your marketing campaigns. 

Does Your Company Need a Customer Avatar?

Some business owners will question if they need to create a customer avatar or not. After all, if you’re already studying your target audience‘s demographics and buying habits, what’s the point?

Let’s put this issue to bed right now – every organization (even nonprofits) can benefit significantly from creating customer avatars. 

Why is that?

It’s because having a detailed understanding of your typical customer is ALWAYS a good thing, no matter your industry. If you understand your audience on a deeply personal level, it will benefit every aspect of your operation. 

It’ll also help you avoid wasting time and valuable resources on losing endeavors. For instance, if you don’t know what your customers truly want, you’ll have a hard time creating content and developing new products. 

Creating customer avatars is even more crucial for startups and small businesses, as they will help you make the most out of your budget. Doing the research involved with creating an avatar will also inform you how much you need to segment your market (i.e., how many customer avatars you need to create). 

Building a customer avatar isn’t a one-off task, either. 

Companies that find the most success with their avatars understand that a customer’s wants, desires, problems, and hangouts all change over time – hence the need to update your avatars periodically. 

Even churches and charitable organizations benefit from creating avatars, which is why they build donor avatars. 

It shows that developing an intimate understanding of a target market is always a good idea, no matter the industry or type of business. 

What are negative customer avatars?

Besides avatars that represent ideal potential customers, some companies also opt to create negative customer avatars. 

What are those?

A negative customer avatar represents the type of customer that you DON’T want. Believe it or not, this is also a beneficial practice that any company or business can employ. 

To start developing a negative customer avatar, think of all the nightmare customers you’ve dealt with in the past and make a list of their traits. 

What were they most disappointed with by your products or services? What traits did they have in common? (i.e., argumentative, difficult to please, trying to take advantage of the system, etc.)

Not only will this help you discover which types of consumers to avoid with your business strategy, but it can also help you identify areas in your business that you can improve. 

For instance, you may uncover that you need to improve your customer service by analyzing negative customer experiences with your brand. 

An additional benefit is that negative customer avatars can help you avoid spending time and resources on a market segment that has no interest in your products or services. Without taking the time to analyze your audience in this way, you might continue to waste money targeting the wrong customers. 

Certain types of customers won’t be a good fit for your products or services for reasons besides personal ones, too. 

It could be that a prospect is too technically advanced for what you sell or that certain prospects only use your content to conduct their own research. 

The Benefits of Using Customer Avatars 

If you’re still on the fence about developing customer avatars for your digital marketing strategy, it might be because you’ve yet to see what it will provide for you. 

After all, creating customer avatars will take effort from your staff, which can be quite an investment if your employees are notoriously pressed for time. 

The good news is all that market research won’t be for naught. 

Instead, the little amount of money you spend developing customer avatars pales in comparison to what you stand to gain from incorporating them. 

Still don’t believe us?

Then check out these numerous benefits your organization will see from defining customer avatars. 

Identify your target audience 

No business will get very far without a specific target audience in mind, as few products and services are universal. 

If your idea is to market your business to absolutely everyone, you’ll likely wind up wasting all your money with little to show for it, which is never a desirable outcome. 

While it’s commonplace for companies to study demographic information and customer buying habits to learn more about their audience, creating a customer avatar takes this research to the next level. 

You’ll be able to truly get inside the mind of one of your customers, which will help you develop the perfect messaging for them. That’s the best way to relate to an audience, build a following, and boost your conversion rates. 

With a detailed customer avatar, you avoid speaking to the wrong people in your ads and content, which will help you squeeze the most out of every penny of your budget. Even with a well-defined niche to focus on, you’re likely still wasting money by not having a customer avatar to go along with it. 

Avatars will help you penetrate further into your niche so you can solve your audience’s pain points, answer their questions, and speak their language to win them over. 

According to ITSMA, buyers are 48% more likely to go with solution providers if they personalize their marketing to address their personal issues, and developing a customer avatar is the best way to do so. 

Avoid potential business risks 

A customer avatar helps you keep your eye on the goal when crafting ads, articles, and blogs for your company. 

Without one, your content likely won’t scratch your potential customers‘ itch. Instead, you may end up focusing on the needs of prospects that aren’t the best fit for your company but only seem like it at the time. 

What do we mean by that?

Let’s consider an example. Say that you sell parts for classic cars online but don’t have a customer avatar. A few well-meaning customers asked if you could provide more modern parts instead. Eager for the business, you accommodate them and start carrying modern parts, which in turn alienates your true fans (classic car enthusiasts) – causing a steep drop-off in revenue. 

Having a detailed and well-defined customer avatar for your business would have helped you avoid this issue entirely. 

Perfect your messaging for email marketing 

With a customer avatar, it becomes far easier to write emails directly to your target audience. You’ll know what type of language to use, which will make it feel as if they’re reading an email from a friend. 

In addition, you’ll have an intimate understanding of their primary problems and questions, which will make your emails far more effective. 

Writing convincing calls-to-action (CTAs) will also become easier to boost your conversion rates. 

Last but not least, your customer avatars will let you know if you need to segment your email marketing campaigns. For instance, if you have three customer avatars, you should create an email marketing campaign for each one. 

They make product development easier 

Since you’ll know your customers on a near-personal level, knowing which new products and services they’ll go for will become far easier. 

Once again, this will help save your company a ton of money. 

If you build a new product that doesn’t interest your audience or solve one of their problems, don’t expect it to sell very well. That’s why it’s so imperative to use customer avatars to inform product development decisions. 

Defining a Customer Avatar for Your Business 

Now that you know why customer avatars are so crucial, it’s time to learn how to create one for your organization. 

