Writing

How can you prioritize your content efforts and work smarter? Here’s a 7-step content marketing checklist with strategies that you can implement immediately to get a maximum return on your investment.
This checklist covers SEO, social distribution, and conversion optimization so you can prioritize your content creation efforts and work smarter. Dive in.

Start With 🏁

1. Content audit: What’s already working for you? 🔍

Run a content audit (pull up Search Console and GA) to find out what worked well for you in the last 1-2 years. Update, re-publish or optimize existing content to boost what’s already working.

2. Update existing assets: Add more fuel. ⛽

Optimize existing content for rankings or conversions. Want a good place to start? Head to your sales pages. Do you have:

• Case studies
• Testimonials
• Reviews
• Demo videos?

Make it a goal to capture and update user stories on your website, demonstrating the power of your product.

Optimize your sales pages to max out your conversions.

3. Content distribution: Flip the script. ↩️

Think social media FIRST.

Honestly, as a content marketer, my biggest weakness is distribution. It’s an afterthought and usually lackluster. Distribution is #3 on the content marketing checklist because it’s super important.
Other marketers have figured this out. One example, the GoodMarketingHQ content process, weaves social media promotion into the first step of the content creation process. Hearing this Blew. My. Mind.

Harry Dry starts with the social takeaways and quick tips BEFORE HE WRITES THE DRAFT. Harry used this process to grow his email list from 0-30K in about a year.

Think of social distribution while creating your content, not after. Have social visuals or a Twitter thread in mind while you’re building your outline, think in takeaways.

4. Online communities: Plug in. 🔌

Maybe in 2021, we’ll all be able to squeeze into a crowded bar, grab brunch in a busy restaurant, or dive into a mosh pit. JK. Maybe.

Start thinking of online communities on Slack and Discord as a long-term play. Not a pandemic interlude to your career.

Then, time to upgrade! ⏫

5. Audience research: Get all the intel 👁️

Use Sparktoro to stalk your target audience. Plug in your audience type (say, “digital marketing managers”) and get data on everything from who they follow, to what websites they visit and amplify, down to which podcasts they listen to.

Take that information and use a tool like Buzzsumo to get an idea for which topics perform well on the sites they visit and apply that to your guest posting or blog strategy.

6. Competitor analysis: Identify and fill in the gaps. 🤔

Run a competitor analysis to identify strategies they aren’t using and spot tactics that you can do better.

7. Build backlinks: Think linkable. 🔗

Linkable assets are the virtual equivalent of snagging a downtown apartment in a growing city.

Finding the right interactive content idea can be killer.

In March 2020, the Berlin-based Kids Creative Agency created a comforting replacement: “I miss the office.” The interactive experience of background office sounds attracted over 9K backlinks in a few short months (an SEO’s dream).

The takeaway: Build backlinks to grow your domain authority to go up in SERPs. 📈

But wait, there’s more! Dive into the nitty-gritty, check out a deep dive of these tactics on YesOptimist.