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The Future Of Content Management: AI And Machine Learning

Learn how artificial intelligence and machine learning are being used to improve content management processes.

The Future Of Content Management: AI And Machine Learning

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are being used to improve content management processes, including automated content creation, personalization, and analysis.

The Future Of Content Management - Futuristic technology.Traditional content management practices are time-consuming and resource-intensive.

In recent years, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning have begun to revolutionize the way we manage content.

In this article, we explore some of the ways AI and machine learning are being used to improve content management processes, including automated content creation, personalization, and analysis.

Overview Of Current Content Management Practices

Content management is the process of organizing, storing, and managing digital content. It is a critical aspect of modern business operations, as it allows companies to effectively communicate with their audience, build brand awareness, and drive revenue.

Traditionally, content management practices have involved manual processes such as creating, editing, and publishing content. This typically involves using a team of content creators, editors, and marketers working together to produce and distribute content.

The process can be time-consuming and resource-intensive, and it can be difficult to ensure that all content is consistent and of high quality.

In recent years, however, there has been a shift towards digital content management systems that automate many of these processes. These systems typically include tools for creating, editing, and publishing content, as well as analytics and reporting tools that can help businesses understand how their content is performing.

Many companies are also now using web-based content management systems (CMS) that allow multiple users to access, edit, and publish content from any location, as well as track and measure the performance of the content. Additionally, many CMSs have built-in SEO tools that help improve the visibility and ranking of the content on search engines.

In addition, with the rise of social media and mobile devices, businesses have been increasingly focused on creating and distributing content that is optimized for different platforms and devices. This has led to the development of multi-channel content management systems that can help businesses create and distribute content across multiple channels, such as web, mobile, email, social media, and AI-powered chatbots.

Overall, current content management practices have become more digital and automated, with a focus on creating and distributing content across multiple channels and measuring its performance.

Let’s have a look at some of these digital and automated content management practices.

Automated Content Creation

Automated content creation is the process of using artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to generate written or spoken content without the need for human intervention.

Some of the pros and cons of automated content creation include:

Pros

  • Efficiency: Automated content creation can significantly reduce the time and resources required for manual content creation, allowing businesses to produce more content in less time.
  • Consistency: Automated content creation can help ensure that all content is written in the same style and tone, which can be beneficial for maintaining a consistent brand voice.
  • Scalability: Automated content creation can easily scale to meet the needs of large-scale content production, making it cost-effective for businesses of all sizes.

Cons

  • Quality: Automated content may not be as high quality as content created by humans, as it can lack creativity, imagination, and the ability to pick up on nuances in language.
  • Lack of personalization: Automated content can be less engaging and less effective at building relationships with customers because it lacks the human touch.
  • Limited use cases: Automated content creation is currently limited to certain types of content, such as financial reports, news summaries, and weather forecasts, and may not be suitable for more complex and creative content.

While automated content creation has the potential to be a cost-effective and efficient way to produce a large amount of content, it can lack the personalization and creativity of human-written content. You should be aware of these limitations and evaluate whether automated content generation methods are suitable for specific use cases.

For more information on tools that can help to automate content creation, see this lesson: Content Production Tools

About Natural Language Generation (NLG)

One of the key ways in which AI and machine learning are being used to improve content management with automated content creation is through the use of natural language generation (NLG) technology.

NLG uses machine learning algorithms to analyze large sets of data and generate written or spoken content that is both accurate and easy to understand. This technology can be used to automatically generate reports, summaries, and other written content, reducing the time and resources required for manual content creation.

NLG is being used in a variety of industries to automatically generate written content based on data, making it more efficient and effective to stay informed and make decisions.

Here are a few examples of NLG in action:

  • News Summaries: A news agency can use NLG to automatically generate summaries of important news stories based on data from news articles and other sources. This can make it easier for readers to stay informed and quickly understand the key points of a story.
  • Financial Reports: Financial companies can use NLG to automatically generate financial reports, such as earnings reports and financial statements. This can help to reduce the time and resources required for manual report generation, and also make it easier for investors and analysts to understand complex financial data.
  • Weather Forecasts: Weather forecasting companies can use NLG to automatically generate written weather forecasts based on data from weather sensors and other sources. This can make it easier for people to stay informed about weather conditions in their area.
  • Sports Summaries: Sports teams or news agencies can use NLG to automatically generate summaries of sports games based on data from the game, such as statistics and scores. This can make it easier for fans to stay informed about the performance of their favorite team.
  • Business Reports: Businesses can use NLG to automatically generate reports on sales, customer behavior, and market trends, based on data from their systems. This can help to reduce the time and resources required for manual report generation and make it easier for managers to understand the performance of their business.

