[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]According to a recent Content Marketing Institute Survey, 88 percent of businesses surveyed are engaged in content marketing. Unfortunately, this data does not show how many of these businesses are producing quality content as part of their strategy.
Too many fall victim to a common content marketing mistake: putting quantity over quality. Businesses jump on “content is king,” and mistakenly think this means producing a king-sized amount of content.
They are woefully wrong.
Bad Content Happens
Everything exists in excess online, including poor content. Many misunderstand it’s not about how much you put out there – it’s what it says about your business. A company’s name can appear over and over online, but if it’s linked to bad reviews or reports on product recalls, the overall impact is negative. The same is true for weak content.
The SEO draw is another symptom of bad content. Beginners believe the myth that keyword density leads to higher ranking, employing keyword stuffing as a marketing tactic. But, search engines are getting smarter each day and can easily identify such spam-worthy writing. If your content is caught, you can be flagged or penalized – and you don’t want to be on Google’s bad side.
Why Quality Matters
61 percent of people are more likely to choose a business that offers custom content. That means creating something that speaks to the potential buyer, giving them the information they want, in a manner they can understand. If that’s not incentive enough, think about the content you create and its connection to your brand. Anything online attached to your company name is a reflection of who you are as a business. Poor content can easily translate to poor service in the eyes of a consumer.
Also, the Google algorithm puts emphasis on quality. Time spent on pages, bounce rates and page shares make an impact on your rankings. The only way to achieve good marks in these areas is producing pieces people enjoy reading.
Creating Share-Worthy Content
If high-quality content matters so much, how can you create it for your business?
- Go beyond the hook: Although a catchy title or punchy first paragraph can bring a reader in, you need to keep them reading. Just as a movie trailer can give away the best parts of a film, you don’t want to give everything away with your hook. Follow up it up with substance.
- Think like a journalist: Reporters go through dozens of pitches before following a lead. Generate a lot of ideas, then sift through them for something worth pursuing. As a journalist, do your research but don’t just copy and paste from others’ work. Mold what you learn into something engaging and interesting.
- Write to your reader: Pick topics that interest your audience. Think like your clients and prospects – what do they want to hear? Your content should provide actionable information to your reader.
- Balance consistency with quality: Make a content creation strategy and stick to it. Give yourself enough time to research, write, revise, and revise again before making your content go live.
In the end, ensure you are proud of what you publish. If there is any doubt, hold off. It’s better to leave a timing gap than to risk tarnishing your quality content reputation.
NuGrowth Digital specializes in creating quality content, designed to showcase your business. Companies that want to distinguish themselves need to move beyond self-promotion and NuGrowth Digital can help. Not all content is created equal. Find out how to make your content stand out by contacting us today at 800.966.3051.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” bg_position=”left top” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” class=”author-box”][vc_column width=”1/6″][vc_column_text]
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Author: Sarah Deak
Sarah is a copywriter for NuGrowth Digital clients. She likes to look for the unexpected angle, and uses her background in nonprofit development and marketing to create interesting and informative pieces that drive prospect engagement.
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Sarah Deak is a veteran copywriter and content strategist with NuGrowth Solutions. She likes to look for the unexpected angle and uses her background in education, business development, and marketing to create interesting and informative pieces to equip readers with actionable data