Increasing ROI with Refreshed, Refurbished Content

 Any successful business owner knows that high-quality content is vital to any marketing plan.  And any seasoned marketing professional knows this original content is essential to a successful search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.  Sometimes it’s hard to create content and once you do, it is often published and forgotten about, growing stale and outdated. 

Just like with plastics, glass and metal, recycling is a good thing.  Refreshing an
d updating content allows you to work smarter rather than harder.  With a bit of planning, you can revamp, repurpose and refurbish your content to bring you more traffic and a higher return on investment (ROI).

1. Update Current Content Regularly

The older a blog post or article, the more page authority it can build on the search engine results page (SERP).  That’s great, but you don’t want to drive traffic to information that’s outdated or no longer accurate.

Make a plan to revisit your content every six months to a year and regularly update your current content. During this process, you can check that all links are still working, all data is still accurate, and all facts are still relevant and up to date. In some cases, you may just have to make a few tweaks to statistics.  In others, you may need to add a new intro, summary or just a paragraph to provide updates.  This is much better than having to start from scratch!

2. Create useful downloads and templates.

Everyone understands that blogs are a great source of content and a great way to increase your SEO.  But you shouldn’t limit yourself to only publishing written blogs and articles. 

Explore additional content types such as downloads, infographics and templates that are relevant to your audience and to the written content you provide. If you sell skin care products, for example, you could create a branded checklist of how to care for your skin or obtain video testimonials from customers that are willing to share their positive results.

3. Tease content through videos.

Think about what grabs your attention more.  If you see a post leading with a graphic or video, are you more likely to click on it than if you just see text?  You’re not alone!  Videos help grab our attention and can add context to topics, particularly for highly technical or how-to type pieces. 

Teaser videos can serve as a preview that entices your audience to click through and read the post that you’re promoting. Reuse the teaser video in your email marketing, on your website and via social media.  In today’s age, you don’t need a professional videographer.  Save money and do it yourself or hire an intern using budget-friendly platforms like Adobe Spark or WeVideo. 

4. Consider Offering “Locked” Content

Asking for an email before someone can download your whitepaper, webinar or how-to piece has been called into question by some.  However, when these readers enter their email address for access, they are giving you permission to add them to your email list (provided they check the opt-in box you will put on the sign in form).  This gives you a great opportunity for follow-up, targeted marketing. 

This process is known as gating.  Gating content means the piece is “locked” and requires someone’s contact info to unlock it, such as their phone number and name or their email address.  If you choose this route, it is recommended to create a unique landing page for the content you are locking.  Promoting the unique URL will improve the click thru rates and will boost downloads.

5. Promote new content through digital advertising

Creating online ads is another great way to boost your ROI using your content. Got exclusive data from a recent survey? Planning a webinar on a hot-button industry topic? Share that information directly to your target audience.  Yes, there is a cost.  But it’s called ROI for a reason.  If done right, you will see a positive return on your investment.

It’s important to research where your target audience gets their information before you agree to a spend.  For instance, a tattoo parlor will probably get a better return using Instagram or Facebook than LinkedIn.  But a medical device company who wants to grab the attention of physicians and buying agents will probably do better utilizing LinkedIn ads. But, again, make sure you understand where your target audience obtains their information and that the cost of the ad is worth your investment.

6. Create a newsletter that features your content.

If you don’t have a monthly or bi-monthly newsletter yet – start one today.  These email missives can be used to share your latest blog, news from your organization or an original thought piece.

Along with optimizing your content and promoting it via organic social media posts, an email newsletter is a great way to get your content marketing more exposure. It meets people where they already are and gives you an opportunity to drive more traffic to your website while keeping your brand top of mind on a regular basis.

Just make sure your newsletter is less than the equivalent of 2 pages long.  Nobody wants to read an entire book in an email.

Summary

When it comes to content, it’s about quality and quantity. But you don’t have to have a large team of writers to pull off a content marketing plan that brings in good results. 

As long as you make sure that what you publish is up to date and accurate, well-executed and promoted properly you can improve your search engine ranks.  If done correctly, your refreshed content can help save you time and money while delivering fantastic results. 

Need help creating a content recycling plan?  Contact us today!