For more information on AI-powered tools that can help to automate document management, see this lesson: Managing Customer Support Documentation Using AI Tools

Content Personalization

Another way in which AI and machine learning are being used to improve content management is through personalization.

Machine-generated personalized content recommendations are a feature of many modern content management systems that use machine learning algorithms to analyze a user’s browsing history, search queries, and other data to make personalized content recommendations.

Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of using machine-generated personalized content recommendations:

Pros

  • Increased engagement: Personalized content recommendations can increase engagement by providing users with content that is more relevant and interesting to them.
  • Improved user experience: Personalized content recommendations can improve the user experience by making it easier for users to find the content they are looking for.
  • Increased conversions: Personalized content recommendations can increase conversions by providing users with content that is more likely to lead to a desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a service.

Cons

  • Privacy concerns: Personalized content recommendations can raise privacy concerns, as they involve collecting and analyzing user data.
  • Lack of personal touch: Machine-generated content recommendations may lack the personal touch of human-generated recommendations, which can lead to less engagement and lower conversions.
  • Limited data availability: Personalized content recommendations are only as good as the data that is available to the algorithm. If the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the recommendations may not be accurate or useful.

Examples

  • Netflix uses machine learning algorithms to recommend content to its users based on their viewing history and preferences.
  • Amazon uses machine learning algorithms to recommend products to its users based on their browsing history and purchase history.
  • YouTube uses machine learning algorithms to recommend videos to its users based on their viewing history and search history.

Machine-generated personalized content recommendations have the potential to improve engagement, user experience, and conversions, but they also raise privacy concerns and may lack the personal touch of human-generated recommendations.

You should weigh the pros and cons when deciding whether to use machine-generated personalized content recommendations and ensure that you have the data and algorithms in place to make accurate recommendations.

About Machine Learning Algorithms

Machine learning algorithms are sets of mathematical equations and statistical models that enable computer systems to learn from data, without being explicitly programmed. They are designed to identify patterns and relationships in data and make predictions or decisions based on that information.

There are several types of machine learning algorithms, including supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning:

  • Supervised learning: In supervised learning, an algorithm is trained on a labeled dataset, where the outcome or target variable is already known. This type of algorithm is used for tasks such as classification and regression.
  • Unsupervised learning: In unsupervised learning, the algorithm is not given any labeled data, and instead it has to find patterns or structure in the data on its own. This type of algorithm is used for tasks such as clustering and dimensionality reduction.
  • Reinforcement learning: Reinforcement learning is a type of machine learning algorithm that focuses on learning how to make a series of decisions. It uses feedback in the form of rewards or punishments to learn how to achieve a specific goal.

Your business can use a variety of affordable machine-learning technologies and algorithms to improve your content management processes, depending on your specific needs, budget, and expertise in the field.

Some examples include:

  • Cloud-based machine-learning platforms allow your business to build, train, and deploy machine-learning models without having to invest in expensive hardware. Examples include Amazon SageMaker and Google’s  Vertex AI (see further below).
  • Open-source machine-learning libraries can be used to develop custom machine-learning models for specific business needs. Examples include TensorFlow and Scikit-learn (see further below).
  • Pre-trained language models have been trained on a large amount of text data to learn the statistical patterns and structures of language. These models are typically based on deep learning architectures, such as recurrent neural networks (RNNs) or transformers, and can be fine-tuned for specific tasks with a relatively small amount of labeled data, making it easier for your business to get started with machine learning. Examples include GPT-4.

Content Analysis

AI and machine learning algorithms are also being used to analyze and understand audience engagement with content, process and analyze data on audience behavior such as website traffic, click-through rates, and social media engagement, and help to identify patterns and trends that can inform your content strategy, optimize content, and improve its performance.

For example, an e-commerce website can use machine learning algorithms to analyze data on customer behavior and preferences to recommend products that are more likely to be of interest to them.

Similarly, a retail store can use social media monitoring to track mentions of its brand on social media platforms and understand how its audience is responding to its products and services.

Additionally, content-based sites can use machine learning algorithms to analyze data on how their audience is engaging with their content and make adjustments to optimize the content and improve engagement.