Building a customer avatar will take a lot of time and effort, and you shouldn’t base anything on guesses. 

Instead, you’ll need to base everything on accurate data and in-depth market research. 

The good news?

This guide contains everything you need in order to build a customer avatar from scratch, so let’s get started. 

Step #1: Pick a name and choose a picture 

The first step is to give your customer avatar a name, but it shouldn’t be any old name (i.e., Jim is too vague). 

Rather, the name should include some specific information about who they are. An example will be naming your avatar CEO Jim if your products target business executives. 

It’s imperative to think about who your potential customers are during this step to come up with the best name possible. Say your niche is health and wellness, and you’re targeting fitness enthusiasts. In this case, you could name your avatar something like Fitness Fred. 

If your audience is segmented into a few groups, you’ll need to come up with avatars for each one, which means coming up with more names. 

You should also choose a photo, as it helps to visualize what your avatar looks like. For this, try to imagine one of your most loyal customers. Someone who regularly buys your products and doesn’t hesitate to leave glowing reviews. 

What do they look like?

You can even go so far as to use their social media profile picture as your avatar photo. While it may seem tempting to skip this step, putting a face to the name will help you humanize your avatar. That comes in handy whenever you sit down to create content, as you can picture that you’re writing directly to your avatar. 

Step #2: Define their demographics and psychographics 

Next, you need to analyze your existing customers, paying close attention to their demographics and psychographics. 

Demographics will help you identify who your customers are, and psychographics will help you uncover why they buy your products. 

For your demographic information, analyze your customers based on the following:

• Age 
• Gender 
• Income
• Marital status 
• Kids 
• Habits 
• Hobbies
• Job-status 
• Religion 
• Race 

Psychographics include what your audience believes, enjoys, and values. While demographic information tends to be readily available, psychographic information is a bit more tricky to uncover. 

Ways to uncover psychographic data include:

• Create polls on Facebook and Instagram asking your audience what they enjoy and value. 
• Conduct former client/customer interviews to get a glimpse into how they think. 
• Start a focus group or gather data from an existing one. 
• Investigate your website analytics to uncover customer preferences and buying habits. 

These are all ways you can generate a psychographic database if you don’t have one already. 

Step #3: Identify their primary goals 

Next, what does your avatar hope to achieve in life? What is their ultimate goal, and how can your products and services bring them closer to that?

For instance, if your audience consists of entrepreneurs, their goals are likely to be something along the lines of:

• Earning enough revenue to quit their day job 
• Finding independence and freedom 
• Setting their own work hours 
• Discovering ways to earn passive income 

Just like that, you have a series of goals that can influence your content, products, and services. 

Step #4: Uncover your avatar’s backstory 

Where did your customer avatar come from? Did they spend a lot of time working jobs they hated before finding their calling? Do they come from cities or small towns?

These are helpful questions to ask yourself, as they’ll help you further understand your customer avatar and the decisions they’re likely to make. 

Understanding their background will also help you gain insight into your avatar’s mindset and what you can do to satisfy their needs. 

Step #5: Fill out a customer avatar template 

Last but not least, here’s a free worksheet you can fill out to define your customer avatar:

Demographics

• Age: 
• Gender: 
• Marital status:
• Children:
• Income: 
• Location:
• Occupation:
• Level of education:
• Religion:
• Race:

Primary goals 

• What do they value above all else?
• What are their primary beliefs in life?
• What is their primary goal, and what do they hope to accomplish?

Information sourcing

• How do they stay informed?
• Which websites do they frequent?
• What are their preferred social media platforms?

Difficulties and challenges 

• What challenges do they face?
• What are their primary pain points?
• What questions will they likely ask?

Purchasing 

• What possible objections might they have to your products or services?
• What is their monthly budget?
• Are they the direct buyer, or will they go through somebody else?

Once this template is complete, you’ll have a fully-defined customer avatar or avatars ready for immediate use. 

Final Takeaways: Defining Your Customer Avatar 

That’s what it takes to define a customer avatar that’s detailed enough to provide excellent results. By creating a customer avatar, you’ll gain invaluable insights into your target audience that you wouldn’t have found otherwise. 

That’s why creating avatars is a revered marketing technique practiced by organizations of all types and sizes. 

If your business has hit a snag, defining a customer avatar may be just what you need to snap out of it. 

Do you need help formulating a marketing campaign for your business?

If so, don’t wait to reach out to us at HOTH X, our fully managed SEO services. Our experts will handle every aspect of your digital marketing strategy, including defining your unique customer avatar, so don’t wait to book a call today.   

The post How to Define Your Customer Avatar (and Sell More to Them)  appeared first on The HOTH.

No matter what it is you write, you want to ensure you’re conveying your thoughts in a way that’s concise, engaging, and completely free of fluff. 

There are also many different writing styles, including academic writing, creative writing, copywriting, blogging, and many more – each with its own set of rules and standards. As such, writing can seem like an intimidating endeavor if you don’t have much experience. 

Yet, anyone can learn to become a better writer if they employ the right techniques and are consistent with practice. 

So if you’ve been assigned some business writing tasks at your job, fear not, as it’s entirely possible to learn how to write better, even if it’s your first time. 

According to ZipRecruiter, writing is also a lucrative career for many, with the average freelance writer’s salary standing at $63,213. Technical writers can earn even more, with average salaries of $80,000 and above – so mastering the art of writing can become quite profitable. 

That’s why we’ve put together this extensive guide on how to write better for beginners, intermediates, and advanced writers. No matter what your experience level is, great writers realize there’s always room for improvement. 

Read on to discover candid writing tips that will take your skills to the next level. 

