You don’t need me to tell you how potent content marketing is.
I could spout off a laundry list of stats, e.g., “conversion rates are nearly 6x higher for content marketing adopters than non-adopters” or “content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing and generates about 3 times as many leads.”
You get it.
But the term “content marketing” is a wide umbrella, encompassing a nearly infinite number of strategies and variations.
What you really need to know is which content marketing tactics will get you legitimate results—which ones will boost your traffic and generate sustained leads.
In other words, which strategies are truly worth your time?
In this post, I’d like to discuss six key tactics I feel are most pertinent for content marketers in 2017.
More specifically, these tactics will give you 142% more traffic in six months.
Here we go.
1. Create multiple landing pages
I’m sure you have a landing page on your website.
But there’s absolutely no reason to stop at just one.
In today’s digital marketing world, customer segmentation is vital, and the one-size-fits-all approach just won’t cut it.
Take a look at , demonstrating the correlation between the quantity of landing pages and leads generated.
According to HubSpot, “While most companies don’t see an increase in leads when increasing their total number of landing pages from 1-5 to 6-10, companies do see a 55% increase in leads when increasing their number of landing pages from 10 to 15.”
Here’s the impact that multiple landing pages can have for both B2Bs and B2Cs:
The point I’m trying to make here is that the more landing pages you create, the more opportunities you have to rank for different keywords, generate more organic traffic, and ultimately increase conversions.
After all, leads are more likely to convert when they arrive on a landing page that’s fully customized to address their specific needs and concerns.
Now, I’m not saying you necessarily need to create 10 or more landing pages. That may be an overkill in some cases.
But what I am saying is that it’s smart to segment your audience and create an individual landing page for each specific customer type.
Here’s an example:
This approach is almost guaranteed to help you reel in more quality traffic.
2. Make infographics an integral part of your content formula
I feel a little bit like Captain Obvious by pointing out the impact of infographics.
But the bottom line is that this medium is your ticket to massive traffic.
Why?
It’s simple. Infographics get shared like crazy.
In fact, “Infographics are Liked and shared on social media than other content.”
Here are a few more stats that prove the traffic-generating potential of infographics:
They’re visual. They’re easy to follow. And they make it incredibly simple to digest complex information that would be difficult to consume in a traditional, text-based format.
Not to mention they’re fun.
There’s something inherently playful about infographics that makes people “eat ’em up.”
Just check out the number of shares this infographic from Copyblogger has gotten since the day it was published back in 2012:
Pretty impressive.
I realize there are definitely newer, sexier content marketing tactics out there.
I also realize that interest in infographics has waned slightly over the past few years.
But they’re still one of the top forms of content in terms of traffic-generating potential.
That’s why I recommend making infographics a top priority this year.
Check out this post from neilpatel.com and this post from Quick Sprout to learn the essentials.
3. Create “cornerstone” blog posts
If you’ve been following any of my blogs for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed I like going big.
By this I mean that I:
- create long-form posts (typically over 1,500 words)
- include a lot of visuals
- include statistics
- cover a lot of facts and details that others may not always touch on
In other words, I strive to provide my audience with as much value as possible.
Keep in mind I don’t always drive the ball out of the park with each blog post, but there’s a consistent level of depth I strive to achieve.
And this has been a big part of my success over the years.
This is why I can’t stress enough the importance of creating “cornerstone” blog posts, and not merely your average, run of the mill posts so common on the Internet.
In a post on Kissmetrics, I highlight just a few of the benefits of creating comprehensive, long-form content:
- higher rankings in search engines
- increased time on site
- success in social media
- a position of authority
One technique I’ve found useful for creating cornerstone content is to treat each blog post like a be-all and end-all guide.
Attack it with the intent of creating a definitive post that will answer nearly any question your audience may have.
Cover the entire spectrum.
I really recommend checking out this post I wrote on neilpatel.com to learn more about this process.
It also includes some concrete examples you can use to guide your efforts.
Now, of course, you probably won’t have the time to create five-plus posts like this each week (or even three).
That’s why I suggest at least considering scaling back your content and focusing on creating fewer but higher quality in-depth posts rather than churning out dozens mediocre ones.
4. Get cozy with video
Here are some regarding the state of live video.
- “Cisco projects that global Internet traffic from videos will make up 80% of all Internet traffic by 2019.”
- “4x as many consumers would prefer to watch a video about a product than read about it.”
- “43% of consumers wanted to see more video content in 2016.”
No matter which way you slice it, a steady diet of video content is going to crank up your traffic.
This brings me to my next point.
5. Behold live video
I’d like to take it one step further and discuss a key video trend that’s catching on currently.
And that’s live video.
Platforms such as Facebook, Periscope, and YouTube offer live streaming, allowing your audience to watch your video content in real time.
In my opinion, live video is one of the top ways to increase engagement levels and bring a massive influx of traffic.
Here are some numbers to back this up:
- “Facebook generates eight billion video views on average per day.”
I love this medium because it allows me to create an authentic, one-on-one-connection that’s nearly impossible to create otherwise.
It’s also cool because most live video services allow you to answer your viewers’ questions, giving you the opportunity to interact with them in a very personal way.
If you haven’t experimented with live video yet, I recommend giving it a shot.
It can push your traffic numbers off the chart.
Check out this post to learn how to use live video to build your personal brand.
6. Harness the power of content curation
At first thought, content curation might make you feel that you’re being lazy or maybe even unethical, as if you’re a poser who’s taking credit for the hard work of others.
But it’s not like that at all.
In fact, “only 5% of marketers worldwide never share other organization’s content, while nearly 1/3 share blogs, industry publications, or other resources on a daily basis.”
Content curation is an integral part of social media marketing, and almost every legitimate brand participates in it to some extent.
When you do it correctly, this practice can do the following:
- boost your brand equity
- establish you as a thought leader
- bring in a steady stream of high quality traffic
More specifically, “41% of marketers that curate content indicate it has increased the number and/or quality of their sales-ready leads.”
The key is to curate content the right way.
By this I mean upholding rigorous quality standards and always ensuring that the content you select is relevant to your audience.
One person in particular who I feel crushes it at content curation is Brian Dean of Backlinko.
Just check out his definitive guide on link building.
Embedded within the guide are plenty of links to external resources that greatly enhance the content and provide additional insights.
Here’s what I mean:
Of course, this is just one example. There are plenty of other ways to go about it.
Just use your imagination.
Conclusion
In my opinion, all six of these content marketing tactics are incredibly useful for revving up your traffic.
They target your audience in different ways, and when used collectively, they can produce a traffic surge.
I’ve experimented with each one and have seen positive results. Collectively, they helped me increase my traffic by 142% in six months.
Be sure to work these into your 2017 content marketing plan.
Which specific content marketing tactic have you had the most success with?
This content was originally published here.