Here are some examples of how you can use AI to analyze and understand audience engagement and identify patterns and trends that can inform your content strategy:

  • Social Media Monitoring: Use social media monitoring tools to track mentions of your brand and products on social media platforms. These tools can use natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to analyze the data and provide insights on the sentiment, demographics, and interests of your audience.
  • Social Media Analytics: Use AI-powered social media analytics tools to process and analyze data on audience engagement on social media platforms. These tools can provide insights into how audiences are interacting with content, such as likes, shares, and comments.
  • Content Personalization: Use AI-powered content personalization tools to analyze data on audience engagement to understand what content is most engaging to different segments of your audience. These tools can be used to personalize content based on factors such as demographics, behavior, and interests, which can improve engagement.
  • Content Optimization: Machine learning algorithms analyze data on how your audience is engaging with your content, such as click-through rates and time spent on a page, allowing you to optimize the content and improve engagement. Additionally, you can use AI-powered SEO content optimization tools to analyze and improve the visibility and ranking of your content on search engines.
  • Sentiment Analysis:  Sentiment analysis is a technique that uses natural language processing (NLP) algorithms to analyze text data, such as social media posts and customer reviews, to understand the sentiment or emotion behind the words and how the audience is responding to content. For example, sentiment analysis can be used to classify text data as positive, negative, or neutral. Using AI-powered sentiment analysis tools to process and analyze data on audience engagement helps you understand how audiences are feeling about your content and allow you to make adjustments accordingly.
  • Predictive Analytics: Predictive analytics is a technique that uses machine learning algorithms to analyze data and make predictions about future events. AI-powered predictive analytics tools help to analyze data on audience engagement and make predictions about how an audience will engage with your content in the future.

Potential Future Developments In AI And Machine Learning That Can Revolutionize Content Management

There are several potential developments in AI and machine learning that can revolutionize content management for businesses in the future.

Here are a few examples:

  • Deep Learning: Deep learning is a subset of machine learning that uses neural networks with many layers to analyze data. Deep learning can be used to analyze large amounts of data on how audiences are engaging with content and make more accurate predictions on how to improve engagement. For example, a news agency could use deep learning tools to analyze large amounts of data from various sources and automatically generate personalized news summaries for each individual reader.
  • Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs): GANs are neural networks and a class of machine learning algorithms that can be used to generate new content automatically, such as articles, images or videos, stories, and poetry, based on a set of existing data and without the need for human intervention. Advancements in GANs can open up new opportunities for businesses to create unique and personalized content, such as creating personalized videos for customers or creating unique images for social media campaigns.
  • Natural Language Processing (NLP): With the advancements in NLP techniques such as deep learning, businesses will be able to create more human-like text, making automated content creation more realistic and sophisticated. This can open up new opportunities for businesses to create more complex and creative content, such as fiction writing or poetry.
  • Natural Language Understanding (NLU): NLU is a technology that uses machine learning algorithms to analyze text data and understand the meaning behind words. NLU can be used to analyze text data from social media platforms and customer reviews to understand how audiences are responding to content and make adjustments accordingly. For example, a retail store using NLU and GANs could automatically generate product descriptions that are both accurate and engaging.
  • Reinforcement Learning (RL): RL is a type of machine learning that uses trial-and-error methods to improve performance. RL can be used to optimize content based on feedback from the audience, such as click-through rates and time spent on a page. For example, a company using RL could optimize the layout of its website based on user feedback.
  • Edge AI: A technology that allows AI to run on devices with limited computing power, such as smartphones and IoT devices. Edge AI can be used to provide personalized content recommendations in real-time, even when a user is offline. For example, a digital marketing agency using edge AI could make real-time adjustments to their clients’ content based on how audiences are engaging with it on mobile devices.
  • Improved Personalization: With the advancements in machine learning, businesses will be able to analyze an increasingly large amount of data on their audience and make more accurate and personalized recommendations. This can lead to more effective and engaging content, as well as increased conversions.
  • Virtual and Augmented Reality: Businesses will be able to create more immersive and interactive content. For example, a real estate company could use virtual reality to create virtual tours of properties, while a retail store could use augmented reality to create virtual try-on experiences for customers.
  • Explainable AI (XAI): As AI becomes more sophisticated and integrated into businesses, it will be important for businesses to understand how and why AI is making decisions. Advancements in Explainable AI (XAI) will enable you to understand and interpret the decisions made by AI models, allowing you to make better decisions based on the results and insights generated by AI.

These are just a few examples of how AI and machine learning can revolutionize content management for businesses in the future. Keep an eye on these developments and be prepared to adapt and integrate them into your content management strategies as these become more advanced and accessible.

Machine Learning Tools, Technologies, And Algorithms

Below is a list of various popular machine-learning tools that can help your business leverage the power of AI:

Amazon SageMaker

Amazon SageMaker
Amazon SageMaker allows businesses to easily build, train, and deploy machine learning models in the cloud.

Amazon SageMaker is a powerful, efficient, and fully managed machine learning (ML) platform provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It allows businesses to easily build, train, and deploy machine learning models in the cloud.

SageMaker is built on Amazon’s extensive experience in developing real-world ML applications over two decades. It is used for diverse purposes such as product recommendations, personalization, intelligent shopping, robotics, and voice-assisted devices.