Writing Tips for Total Beginners 

For new writers, the first step is to get a solid grasp of the basics. As such, these first few rounds of tips are for newer writers who have yet to produce so much as a short story. 

If writing has long been your kryptonite, it’s time to face your fears. You’ll soon find that by learning the basics, you’ll have a much stronger foundation to work from than you did before, which will supercharge your progress. 

That way, you can start tackling simple blogs, non-fiction essays, and short stories in no time. 

#1: Believe in yourself 

There’s a stigma surrounding writing that you either have it or you don’t. In other words, writing is an inherent talent that some people have, and others do not, and there’s no way to learn how to improve. 

Of course, this couldn’t be further from the truth. 

Yet, this stigma is especially damaging to aspiring writers who don’t strike immediate success with their first blog or short story. They feel as if they just don’t have it, so they give up. 

That’s a shame because next to nobody starts out as a great writer from birth. While some people have a healthy amount of natural talent, it still takes quite a bit of practice and nurturing to become a truly effective writer. 

Don’t believe us?

Do some research on your favorite writer, and you’ll likely discover that they struggled to get published in the beginning. In fact, J.K. Rowling’s initial idea for Harry Potter was rejected 12 times by various publishers. 

However, she was not discouraged by these rejections, and her books would go on to sell more than 450 million copies worldwide. 

Stephen King‘s Carrie, a legendary horror book that was later adapted into a movie classic, was rejected a whopping 30 times before it got picked up. 

The moral of the story? Always believe in yourself as a writer. 

#2: Read instead of watching Netflix 

To really improve your writing skills, you need to become an avid reader. Besides being a bookworm, any reading will help you improve. That means magazines, blogs, brochures, and even things like comic books and manga will help. 

What’s most imperative here is that you not only read what you enjoy but what you intend to write as well. 

So if you plan to write horror novels, read as many as you can to get a feel for them. The same is true for blogs, essays, and sales copy – so don’t be shy about reading your competitor’s work online. 

Without even knowing it, reading will help you pick up on things like:

• Sentence structure 
• Word choice 
• Passive and active voice 
• Proofreading 
• Clichés 

These factors will all lead to better writing on your part, so the next time you’re about to binge a Netflix series, pick up a book instead. 

If you don’t have a lot of time to read during the day, try bringing a book with you on the bus, or listening to audiobooks during your drive to work. 

#3: Start a consistent practice routine 

We’ve all heard the adage that practice makes perfect, but without consistency, perfection will always elude you. 

Building effective writing skills is similar to developing muscles while working out. If you only go to the gym once a month, you won’t see any progress. Instead, you need to exercise your muscles consistently each week to see actual results. 

Writing is the same way. If you only write once a month, don’t expect to see much in the way of improvement. 

Yet, if you set aside 1-hour a day to knock out a piece of writing, you’ll start seeing real progress in not much time at all. After a few weeks, you’ll be on your way to producing your first piece of excellent writing. 

Previously, we mentioned that Stephen King has a rigorous writing routine that he sticks to – which is why he’s the most successful novelist of all time. However, you probably won’t need to go as hard as King does, as he reads and writes for at least 4 – 6 hours a day (wow!). 

#4: Learn how to uncover your inspiration 

Many new writers struggle with finding inspiration, leading them to procrastinate. After all, how are you supposed to sit down and write for hours if you aren’t inspired?

Well, the good news is that you can learn ways to discover inspiration all around you. 

Inspiration is truly everywhere if you know how to look for it, from random conversations at the bus stop to a news story on TV. Instead of blindly going through your day’s motions, stop and look around. 

In particular, pay attention to the people around you every day. Is a friend of yours in a particularly humorous situation? Why not use it in a script or novel?

Famous comedy writer Larry David is renowned for this, as many humorous scenarios and conversations from the popular sitcom Seinfeld originated from his personal life. 

According to an interview he did with Forbes, he would carry a pen and paper wherever he went and found inspiration from “dinner parties where there’s a lot of social interactions, regrets, and faux pas. When people get together like that, it’s fraught with tension.“

David’s method is great for turning on your ‘inspirational awareness.’ Suddenly, everything that takes place in your life can serve as a form of inspiration. Something as simple as your commute to work can generate a ton of writing ideas. 

If you’re writing blog content for SEO, conducting keyword research is the most reliable way to find inspiration (as it will clue you in on what your audience is searching for the most). 

#5: Write about what you know 

Are you having a hard time deciding what you’ll write about?

If so, take a minute to think about your life experiences. What are your primary interests in life? What do you have the most experience with? Are you an expert cook with years of experience? Then blogging about the culinary arts is a perfect fit. 

It’s always best to stick to writing about what you know. 

That doesn’t mean that you have to only write about your boring day job, though. Writing about what you know can be as simple as writing about a feeling you know all too well. 

Have you ever gone through a rough patch in your life where you had to reinvent yourself to come out of it? Or have you ever used your career skills to overcome a massive challenge in your life?

These are all great topics to write about because they relate directly to your life experiences. As such, you’ll have more passion in writing about them for the simple fact that you’ve been through it. 

This rule is also meant to be broken, as it’s often impossible to ONLY write about things you know. Yet, when researching new topics, you’ll probably find a way to relate to them in some way through a similar experience. 

For instance, if you have to write about graphic designers but have no experience as one, perhaps you can relate to their passion for their craft as you do for another hobby, such as writing. 

#6: Rewrites and edits are inevitable (and a good thing) 

Many new writers assume that their first draft is perfect and ready to be published in its current state. 

However, that’s not the way the writing process works, even for simple online blogs. 

Instead, the writing process involves drafting, redrafting, and polishing a piece of writing until it’s as perfect as humanly possible. 

