How To Focus Your Content Marketing On The Right Topics

Given the current chaotic state of the world — with content flying like confetti to people trapped in their homes and home offices — marketers must ensure the content they produce is targeted, high-impact and engaging. 

As the coronavirus pandemic forces more and more businesses to slash spending, any company able to create effective, low-cost content marketingOpens a new window will be ahead of the curve.

Just one problem: Many marketers struggle to produce material that reflects what their clients and prospects actually want to consume. Too often, brands focus on topics and subject areas that they think their audiences are interested in — and miss the mark.

For instance, on social media, a recent report from Sprout SocialOpens a new window revealed that there’s a substantial disconnect between what brands post and what consumers actually want to see from them.

On the other hand, many marketers are too focused on finding popular topics on which to create content and stray too far from what’s actually relevant to their brand.

I have some advice for these trying times that could help you find the right topics for your content.

Keep it relevant

Whatever you cover with your content, it has to be on-brand. Consumers should easily be able to see the connection between the topic and your business.

Keep in mind that I’m not specifically talking about original content you produce: The same rule applies to anything you share on social — article, blog, video or even a meme. According to the Sprout Social study, 40% of individuals say they feel a stronger connection to brands that share content that highlights the latest trends in their industry.

The other side of “staying relevant” on social is making sure you engage consumers on these platforms: 44% of consumers agree that they feel more connected to brands that create, participate in and even host relevant conversations online.

Follow your audience

The best way to know what your audience is interested in is to follow the data.

Analyze your success metrics on social and on your website to measure which pieces of content are your top performers. Which get the most likes, comments and clicks on social? What about on your site — which are producing leads and conversions?

By digging into the analytics of your site and social media activity, you can start to identify which media types, voice and tone and topics are most effective for your target.

Effective social listening will help you determine not only the main talking points related to relevant subjects but also will inform you as to where those conversations are being held.

And a friendly reminder to all of you who are doubtlessly laser-focused on lead generation during this pandemic: If your main goal is to drum up leads via your content, you need to think about the type of content you’re creating, which KPIs to focus on and, especially, which stage of the buyer’s journeyOpens a new window the content is meant to impact.

I say this because, as Neil Patel points outOpens a new window , “Content geared toward lead generation appeals to the audience segments in the later stages in their buying journey. Generally, these people know your brand and are somewhat engaged.”

More in-depth, targeted content works best, such as ebooks, long-form articles, white papers and case studies. Product or service-specific informational videos are also great. Keep a particular eye on the number of downloads and qualified leads.

What’s trending?

Creating content around trending topics areas is always a good idea. Finding ways to connect your expertise to topical events and news can really engage online audiences.

Social listening is a good start. Check out relevant hashtags, accounts and groups on the various networks.

Google TrendsOpens a new window , for example, is free, easy to use, and can definitely help you when brainstorming for topics. It also shows you the longtail search phrases and keywords people use in relation to your areas of interest. Then there are freemium services such as Buzzsumo that allow marketers to see what’s trending in the news for a specific topic. You can also use them to dig into specific subjects and uncover articles that have been published on the matter and which are the most popular.

You can use this research to discover what gets the most traction — and apply those lessons learned quickly.