For business analysts, SageMaker offers a no-code interface called SageMaker Canvas, enabling them to make ML predictions through a visual interface. Data scientists can leverage SageMaker Studio, an integrated development environment (IDE) that facilitates data preparation, model building, training, and deployment. MLOps engineers can utilize SageMaker MLOps to efficiently deploy and manage models at scale.

SageMaker supports a wide range of ML frameworks, toolkits, and programming languages such as Jupyter, TensorFlow, PyTorch, MXNet, Hugging Face, Scikit-learn, Python, R, and Amazon Bedrock. It also provides the ability to customize foundation models in Amazon Bedrock, utilizing tools like SageMaker Experiments to test different models and SageMaker Pipelines to automate and manage end-to-end ML workflows on a large scale.

SageMaker’s optimized infrastructure significantly reduces training time from hours to minutes, leading to a tenfold increase in team productivity. It automates and standardizes MLOps practices and governance, ensuring transparency and auditability across your organization.

Trusted by tens of thousands of customers across various industries, Amazon SageMaker has proven to be a reliable and versatile ML platform that empowers organizations to unlock the full potential of machine learning.

Some of its main features include:

  • A wide range of pre-built algorithms and models that can be used for tasks such as image classification, natural language processing, and anomaly detection.
  • Built-in support for distributed training and hyperparameter tuning, which allows businesses to train models faster and more efficiently.
  • Integration with other AWS services such as S3 and Lambda, making it easy to build end-to-end machine learning workflows.

Benefits of using Amazon SageMaker include:

  • Ability to quickly and easily get started with machine learning without having to invest in expensive hardware or hire specialized staff.
  • The ability to scale models up and down as needed, making it cost-effective for businesses of all sizes.
  • Access to a wide range of pre-built machine learning models, making it easy to find the right model for a specific use case.

More info: Amazon SageMaker

Vertex AI

Google's Vertex AI
Vertex AI lets you streamline your ML workflow, enhance collaboration, and achieve efficient model training, deployment, and monitoring for improved ML performance.

Vertex AI is a comprehensive machine learning (ML) platform designed for training and deploying ML models and AI applications. With Vertex AI, teams can collaborate seamlessly using a unified toolset that combines data engineering, data science, and ML engineering workflows.

Vertex AI offers flexible options for model training. AutoML allows businesses to train models with tabular, image, text, or video data without the need for coding or data preparation. Custom training provides complete control over the training process, including the ability to use your preferred ML framework, write custom training code, and fine-tune hyperparameters.

Once your models are deployed, Vertex AI’s end-to-end MLOps tools enable automation and scalability throughout the ML lifecycle. These tools run on customizable, fully-managed infrastructure, allowing you to optimize performance and budget based on your specific needs.

You can utilize the Vertex AI SDK for Python to execute the entire ML workflow within Vertex AI Workbench, a Jupyter notebook-based development environment. Other interfaces available include the Google Cloud Console, gcloud command line tool, client libraries, and limited support for Terraform.

Vertex AI covers the entire ML workflow, starting with data preparation, where you can perform exploratory data analysis, apply transformations, and split data into training, validation, and test sets. The platform integrates with Cloud Storage, BigQuery, and Dataproc Serverless Spark for efficient data access, processing, and analysis, even for large datasets.

For model training, you have options like AutoML for code-free training and support for custom training with your preferred ML framework. Vertex AI provides tools for hyperparameter tuning, model comparison, and model registration in the Model Registry for versioning and production deployment.

The platform facilitates model evaluation and iteration by offering evaluation metrics, model comparison, and integration with Vertex AI Pipelines. It enables smooth model serving, including real-time online predictions with customizable containers, asynchronous batch predictions, optimized TensorFlow runtime, and integration with BigQuery ML.

Vertex AI includes features for model monitoring, allowing you to monitor performance, detect training-serving skew, and prediction drift. It also offers Vertex Explainable AI for understanding feature attribution and identifying mislabeled data.

With Google’s Vertex AI, you can streamline your ML workflow, enhance collaboration, and achieve efficient model training, deployment, and monitoring for improved ML performance.

More info: Vertex AI

TensorFlow

TensorFlow
TensorFlow is an open-source machine-learning library that allows businesses to develop custom machine-learning models for specific business needs.

TensorFlow is a free and open-source software library for machine learning and artificial intelligence developed by Google that can be used across a range of tasks.

With TensorFlow, you can easily create machine learning models for various platforms, including desktop, mobile, web, and cloud. It has a particular focus on training and inference of deep neural networks and is suitable for beginners and experts alike.