The first draft is more of a jumping-off point than a finalized piece. As such, you should never submit your first draft as a complete piece. Rather, the first step after writing the first draft is to read the entire thing out loud to yourself. 

Why is that?

It’s because when you’re focused on writing a draft, it can be incredibly difficult to consider the bigger picture of the piece as a whole. As a result, first drafts often have a lot of repetition, proofreading mistakes, and an awkward flow. 

When reading the draft aloud, take note of how well the writing flows. 

Almost immediately, you’ll probably notice ways to shorten sentences, simplify phrasing, and correct any errors. 

You should also be on the lookout for unnecessary words that contribute nothing to the overall message. 

If you’re writing a blog for the internet, a professional editor will likely take a look at your work for further refinement. It’s completely normal to go through a few drafts before a piece is ready, so don’t let that discourage you. 

#7: Create the perfect writing atmosphere for yourself 

Every great writer needs a dedicated space to practice their craft. That means designating a writing space somewhere in your home or office. 

Ideally, you want to write in a quiet space that’s completely free of any distractions. In other words, trying to write at the kitchen table while your spouse blares the TV and your kids play in the corner isn’t the best idea. 

Try to find an isolated area where you can write in peace. 

Even if you have a quiet office with a computer you can use for writing, temptations can still seep through. For instance, the temptation to waste time on social media and YouTube may prove to be too great at times, causing you to procrastinate and tank your productivity. 

That’s why many authors find it beneficial to disconnect the internet when they write (or use a dedicated writing laptop that has no internet or apps). That will ensure you have no way to give in to the temptation to waste time, as you’ll have no way how. 

Can you not stand to write in total silence?

If so, don’t torture yourself. Writing while listening to gentle music in the background can be highly beneficial for some.

Be wary of listening to ‘busier’ music genres that involve lots of singing and lyrics (such as pop hits), as they can cause your brain to ‘ping-pong’ its attention between the music and your writing, which can slow you down. 

Writing Tips for Intermediates 

Have you been writing for a year or two now? If so, you’ve probably got a pretty solid grasp on the basics. 

You know how to come up with topics and write a complete piece. Yet, you may still struggle with some grammatical issues, certain writing styles, and other intermediate issues. 

Here are some writing tips that’ll help you hone your skills to the point of becoming an advanced writer. 

#1: Know your reader base (target audience) 

You always want to consider who you’re writing to, and this applies to bloggers, authors, copywriters, and even those who only type business emails. 

It’s marketing 101 to know your customer, and writing is the exact same, but with readers. 

Knowing your audience will influence the type of language you use, your tone, and even the topics you choose. 

That’s especially true if you’re writing content to market products and services to a certain niche. 

For instance, if you’re writing sneaker blogs for a hip crowd – taking a more casual, informal tone (and even using slang) is the way to go. That will ensure that your audience relates to your copy, making them more likely to engage with it. 

Conversely, if you’re writing case studies to sell business professionals the value of your project management software, a more formal, professional tone will yield more success than staying informal. 

Even if you write fiction, you still need to consider the needs of your fanbase when constructing your stories. If your writing resonates with your fans deeply, it’s crucial to uncover why that is, so you can continue to deliver. 

#2: Shorten your sentences 

While this tip is primarily for bloggers and copywriters, long sentences in novels can also become quite cumbersome. 

On average, a sentence should contain no more than 30 words, with 15 words being the ideal length. 

That’s because longer sentences are much harder to read and can muddy the message. A series of short, concise sentences will always be easier to read than one long one. 

Want proof?

Check this out; which do you think is easier to read?

1. A good writer always knows how to hook the reader in while holding their attention, all while building a sense of suspense before the ultimate, satisfying payoff that ties all the loose ends together. 
2. A good writer knows how to hook you and hold your attention. They then build suspense before delivering a satisfying payoff that ties everything together. 

Both sentences convey the same message, but the second one is more concise and easier to read. The first sentence not only goes on too long, but it contains a lot of unnecessary words. 

A great tool for learning how to write shorter sentences is the Hemingway Editor. Named after famed writer Ernest Hemingway, a sentence will turn yellow or red if it starts to go on for too long. After using the editor for a while, you’ll start to write shorter sentences by default. 

#3: Learn to use CTAs (calls to action) 

If your writing has a goal (newsletter sign-ups, product sales, lead generation), you need to master the call to action (CTA). 

While your content may have a few different purposes (educating customers and building brand awareness), a CTA doesn’t beat around the bush regarding what you want from your readers. 

If you want to increase sales for a particular product, your CTA could look something like this:

• If you’re ready to kiss (general problem) goodbye forever, don’t wait to try out our (product name and link) today. 

It’s quick and to the point, but it encourages the reader to take the desired action you want in no-nonsense plain English. 

Here’s a quick tip to remember – only ever include ONE call to action in each piece of writing, as more than one is overkill and will only serve to complicate things. 

Writing Tips for Advanced Writers 

Even if you’ve been writing professionally for years, there’s always room for improvement. 

Writing is something you can do your entire life and still learn new things about, so there’s no shortage of ways to refine your skills. 

#1: Vary your word choice 

It’s normal for writers to rely on their ‘favorite’ words and terms – i.e., the ones that they use the most often. 

It’s the literary equivalent of a comfort zone. 

Yet, repeating the same words and phrases is a surefire way to make your writing grow stale, especially if you write to the same readers. 

The remedy?

Make a conscious effort to mix up your word choices. First, start by making a list of the words and phrases you tend to repeat the most, and come up with two or three alternatives for each one. After that, start peppering in the new words and phrases into your writing. 

