Offer any young child a pile of 20 5p coins or a single pound coin, and he’ll probably take the former. In his eyes, the concept of amount holds far greater weight than the concept of intrinsic worth.
The same happens with content marketing. Marketers regularly set high bars for their content in terms of numbers. They aim to write 20 blog posts a month, shoot weekly videos, record monthly podcasts, etc., then breathe sighs of relief when they hit their goals. But they never realise they’re prioritising the wrong aspect of content creation.
Consistent, high-quality content matters far more than churning out pieces that meet expected output figures but lack engagement or lead generation. Think of it as owning a jingly, heavy piggy bank — sure, it weighs a lot, but what’s it worth, exactly?
Think better instead of bigger
Great content — whether it’s fresh, relevant, educational, or disruptive — comes from careful planning and thoughtful minds. The 500-word blog posts and 30-page e-books of the world really all come down to one thing: being direct and informative to the target persona.
When marketers can check both those boxes, content quality and quantity will be enough to satisfy novice readers and C-suite executives alike. Here’s how:
1. See what you have
Data is your friend, so use it in an exhaustive inventory of your content. By determining which pieces succeed and which flounder, you can gain greater insights into how you should proceed.
Not sure which metrics to track? According to the Content Marketing Association, action and interaction are good short-term measures, rather than raw views; at first, though, use trial and error to pinpoint which ones matter most.
2. Refer to other experts
Leverage your product, customer success, sales folks, and other team members to assist in generating a wealth of content and information. You can conduct surveys and interviews, ask for straightforward contributions, or record thought-provoking videos, then use them to promote new business and write other content pieces.
Deloitte uses Deloitte University Press as an educational tool to help the company extend its reach. The curated pieces on the site aim to enlighten the company’s broad audience by using high-level content to provide new ways for people to interact with the organisation.
3. Make something that counts
When developing key pieces of content, focus on research, data, and creative angles rather than deadlines. Instead of rushing to post a written piece, focus on creating something substantive that cuts through the noise and reaches your prospects.
As marketers, it’s our job to pump the brakes when content becomes a dumping ground rather than a rich, fertile source of information. This means viewing metrics to see which quality pieces are working and which should be shelved. Constant evaluation produces a content formula that’s flexible, agile, and puts the reader first.
4. Be wary of content burnout
If your content production effectiveness and efficiency start dipping below previous standards, look externally. There’s no shame in knowing your limitations.
Every company wants to stretch team members and do more with less. Our company supplements our internal roster of writers, designers, and producers with outside contributors to help us stay on top of content creation without dipping in quality.
Invest in extraordinary content gleaned from third-party sources. Making a call to the bullpen, so to speak, can potentially double your output without missing a beat and let you help in places that might need your assistance.
You’re only as good as your worst piece of content, so make sure that everything with your brand is created with excellence in mind. The next time you’re tempted to “throw together” a keyword-heavy, yet flat, blog post or email, try this — don’t. Sometimes, going back to the top of the page is wiser than hitting “publish.”
By Jeff Epstein, CEO and founder of Ambassador
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