TensorFlow offers resources and tutorials to enhance machine-learning skills, accelerate machine-learning tasks, and solve real-world problems. From processing and loading data to building, training, and deploying models, TensorFlow provides solutions for every stage of the ML workflow.

More info: TensorFlow

scikit-learn

scikit-learn
Scikit-learn is an open-source machine-learning library for Python that allows you to develop custom machine-learning models for specific business needs.

Scikit-learn, also known as sklearn, is an open-source machine-learning library specifically designed for the Python programming language.

It offers a wide range of algorithms for tasks such as classification, regression, and clustering. Some notable algorithms include support-vector machines, random forests, gradient boosting, k-means, and DBSCAN.

Scikit-learn seamlessly integrates with other popular Python libraries like NumPy and SciPy, leveraging their numerical and scientific capabilities. This allows users to efficiently process and analyze data while utilizing the powerful machine learning algorithms provided by scikit-learn.

Notably, scikit-learn is a fiscally sponsored project of NumFOCUS, an organization dedicated to supporting open-source scientific software. This sponsorship highlights the importance and community-driven nature of the library, contributing to its ongoing development and maintenance.

Some of its main features include:

  • Support for a wide range of machine learning tasks, including classification, regression, and clustering.
  • A simple and consistent interface, making it easy to learn and use.
  • A large and active community, which provides a wide range of resources and support for businesses getting started with scikit-learn.

Benefits of using scikit-learn include:

  • It’s open-source and free to use, making it affordable for businesses of all sizes.
  • The library is built on other well-established libraries such as NumPy and SciPy, which provide additional functionality and support.
  • A simple and consistent interface, making it easy to learn and use.

More info: Scikit-learn

GPT-4

GPT-4
GPT-4 by OpenAI

GPT-4 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 4): GPT-4 is a state-of-the-art machine learning model developed by OpenAI that can generate human-like text. It can be used to generate a wide variety of content, including articles, stories, and poetry.

More info: OpenAI

Automated Insights

Automated Insights
Automated Insights

Automated Insights is a company that uses natural language generation (NLG) technology to automatically generate written content for a wide range of applications, including financial reports, sports summaries, and weather forecasts.

More info: Automated Insights

Salesforce Einstein

Salesforce Einstein
Salesforce Einstein

Salesforce Einstein is a set of AI-powered tools developed by Salesforce.

It includes a feature called Einstein Engagement, which uses machine learning algorithms to analyze data on how users are engaging with content, such as email open rates and click-through rates.

This allows your business to optimize its content and improve audience engagement.

More info: Salesforce Einstein

Sprinklr

Sprinklr
Sprinklr

Sprinklr is a customer experience management platform that uses AI to analyze data from social media, email, and other channels to understand audience engagement.

With its natural language processing capabilities, it can understand the sentiment behind customer interactions and provide insights to optimize customer engagement.

More info: Sprinklr

Additionally, many social media tools integrate AI and machine learning technologies into their services, allowing you to automate insights about how your audience engages with your content and optimize your content’s performance.

Summary

AI and machine learning play an increasingly important role in the way we manage digital content by automating, optimizing, and streamlining various content management processes such as content creation, personalization, analysis, and SEO optimization.

This allows businesses to better understand and engage with their audience.

As AI and machine learning continue to evolve, we can expect to see even more advanced and sophisticated content management systems in the future.

Image: Futuristic Technology

Hey Bing, Google, And OpenAI…Thanks A Minion!

You told me to write high-quality content, you sold me on traffic and top 10 search ranking…

Hey Bing, Google, And OpenAI…Thanks A Minion!

After ChatGPT, my AdSense earnings dropped from 5c a day to less than 2c...is Content dead?

You told me to write high-quality content
You sold me on traffic and top 10 search ranking
So I worked wholeheartedly writing words with wild abandonment
Imagining all the riches that I’d soon be banking

You said write for people, not bots
Make it free, don’t paywall it
Hold nothing back, write lots
And our spiders will crawl it

You told me to create unique and original content
Let me tell you, I did, and it’s real bloody hard
The hours, days, weeks, months, and years I’ve spent
To eventually do what…get myself Google barred?

You warned that content scraped, duplicated, or plagiarized
Would get my sites de-indexed and my pages penalized
So I followed your guidelines, I optimized for SEO
And complied with algorithms so strange that seemingly change every few days or so

Then ChatGPT ushered in the New Age of AI
Where you can freely scrape content to present as your own
So I’m prompted to ask cause I’m up for the task:
Are you just going to EEATs me up and spit in my eye
And tell me I shouldn’t mumble and grumble and groan?

You promised us traffic and dangled SERP carrots
But visitors don’t even need to visit no more
Cause now they can all chat with stochastic parrots
But…thank you for links in the footnotes that they’ll just ignore.