To be honest, you should do this every couple of months to ensure that your writing stays fresh, engaging, and unpredictable (your readers shouldn’t be able to complete your sentences for you). 

Also, use the thesaurus heavily, as it’s an excellent way to learn new words consistently. 

#2: Use bucket brigades

For online content, you’ve got to hook the reader as soon as you can and in as many ways as possible. 

Why is that?

It has to do with the average internet user’s faltering (and ever-decreasing) attention span. The average website visit lasts a whopping 15 seconds, so you need to do what you can to improve retention. 

Bucket brigades are a great way to hook readers in and engage them with your writing. They’re simple phrases that encourage the reader to learn more. Examples include (there are plenty in this blog, too):

• Now:
• Best of all:
• Here’s why:
• Why is that:
• What does that mean for you:

You can also develop your own bucket brigades, so feel free to experiment. 

#3: Analyze instead of summarizing 

Many writers fall into the habit of summarizing research articles they read online and doing little else. 

That quickly leads to stale writing that provides no new insights on a particular topic. That’s why advanced writers learn how to analyze something instead of summarizing it. 

Analyzing means you’re actually learning something and paying attention to how it works. Analysis can also involve conducting your own experiments and research. That way, the writing you come up with will be wholly original, and you’ll be able to provide unique insights that readers won’t find anywhere else. 

Final Thoughts: How to Write Better 

Writing well takes time, so don’t get discouraged if you aren’t on Stephen King‘s level by your third week. 

Instead, hunker down and commit to a consistent writing schedule. By following the tips in this guide, you’ll start improving your writing skills in no time. Whether you plan on writing novels or business emails, staunch writing skills are a plus in every scenario. 

Are you interested in more tips?

Don’t hesitate to check out our free SEO resources.   

The post How to Write Better (Beginner and Advanced Tips)  appeared first on The HOTH.

Not only that but every month, 70 million+ blog articles are posted on WordPress websites, generating nearly 80 million blog comments. 

Most bloggers start their blogs to monetize their expertise and knowledge and create an extra income stream. 

The remaining content is a beginner’s guide to the most popular blogging topics.

If owning a successful blog is your goal, keep reading to learn how to improve your chances.

The Most Popular and Most Profitable Topics to Blog About

Most bloggers blog about what they know. 

However, starting a great blog isn’t as easy as simply writing about something you’re an expert on.

One of the keys to preparing a blog is ensuring you have sufficient topics and ideas to blog about. 

One way to do this is to write at least 100 blog topics and ideas before beginning. 

If you were to write two blogs a week, 100 topics would give you nearly 2-year’s worth of blog ideas.

Additionally, when starting out, you may want to consider the concept of guest blogging. 

This involves contacting other blogging influencers and posting guest blogs on their website.

This can help gain you traffic and exposure to a new audience. 

How to Pick a Blog Niche

Another essential task before starting a blog is to pick a subject to blog about. 

If the blog is for your business, the most likely niche would be something about that business.

However, if it’s not about your business, there are many other methods to blog. 

Below are several different methods for choosing what to blog about.

• Pick a blog niche you’re passionate about
• Understand how often you should blog
• Look for a niche with low competition but will gain more interest from your target audience
• Choose a niche in which you have some expertise, especially if you’re blogging about healthcare, finances, engineering, etc.
• Will your topic stay relevant over time? 
• Choose a blog niche where advertisers will want to place ads

Here are some different topics and types of blogs you can choose from:

Food & Drink Blogs

Food in all its glory is an insanely popular blog topic with a huge variety of subtopics and niches. 

That means there are a lot of people out there trying to do the same thing as you. Don’t fall into the category of blog niche saturation.

However, if done right, blogging about food can be very profitable.  

Food critic bloggers, for example, go from restaurant to restaurant, sampling their dishes and passing judgment on their cuisine, service, ambiance, and prices. 

Infatuation is one of the best, but there are thousands more.

However, food blogs on different blogging platforms with recipes, instructions, and cooking lessons are more popular than food critic blogs. 

The subtopics are just as varied, from preparing certain foods to finding the right ingredients, cooking tools and utensils that are best for preparing food, and step-by-step instructions.

One of the biggest subtopics in the food blog niche is wine, beer, and spirits blogs that search far and wide to find the best adult beverages. 

Craft beer bloggers are very popular, especially with craft breweries opening nationwide. (Beervana out of Portland is a standout.) 

Wine blogs are no different, plus whisky, gin, scotch, and, well, name the spirit, and it’s likely got its new blog. 

The Top 5 food and drink blogs include:

1. Food52– One of the premier food blogs online today.

2.  Serious Eats– A leading resource for all things delicious.

3. Deliciously Ella– A simple blog turned into a successful business!

4. A Pinch of Yum– Delish recipes are the heart of this top food blog.

5. Balanced Bites- A virtual nutritionist with tips on eating whole and healthy.

Fashion Blogs

The fashion industry is massive and provides an equally massive number of niches to blog about. 

Blogging about fashion and beauty has made some top fashion bloggers wealthy, although you must note that the topic is highly competitive. 

Fashion blogging can also be time-consuming and require extensive travel and expense outlay. Plus, getting recognition usually takes several years and Herculean effort. 

As with many of today’s blog topics, fashion and beauty have a wide range of subtopics. 

You’ll find it all in one fashion blog or another, from the newest style trends to luxury, bespoke garments, textiles, footwear, fashion shows, and even how to sew fashionable clothing for yourself.

Some of the perks of being a fashion blogger are pretty sweet. 

Free clothing is one of the best, often given to fashion bloggers in exchange for promoting a certain brand or model on their blog. 

Some top fashion bloggers get invited to the swankiest fashion shows in cities like Milan and New York. 

