When you think of the content lifecycle, what comes to mind? Conducting research, creating a blog post, and then posting it online are some of the main steps involved in the process. But as a marketer, you know the lifecycle of a blog is much more than simply writing a piece of content and sharing it on your company’s site and social media networks.
Ensuring your blog posts bring in successful results for your brand requires your focus from start to finish – not putting time and energy into every stage of the lifecycle of a blog could mean your content won’t connect with your audience, generate leads nor establish your business as an authority.
Check out our infographic and then read on below to learn more about the lifecycle of a blog and how each step works to create content that engages, educates and converts prospects:
Topic selection, content mapping and researching
It all begins with selecting the right topic for your blog post, as this sets the tone for the entire piece. To make sure you get it right, use your buyer personas or take a look at existing content that potential leads have been responding to. You want to answer a question that your audience is asking, so focus on providing educational information.
Once you’ve chosen a topic, map out how you want to the piece to be structured. Conduct keyword research and choose two or three to incorporate into your piece. Seek out related topics created by other companies, and aim to include similar data but also insert a unique spin or angle. Next, you’ll move on to researching. The research you conduct helps create reputable and authoritative content, so be sure to include and cite data or statistics from trustworthy sources.
Writing, editing and formatting
Now you move on to the fun stuff! You’re equipped with your content map and research, so focus on creating a blog that speaks directly to your prospects and provides them with engaging information. Think about the tone you use and take your readers’ preferences into account – will they respond more to an informal, conversational voice, or one that is professional?
Once you’ve written your article, it’s a good idea to have someone else take a look at your blog to make sure no errors or mistakes get through. This also gives you the chance to receive feedback on your content and make any revisions to the flow or style.
Next, you’ll want to think about formatting – if your blog does not look good on your website or social media, the chances of prospects reading it significantly decrease. Additionally, consider adding inline elements, such as photos, videos or graphics, as MDG Advertising reported that content with images receives 94 percent more views than blogs without visual components.
Posting, sharing, analyzing and repurposing
Once your blog is ready to go, posting it to your website is the next step. Frequency plays a key role in how your overall content strategy will succeed – research from Curata revealed that 91 percent of the best business blogs post content on their sites at least once a week. Also, consider sharing your blogs across social media networks, specifically those that your target audience most often uses. A report from Orbit Media found that 94 percent of blogs are shared via social platforms as prospects are accessing these sites at higher rates.
Once your content is up and running on your company site and social media, be sure to analyze how it is performing. Without knowing what makes certain blogs successful, you won’t be able to create engaging and successful pieces going forward. On the other hand, being aware of what’s not working gives you the chance to get rid of features that might be holding your blogs back.
The last step of the lifecycle of a blog is to repurpose it, especially if it has proven to generate leads and engage your audience. Blogs can be repurposed into videos, eBooks, webinars or anything you think your prospects will respond positively to.
By following the best practices for the lifecycle of a blog, you can ensure that your content marketing strategy will bring in the ultimate results for your brand, expand your reach and connect with your potential leads.
