Content Marketing Strategy: The Final Word on Quality Vs. Frequency

More than a month ago, I argued that quantity, or even better, the frequency, doesn’t determine quality. Since then, I’ve been struggling with this question.

As a brand editor, I make daily decisions about the quality and relevancy of an impressive array of texts, podcasts and videos by also considering the brand’s overall story, their prospects and customers, and channels the content is intended for.

Last month, I twisted Joe Pulizzi’s argument, “Everywhere I go, I find marketers who are challenged with creating more content. More blog posts, more eBooks, more videos, more podcasts … more, more, more. … I’m done with more.” I focused on the correlation between ‘more’ and ‘good’.

It didn’t end there. I’ve been bothered by this a lot. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. And then last week, I came to the same conclusion as Joe. Quality first, frequency second (depending on high quality content that is ready for publication).

It’s not like this is new, but many brand editors and content marketers are under pressure to post new content as many times per week as possible; research shows that even a modest increase in publishing increases leads.

But last week I made peace with myself; it was probably my d’oh moment: as editor you shouldn’t succumb to pressure to publish more. Your main concern should be the quality – not saying yes because there’s nothing else to post but you’re expected to post something.

I’m not saying I’ve been doing that; I just talked to many content marketers who are responsible for sourcing and even writing original content for their site and that’s exactly the pressure they’ve been feeling lately.

It’s like, damn if you do, damn if you don’t. I strongly believe that you should pay more attention to high quality and relevancy, taking all other factors into account. Great quality makes readers come back.

You may say, “D’oh, Nenad.” Well, it isn’t as obvious as you may think. Many are struggling with this. According to B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends Research Report, for example, producing enough content is the biggest challenge across B2B marketers.

Each one of you have to find what’s best for your case. It’s good to look around and see what worked and what didn’t for others. Just because Content Marketing Institute can publish seven quality posts a week (and they worked hard to get to this point), it doesn’t mean you should “copy” them. Every case is unique.

So, if a day or two or three or even more pass by without publishing new content, you shouldn’t panic, unless you promised too much. Rather post when you have something relevant to say. And say it well.

 

How to Cultivate a Popular Blog That Reaches Its Full Potential

Growing a blog takes a combination of skill, hard work, and – perhaps most importantly – a favorable topic or genre. If you’re an ambitious blogger looking to make an impact, sway influence, and even generate a viable source of income, give yourself a fighting chance by taking care in choosing a topic with potential.

Here are 3 universal tips so that you can cultivate a popular blog:

1. Stay Within Your Wheelhouse

The topic you choose to build your blog around must emanate from your core interests and authority. You don’t need a PhD on the subject – just genuine insight and enthusiasm.

Draw from your range of knowledge, experience, and expertise, confirming that you have the passion to develop consistent content and promote it to the audience at large. It’s good to stretch yourself or take on a challenge, but be sure to know what type of blogger you are and be sure to not stray too far from your comfort zone, if you do it’s only a matter of time until you repel your audience.

For example, take Mario Armando Lavandiera, Jr., aka, Perez Hilton. He took his interest and experience in entertainment and media relations, combined it with a gift for sensational commentary and self-promotion, and parlayed it into one of the most successful celebrity gossip blogs the world has ever known. Not only does the chosen topic for PerezHilton have a historic record for garnering mass interest, but also it’s sustainable, producing new stories, personalities, and angles to hold both the blogger and audience captivated over the long haul.

2. Pick a Winner

When focusing on creating a popular blog, some topics profile better than others. A Google search can provide you with lists, facts, and figures on which blogs generate the most traffic or hold the highest potential for making money, such as finance, entertainment, gadgets, and how-to. These subjects not only have proven to resonate with massive online audiences, but provide extensive opportunities for generating advertising revenues and affiliate relationships.

While sometimes a blog can find solid ground by remaining very focused, serving a dedicated industry or interest group, it’s often wise to take an open-ended approach to draw more diverse traffic, demographics, revenue streams, and partner relationships.

Consider Money Crashers, a personal finance blog dedicated to providing commentary on financially responsible decision-making. It not only appeals to the widest spectrum of human beings on the most basic levels (people care about money), but it’s a natural gateway to an array of subtopics, ranging from careers and money management, to real estate and lifestyle. There’s something for just about everyone to sink their teeth into, plus it creates endless opportunities to collaborate with more subject-specific, high-volume websites in order to drive traffic exponentially.

3. Demonstrate a Unique Perspective

While it is encouraging that there exists an ever-growing pool of potential online users, there are millions of blogs competing for their attention. You can choose a promising topic and have the perfect combination of communication and social media marketing skills, but as it is with so many endeavors, there’s typically a “secret ingredient” to sustainable success. Anyone can simply report facts on well-covered topics and attempt to ride the momentum of trending stories. It’s when you dig deeper personally, cultivating a polished, original voice to extract what’s humorous, humane, or even infuriating in each story, that your perspective comes to the surface and elevates your work.

Whether you’re considering the Huffington Post, TMZ, or Engadget, developing a brand identity is essential, considering everything from the logo and slogan, to a mission statement and style guide. While you want to build your popularity by driving traffic from the most traveled highways and byways on the Web, you need to apply your personal touch to supply content that grabs attention, elicits reaction, and keeps the crowd coming back for more.

Just Do It

Opportunity, recognition, and financial reward await top bloggers who succeed in building a large and sustainable audience. By understanding your strengths, identifying a topic with the potential for growth, and perfecting your niche within it, you can put yourself firmly on a path to accomplishing your goals.