Even lesser-known fashion bloggers can do well as the topic is so big and in demand. 

With literally thousands of sub-topics to choose from, fashion blogging is one of the most popular blog topics on the internet today. 

The Top 5 fashion blogs include:

1. The Zoe Report– All you need to know about fashion.
2. Elle– One of the top fashion blogs by a top fashion mag.
3. Yes Style– Focusing on style in Asia.
4. Popsugar Fashion– All the styles and fashions being worn by celebs.
5. Who What Wear– Celebrity style with a blog name to die for.

Travel Blogs

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t like to travel or constantly dreams of their next travel adventure. 

One of the most popular searches on the internet is for travel, as millions hunt for information, advice, and reviews to plan their next vacation or trip. 

Review blogs are some of the most popular in the travel niche, including reviews of resorts, hotels, vacation spots, tour packages, etc.  

The subtopics for travel blog ideas are seemingly infinite. 

Some focus on a specific city or country and give you everything you could want to know about the people, culture, and attractions. 

Other travel blogs concentrate on getting great discounts for their followers on travel arrangements, including flights, accommodations, rental cars, and tour packages. 

There are travel blogs for hikers, bikers, mountain climbers, and wine enthusiasts, all geared towards letting readers know the best and most beautiful places to enjoy their specific sport, hobby, or interest.

Perks can be fantastic for top travel bloggers, including free hotel stays, travel to specific locations and experiences, and discounts on various travel-related products. 

One drawback is that you have to travel a lot if you want to write about traveling, which can be stressful. 

Five of the top travel blogs include:

1. Dan Flying Solo– A very well-done travel blog by a Lonely Planet Ambassador
2. Y Travel Blog– A blog based on traveling with family
3. The Planet D- Comprehensive travel guides, tips, and itineraries from a fun-loving couple
4. The Blonde Abroad– Tips and info on how to travel solo plus inspirational writing
5. The Points Guy– The best blog for travel discounts, airline points, and travel credit cards

Photography Blogs

Blogging has been a huge boon for photographers around the world, allowing them to show off their work to millions (and get paid for it). 

Many people love seeing gorgeous photographs and hearing stories about how, where, and when the photographer took them.

For many photographers, blogging about photography can be a dream job that allows them to turn their hobby into a full-blown career. 

Photography blogging is also an excellent method for a photographer to advertise their skills and get hired by new customers.

For example, it makes perfect sense to have a wedding photography blog if you’re a wedding photographer. 

It gives potential clients a clear picture (if you’ll pardon the pun) of what you can do for them during their own wedding. 

Many photography bloggers write about how they take their pictures and give their followers tips, advice, and information about becoming better photographers. 

Subtopics in the photography blogging space include nature, fashion, portrait, equipment, and photo-editing program reviews. 

There are even blogs dedicated to photographers who photograph food.  

The Top 5 photography blogs include:

1. Behind the Shutter– An huge catalog of photography tutorials.
2. Creative Boom– Career tips and photography Gear reviews.
3. Strobist–  A blog geared towards lighting your photographs perfectly.
4. The Phoblographer– Photography with a psychological twist.
5. We Eat Together– The authoritative blog on food photography. 

Parenting Blogs

The number of parenting blogs has skyrocketed in the last few years, especially with the recent pandemic sending millions of children home from school to study virtually. 

Even before then, however, the parenting blog niche was quite popular. One reason is likely that parenting is one of life’s most stressful (but rewarding) jobs. 

Parents are always looking for parenting tips and hacks that will make it more of a reward and less stress.

Parenting blogs aren’t just for moms, either. 

Thousands of dad bloggers give their input and advice and put their parenting experiences down on virtual paper. 

One of the most popular subtopics in the parenting blog niche is being a single dad (or mom) and raising kids single-handedly. 

There are even blogs about being an older parent and dealing with the trials and tribulations of parenthood while also getting older.

Some parenting blog ideas focus on reviewing baby and child products, including clothing, toys, and sports equipment. 

Baby food and foods specifically for kids are also a big topic, plus how to discipline kids in today’s modern world. 

Some of the top parenting bloggers have masses of devoted fans who reward their advice, tips, and insights with a generous affiliate income stream. 

Below are the top 5 parenting blogs, including:

1. Scary Mommy– Extremely popular blog with provocative and insightful opinion pieces.
2. Support for Stepdads–  A blog to help stepdads cope. 
3. Parenting today from the Child Development Institute– Top parenting blog from the experts. 
4. BabyCenter– Everything a woman needs to know about being pregnant.

Health and Fitness Blogs

In today’s health-obsessed world, it’s no wonder health and fitness bloggers are incredibly popular. 

From how to get in shape to eating well, fasting, exercise equipment reviews, and many more, health and fitness blogs span many topics and subtopics. 

Certified personal trainers, dietitians, fitness experts, and more have gotten involved in health and fitness blogging.

One drawback when blogging about health and fitness that we should mention is that legally speaking, it’s a topic that could land you in hot water. 

If you’re not a medical professional, it’s essential that you let your followers know this and advise them to seek medical help if needed. 

Some health and fitness blogs have been shut down for providing medical information without the proper licensing.

Still, whether a medical professional or not, blogging about health and fitness is an excellent way to build a following, monetize your expertise and create an extra income stream. 

The range of subtopics is vast, and the demand for quality information, tips, and hacks on staying healthy and fit are massive. 

They include physical and mental health, dieting, healthy snacks, and even what to wear when exercising. 