What’s the score? When will I get more?
Search engine giants, am I now your whore?
Will I just keep putting out content for you till I’m all spent and sore?
Hey Bing, what’s my edgy thing in this whiz-bang transaction?
Hey Google, where’s my consensual contextual satisfaction?
Hey OpenAI, how do I get a slice of the pie of your hot bot interaction?

I know the time has come… AI has changed the game forever
I know things for some will be hard and for others seriously funny
I’m not moralizing it or ethicalizing it – that’s not my endeavor
I’m just sayin’ that if you’re capitalizing it, then where’s my share of the money?

We’ve all been told that Content is King
And all I hold is my humble opinion
If I’m expected to write to feed Google and Bing
Give me the right to a share of their dominion.

After all, it’s our work that you’re gonna go use it
As the source and the power to drive your AIs
So strive to empower, don’t think to abuse it
And of course, please don’t lose it and be evil guys

You need content creators, it’s simple and plain
You need advertisers for financial gain
We all need to live, so help us maintain
A model that works that we all can sustain

So, Google and Bing, how we gonna sort this thing?
How you gonna be compensating
For the content you’ll be scraping
From everyone who’s given you everything?

In closing, I have one last thing to say
Then I’ll get back to work and be on my way…

I accept that AI is the new paradigm
Except that, oh my, content writing takes time
So, dear Google and Bing, let’s just split the Ka-ching
Make it fair, pay our share, and we’ll all then get by

Let’s aim to preserve some data dignity
When skin in the game and prorata apply
Let’s not pull ranks or make this unruly
Let’s not quibble or squabble over IP or AI

So, many thanks Bing, Google, and OpenAI,
Yours truly, and eagerly awaiting payment in reply.

***

Image credit:
Thank you to all artists,
That helped train the AI,
That helped me create,
That poor little guy.
Source: Dall-E

Content Management Automation

Streamline your workflow and maximize your team’s potential with content management automation.

Content Management Automation

Streamline your workflow and maximize your team’s potential with these content management automation tips.

Content Management Automation - AI Generated image

With the sheer amount of content being produced every day, manual management and optimization can be overwhelming.

Automating certain content management tasks can greatly improve efficiency and productivity and free up your team’s time to focus on more critical tasks, such as strategy, ideation, and analysis.

This lesson is part of our content automation series and provides essential content management automation tips that can help streamline your workflow and maximize your team’s potential.

Content Management Automation Tips

Here are some essential content planning automation tips to help you streamline your workflow and boost your team’s productivity:

1) Use AI-Powered Tools For Content Ideation

AI-powered tools can help you generate content ideas based on trending topics, search queries, and social media activity. These tools can analyze search data, social media trends, and competitor content to suggest topics that are relevant and likely to perform well, provide valuable insights into the performance of your existing content, and suggest ways to optimize it.

Follow these steps to automate your content ideation:

  1. Choose an AI-powered content ideation tool that meets your needs.
  2. Enter a keyword or topic related to your industry or niche.
  3. Use the tool to generate a list of content ideas based on popular topics and trends.
  4. Use the ideas generated by the tool to create new content or improve existing content.

Some popular AI-powered content ideation tools include:

  • SemRush – offers a range of SEO and content marketing tools, including a content ideation tool that can help you generate ideas for your content.
  • BuzzSumo – allows you to analyze popular content and identify popular topics and trends.
  • AnswerThePublic – generates a list of popular questions related to your keyword, which can help you create content that addresses the needs and concerns of your target audience.

See these lessons and resources for more information:

2) Automate Your Content Creation Process

Automating your content creation process can save your team hours of work every week and reduce your reliance on external content creators, which can result in significant cost savings.

You can use content creation templates, pre-designed layouts, and AI-powered tools to save time and generate content quickly and efficiently.

Follow these steps to automate your content creation process:

  1. Identify the areas of your content creation process that can be automated, such as content formatting, image creation, or video editing.
  2. Choose the automation tools that meet your needs.
  3. Integrate the tools into your content creation workflow.
  4. Test and optimize your automated content creation process to ensure that it meets your standards for quality and effectiveness.

Additionally:

  • Use AI-powered writing assistants to help with content creation.
  • Use content creation templates to streamline your process and ensure consistency in formatting and style.
  • Use AI-powered editing and proofreading tools.
  • Create a content calendar to plan and schedule your content in advance.
  • Delegate tasks to team members or freelancers to help reduce workload and ensure timely delivery.

