Every minute of every day, substantial amounts of content pieces are published online. The reality is that the majority of this content isn’t particularly useful, as much of it is outdated and you want to avoid publishing outdated content. There are a few reasons why this is the case. Often content marketers and creators plan their calendar in advance and create their content long before they publish it. More commonly, though, content is recycled, and therefore information that may have been accurate years ago ends up in today’s publications.
As a brand, it’s crucial to stay up to date with current trends and only publish relevant content. Here are some ways to ensure that your content isn’t outdated.
Stay up to date with current trends in marketing
To ensure that your content has the best chance of being seen by your target audience, you need to stay up to date with current marketing trends. What was popular last year, or even last month, will likely not be popular today. For example, physical marketing and advertising materials are no longer as effective as digital marketing. By using old methods, you miss out on tremendous opportunities for reach and engagement. Some of the more popular content marketing trends currently are live streams and podcasts. Identify the content that you have in your content bank and which also fits the current trends. Using a DAM software package will allow you to organize and access relevant assets when you need them.
Do your research
The research never ends when it comes to creating and publishing content. Your customers’ wants and needs will change daily, and knowing this information will prevent you from posting outdated content. Though using passive data is helpful, active data will help you to keep your content current and heighten the buzz around your brand. Some of the ways in which you can capture data around your audience are as follows:
- Check out what they are talking about. Dig through their comments in online communities and social media posts. By watching what your audience talks to each other about, you can ensure you create content that resonates with what they are into.
- Use polls. Poll your customers and audience to identify what content they want to see.
- Look at help topics. What are the frequently asked questions among your audience? You can use this information to address their pain points and create valuable content for them.
- What is your audience sharing? Use social media to research what content your audience is sharing. Modeling your content after these details will increase the likelihood that they will share your content as well.
- Who is your target audience following? What other brands and people are your audience into at the moment?
Another element of research is fact-checking. Make sure that any information you post is verified and accurate. Only utilize trusted sources, and if you are posting statistics, make sure they are current and not from years ago.
Keep an eye on your metrics
Tracking your content metrics should always be an integral part of your content marketing efforts. If you aren’t watching the analytics, you can’t identify which of your content is resonating with your audience. By watching your metrics closely, you can recognize which of your campaigns or posts are successful and track where you’re at with your marketing goals. It will help you to avoid posting content that is missing the mark and will help you to change up your strategy. The most important metrics to watch to assess the success of your content are:
- Website traffic
- Sales lead quality
- Social media shares
- Time spent on your website
- SEO ranking
- Sales
- Subscriber/community growth
Follow the lead of influencers in your niche
Influencers are called influencers for a reason. These prominent figures in your niche will influence the decisions your audience makes, and the content they choose to engage with. Influencers are great at building connections with people, and often find or even create current trends. By identifying the most popular influencers in your niche and following their lead, you can keep your audience engaged with your content. You can find relevant influencers by searching keywords, seeing who your audience is following, and locating popular blogs in your niche.
By using these tactics when creating and publishing your content, you can ensure that it’s up to date and has the best chance of reaching your target audience.