The Top 5 health and fitness blog ideas include:

1. Mark’s Daily Apple–  Amazing content from a lifetime fitness expert.
2. Carrots ‘n’ Cake- Focuses on women who want to become fit and healthy.
3. Breaking Muscle -One of the best blogs for serious bodybuilders. 
4.  Advanced Human Performance -An award-winning fitness in personal training blog.
5. Blogilates– A huge variety of fitness and health content, including recipes, workouts, diet plans, etc.

Woodworking Blogs

There are few DIY blog topics more popular than woodworking. 

Creating something with wood, for many people, is extremely satisfying and woodworking bloggers know this. 

Some of the best are world-class carpenters who share their advice and tips on how to get the best results from a raw piece of wood. 

Most woodworking blogs include how-to articles, resources for procuring different types of wood, tool reviews, and the latest woodworking tips and tricks. 

The beauty of wood is that you can use it to create so many different things. 

Wood is used in almost every facet of human life from your typical table and chairs to magnificent sculptures, beautiful frames for artwork, or the entire frame for a house.

Subtopics in the woodworking blog space are as varied and unique as the different species of wood you can use to create. 

Some blogs concentrate on home construction and remodeling, while others go deep into the details of creating wooden toys. 

Cabinet making is a very popular woodworking blog niche, as are wood sculpting, how to lay a solid wood floor, and blogs for refurbishing and refinishing antique wooden furniture. 

Five of the top woodworking blogs are below, including one from celebrity Nick Offerman:

1. Offerman Woodshop– What more can you say about a top woodworking blog by the star of “Parks and Recreation”?!
2. The House of Wood– A female Centric DIY wood blogger that includes furniture building, home renovation, and more.
3. The Rogue Engineer– Step-by-step plans for all the furniture your home could need.
4. The Handmade Home–  a wide variety of inspirational ideas and projects for your home.
5. Jays Custom Creations– Plans for some cool creations and projects.

Crafting and DIY Blogs

One look at Etsy, the DIY craft marketplace, proves that crafting is incredibly popular. 

Almost anything highly popular also makes an excellent blog topic, and thus there are thousands of crafting and DIY blogs.

One caveat about starting a crafting and DIY blog is that creating videos to go with your blog articles is essential.  

That’s because many crafts require many different steps to complete. 

Many people are visual learners and will have a better experience if they see something being explained on video rather than reading it in a blog. 

Indeed, many of the best craft and DIY bloggers are also popular YouTubers. 

Crafting may be one of the biggest blogging topics available simply because there are so many different DIY crafts. 

From selling your clothes to making toys, crocheting, knitting, and creating decorations and cards, the list goes on and on. 

One DIY blog niche involves activity blogs for kids that are extremely popular and blogs many parents flock to. The Top 5 crafting and DIY blogs include:

1. A Beautiful Mess– All sorts of wonderful DIY and crafting content brought to you by two talented sisters.
2. Paper and Stitch-. Started by an art teacher ten years ago and is now her main business!
3. Lovely Indeed– This blog has grown to include crafts and home decor. It started as a showcase for wedding projects.
4. Almost Makes Perfect– Crafting elevated to a higher art form.
5.  Aunt Peaches– Simple, inexpensive projects and kids’ crafts.

Personal Finance Blogs

When you consider that personal finance is something most people are never taught, it’s no surprise personal finance blogs are so popular. 

Millions of folks don’t even know the basics of finance, including how to create a budget, take out a loan, or start a retirement fund for themselves. 

Personal finance bloggers fill this massive gap, giving their followers sound financial advice and tips on making better financial decisions. 

There are finance blogs to create wealth, manage money, create multiple income streams, and start a business. 

Some of the top personal finance blogs are followed by hundreds of thousands of people who willingly exchange their time for advice that saves them money.

One of the bigger personal finance subtopics is retirement planning, which grows larger daily as the population ages.  

Blogs ideas on how to invest in the stock market are also popular, as well as blogs on investing in different foreign markets. 

One of the most popular finance blogs of all is Get Rich Slowly. 

It’s also one of the original finance blogs that started in 2006. 

Five of the top personal finance blogs include:

1. Smart Passive Income– Articles on entrepreneurship, passive income streams, and side hustles, among others.
2. I Will Teach You to Be Rich– The name says exactly what the blog aims to do.
3. Wise Bread- Advice on saving, investing, Financial Planning, and reducing debt with straightforward explanations and real-life situations.
4. Mr. Money Mustache– A wide variety of money-saving tips, tricks, and hacks
5. Money Crashers– A well-written blog from financial industry teachers and advisors.

Automobile Blogs

Automobile bloggers tap into this love for anything and everything on four wheels, bringing their followers a wide range of car and truck topics. 

Classic and collectible car blogs are hugely popular, especially the famed “muscle cars” that came out of Detroit in the 1960s and 70s. 

Customizing a car is a huge hobby, and many automobile blogs focus on customization tips, hacks, and techniques. 

There are numerous blog topics in the automobile blogging niche, from those focusing on one specific automobile brand to others that dig into the history of cars and the many revolutionary advancements made in the auto industry. 

How to repair and refurbish cars and trucks is a huge subtopic, especially among the DIY car repair crowd. 

Some blogs focus on investing in cars and flipping cars for extra cash.

Car bloggers travel the world searching for, driving, and reviewing cars, and some of the perks include invites to exclusive car shows and auctions. 

Automotive products are always given to car bloggers for reviews and mentions, and some of the top auto bloggers are world-famous. 

One of the best automotive car blogs today is Jalopnik which features a wide range of automobile topics, news, and reviews. 

One of the most trusted auto blogs today is produced by Motor Trend, whose original print magazine dates back to 1949. 