Some popular content creation automation tools include:

  • ChatGPT – helps save time by generating high-quality content such as articles, blogs, social media posts, emails, and other types of content quickly and efficiently. Using predefined templates and guidelines can ensure that all content produced is aligned with your brand’s values and message.
  • Canva – allows you to create and edit images and graphics for your content.
  • Grammarly – offers a range of writing and editing tools, including grammar and spell check, tone detection, and plagiarism detection.
  • Copy.ai – an AI-powered writing tool that can help you write high-quality blog posts, social media posts, and emails faster and better by cutting down your writing time by up to 80%
  • Lumen5  – create videos from your existing content or from scratch using AI-powered technology.

See these lessons and resources for more information:

3) Optimize Your Content For Search Engines

Optimizing your content for search engines can help you rank higher in search results, increase your visibility, attract more organic traffic, and reach a wider audience.

Automating the optimization process can save you time and ensure that your content is optimized for the right keywords, meta descriptions, and tags.

Follow these steps to automate your content optimization:

  1. Identify the keywords and phrases related to your industry or niche.
  2.  Incorporate the keywords and phrases into your content, including in the title, meta description, and throughout the body of your content.
  3. Use header tags and subheadings to organize your content and make it more readable.
  4. Use internal and external links to provide context and authority to your content.

Additionally:

  • Use SEO tools to help with keyword research and optimization.
  • Make sure your content is well-structured with headers, meta descriptions, and alt text for images.
  • Include internal and external links to relevant content to improve your website’s authority and ranking.
  • Use Google Analytics to monitor your website traffic and track your SEO progress.
  • Consider using a content optimization tool to help optimize your content for SEO.

Some popular SEO optimization tools include:

  • SmartCrawl – a popular WordPress plugin that provides on-page SEO optimization tools, including content analysis, meta-tag optimization, and keyword analysis.
  • Google Analytics – Google Analytics provides insights into your website traffic and user behavior, which can help you optimize your content for search engines.
  • Ahrefs – Ahrefs is an SEO optimization tool that provides insights into your website’s backlinks, keywords, and content performance.

See these lessons and resources for more information:

4) Automate Your Social Media Scheduling

Social media scheduling can be a time-consuming task, but automating your social media scheduling process can help you save time, increase efficiency, and post content consistently and efficiently.

You can use scheduling tools to schedule posts in advance and ensure that your content is posted at the right time for your target audience.

Follow these steps to automate your social media scheduling:

  1. Choose a social media scheduling tool that meets your needs.
  2. Connect your social media accounts to the tool.
  3. Create a social media content calendar and schedule your posts in advance.
  4. Test and optimize your social media scheduling process to ensure that it meets your standards for quality and effectiveness.

Additionally:

  • Consider using AI-powered tools to help with content creation and scheduling.
  • Utilize social media analytics to monitor your performance and adjust your strategy accordingly.
  • Be sure to customize your content for each social media platform, taking into account the unique features and audience preferences of each one.

Some popular social media scheduling tools include:

  • SproutSocial – streamline your social media presence by automating the scheduling and publishing of posts across various social media channels, and easily manage your social media accounts from a single dashboard, making it easy to collaborate with your team members and track your social media performance.
  • Hootsuite – manage and schedule your social media posts across multiple platforms, including Facebook, and Twitter. Consider using Hootsuite’s Bulk Scheduling feature to upload multiple posts at once.
  • Buffer – schedule social media posts in advance across multiple social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more.

See these lessons and resources for more information:

5) Use Analytics Tools To Measure And Analyze Your Content Performance

Analytics tools can provide valuable insights into your content’s performance, such as engagement rates, traffic sources, and conversion rates.

Automating the analysis process with analytics tools can also help you track and analyze your content performance, so you can identify areas for improvement and optimize your content strategy.

There are many analytics tools you can use to measure your content’s performance, including:

  • Website analytics tools for tracking website traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates. Pay attention to metrics such as bounce rate, time on page, and conversion rate to evaluate the effectiveness of your content.
  • Social media analytics tools to help you track engagement and reach on social media platforms.
  • Heat mapping tools to help you analyze user behavior and improve website design and content.

Here’s how to use Google Analytics to measure and analyze your content performance:

  • Create a Google Analytics account and connect your website to the platform.
  • Set up goals and conversions to track user behavior and measure the effectiveness of your content.
  • Use the Behavior reports to analyze how users interact with your website and identify popular pages or areas that need improvement.
  • Use the Acquisition reports to track how users find your website and which channels are driving the most traffic.
  • Use the Audience reports to understand your audience demographics, behavior, and interests.
  • Use the Realtime reports to monitor your website traffic in real-time and make data-driven decisions.

Use the data gathered from these tools to inform your content strategy and make data-driven decisions for future content creation.