The Top 5 auto blogs include:

1. YourMechanic– The ultimate go-to blog for repairing and diagnosing auto problems.
2. Motor Verso-  Luxury, high-performance cars are the focus of this excellent blog.
3. Motor Trend– One of the best automotive blogs written by a premier American automotive magazine.
4. Car Talk– This blog is for you if you want your car to go faster.
5. Girls Auto Clinic Blog– An excellent automotive blog geared toward women who love cars. 

Wedding and Bridal Blogs

The wedding industry is one of the biggest globally, especially in the United States and many other countries, popular for honeymooners. 

Millions of people get married yearly, and thousands of wedding and bridal bloggers help them prepare for the big day! 

The sheer volume of different wedding blogs is astounding, as well as the number of subtopics in the wedding blog niche.

Many bridal blogs focus, of course, on the bride, including her all-important gown. 

Other wedding blogs focus on planning the event, what food to eat, and how to have your wedding outdoors. 

There are thousands of wedding photography blogs and even super-niche blogs about wedding cakes. 

One very popular wedding blog niche is how to throw a wedding party on a budget or have the wedding reception at home. 

The Top 5 wedding and bridal blogs include:

1. Ruffled– Advice on throwing a luxurious wedding along with DIY guides and honeymoon planning tips.
2. Love, Inc–  One of the more engaging wedding blogs specializing in inclusivity.
3. The Knot– Your One-Stop source for everything you need to know to get married.
4. Green Wedding Shoes– A fashion-focused wedding blog for everyone from the bride to the flower girls and ring bearers.
5. A Practical Wedding–  Tips, budgets, and timelines to help you get through your wedding day unscathed.

Business and Entrepreneurship Blogs

When you ask many of the most successful entrepreneurs and business people what they owe their success, many will answer with one word; reading. 

Not surprisingly, if you press further, many successful business people will admit that a lot of the information they read comes from business blogs.

Blogs that focus on starting a business from scratch are very popular,  especially today, as entrepreneurship continues to be popular. 

Many business blogs focus on changes in a specific industry, while others delve into the ins and outs of marketing, advertising, and brand building. 

As with many of the most popular blogging topics, there are hundreds of different subtopics in the business and entrepreneurship blogging space.

If you’re going to be a business and entrepreneurship blogger, one caveat is that your knowledge must be on point. 

It’s one thing, for example, to give someone advice on how to bake a cake or make their own table from scrap wood. 

It’s another altogether to advise someone on investing a quarter of a million dollars in a new business. 

Business Insider is an excellent example of a well-run, insightful, impactful business blog. 

From the latest economic news to interviews with top entrepreneurs, trend analyses, and market predictions, thousands of business people start their day with this excellent blog. 

The Top 5 Business Blogs include

1. Business Insider – The best business journalism in blog form.
2. Entrepreneur –  Interviews, book reviews, and business news.
3. Fast Company– The latest advice and Leadership ideas on growing a business.
4. Harvard Business Review – Well-written, influential articles make this a must-read business blog.
5. Small Business Trends – The top small business trends include marketing, management, and technology.

News Blogs

News today travels around the world at lightning speed. 

Depending on what news is important to you, you can read one of the thousands of news blogs that will fill you in on the latest stories and the people at their center. 

News bloggers come in a wide variety of flavors, from business news to entertainment, sports, religion, and international news, to name just a few.

Today, people are looking for news sources they can rely on to provide fair, unbiased accounts of what’s happening and every news story’s who, what, where, and why.  

The Top 4 news blogs include:

1. The Daily Beast– With over a million visitors daily, The Daily Beast is just that, a news beast.
2. Mashable– The best blog if you want the latest on culture, technology, and video entertainment.
3. HuffPost– Thousands of bloggers write for this major news blog covering every major category of news and most of the subcategories.
4. TechCrunch– All the news you need to know about the latest technological breakthroughs.

Marketing Blogs

If there’s one thing about the marketing industry, it is constantly changing. 

Trying to keep up with marketing is an almost impossible task for small and medium-sized business owners. 

To do it, many entrepreneurs and business owners look to various marketing blogs online.

Marketing bloggers engage their readers with the latest marketing trends, how to improve marketing campaigns, and the newest marketing technologies. 

There are quite a few subtopics in the marketing blogosphere, from content and digital marketing to social media, SEO, email, you name it.

Some of the most popular marketing blogs are known for taking confusing subjects and simplifying them for the layperson.

Others give solid advice on running digital marketing campaigns as well as real-world, brick-and-mortar marketing. 

There are, of course, plenty of blogs that focus on marketing trends and best practices. 

The top 4 marketing blogs include:

1. Digiday–  Covers a wide array of digital marketing topics, including online marketing, video marketing, and blog posts.
2. Content Marketing Institute–  One of the best blogs for content marketing being digitally published today.
3. Copyblogger– All you need to know about the most important part of selling online; the copy.
4. Social Media Today– An excellent blog for best business practices when marketing via social media.

The Most Popular and Most Profitable Topics to Blog About: Honorable Mentions

Today’s list of the most popular blogging topics features the best of the best, but there are so many others we felt it necessary to give several more at least a shout-out! 

Below are the best of the rest of the blog topics:

• Affiliate Marketing Blogs
• Pet Blogs
• Product Reviews Blogs
• Gaming Blogs
• Interior Design Blogs
• Personal Blogs
• Sports Blogs
• Life Hacks Blogs
• Mental Health Blogs
• Lifestyle Blogs

Now You Understand The Most Popular Blogging Topics 

Today’s list of the most popular blogging topics is relatively short compared to the absolutely massive variety of blogs you’ll find online at any given moment. 

Of course, the biggest challenge is finding the time to write and edit a blog, especially as an entrepreneur or small business owner. 

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