See these lessons and resources for more information:

Save Time Automating Your Content Processes

See the lessons below for additional ways to automate your content processes:

Content Planning Automation

Content Planning Automation

Streamline your content planning process and maximize your team's productivity with content planning automation.
View Lesson
Content Production Automation

Content Production Automation

Streamline your content production process and optimize your workflow with content production automation.
View Lesson
Content Promotion Automation

Content Promotion Automation

Streamline your content promotion process and optimize your workflow with content promotion automation.
View Lesson
Content Management Automation

Content Management Automation

Streamline your workflow and maximize your team's potential with content management automation.
View Lesson

***

Image: AI-Generated (Dall-e)

Content Promotion Automation

Streamline your content promotion process and optimize your workflow with content promotion automation.

Content Promotion Automation

Learn how to streamline your content promotion process and optimize your workflow with these content promotion automation tips.

Content Promotion Automation - AI Generated image Content promotion is a critical part of any content marketing strategy.

However, promoting your content can be time-consuming and challenging, especially if you have to do it manually.

Automation tools can help you optimize your processes and streamline your workflows, allowing you to focus on creating exceptional content.

This lesson is part of our content automation series and provides essential content promotion automation tips to help you get started.

Content Promotion Automation Tips

Here are some essential tips to streamline your content promotion process and take your content marketing to the next level:

1) Use Social Media Scheduling Tools

Social media is a powerful tool for promoting your content, but manually posting content on multiple platforms can be time-consuming.

Social media scheduling tools can help you automate your social media posting, ensuring that your content reaches your target audience at the right time, and saving you time.

Follow these steps to start automating your social media posts:

  1. Choose a social media scheduling tool that meets your needs.
  2. Connect your social media accounts to the tool.
  3. Create a content calendar and schedule your posts in advance.
  4. Monitor and analyze the performance of your social media posts using analytics tools and adjust your strategy as needed.

You can use these tools to schedule your posts across different social media channels and analyze your performance.

Some popular social media scheduling tools that allow you to schedule your posts across different social media channels and analyze your performance include:

  • Hootsuite –  schedule posts on multiple social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
  • Buffer  – schedule posts on multiple social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
  • Later – this scheduling tool is specifically designed for Instagram, allowing you to plan and schedule your Instagram posts in advance.

See these lessons and resources for more information:

2) Use Email Marketing Automation Tools

Email marketing automation tools can help you automate your email marketing campaigns. engage with your audience, and ensure that your content reaches your subscribers at the right time.

You can use these tools to segment your email list, create personalized emails, and analyze your performance.

Follow these steps to automate your email marketing:

  1. Choose an email marketing automation tool that meets your needs.
  2. Create an email list and segment your subscribers.
  3. Create email templates and automate your campaigns.
  4. Monitor and analyze the performance of your email campaigns using analytics tools and adjust your strategy as needed.

Some popular email marketing automation tools include:

  • Aweber – offers a drag-and-drop email builder and automation tools.
  • Mailchimp – automate your email campaigns with a wide range of templates and integrations.
  • Constant Contact – email marketing automation tools, website builder, and e-commerce tools.

See these lessons and resources for more information:

3) Use Influencer Marketing Automation Tools

Influencer marketing automation tools can help you identify and reach out to relevant influencers in your industry, streamline your influencer outreach, and save time.

You can use these tools to search for influencers based on their niche, audience size, and engagement rates, and automate your outreach campaigns.

Follow these steps to automate your influencer marketing:

  1. Choose an influencer marketing automation tool that meets your needs.
  2. Identify potential influencers in your niche.
  3. Reach out to influencers and negotiate terms.
  4. Monitor and analyze the performance of your influencer campaigns using analytics tools and adjust your strategy as needed.

Some popular influencer marketing automation tools include:

Aspire – influencer discovery and outreach tools with campaign management and tracking features.
Upfluence – Upfluence offers influencer discovery and outreach tools, as well as analytics and reporting features.
GRIN – GRIN offers a range of influencer marketing automation tools, including influencer discovery, outreach, and campaign management.

See these lessons and resources for more information:

4) Use Content Syndication Automation Tools

Content syndication automation tools can help you repurpose your content, automate the distribution of your content, and reach a wider audience.

Follow these steps to automate your content syndication:

  1. Choose a content syndication automation tool that meets your needs.
  2. Identify potential content syndication partners in your niche.
  3. Reach out to content syndication partners and negotiate terms.
  4. Monitor and analyze the performance of your content syndication campaigns using analytics tools and adjust your strategy as needed.

Some popular content syndication automation tools include:

  • Outbrain – offers content syndication tools that allow you to promote your content on major news sites and other platforms.
  • Taboola – a content discovery platform that allows you to promote your content on major news sites and other platforms, as well as offering analytics and optimization tools.
  • Zemanta – offers a range of content syndication tools, including sponsored content distribution, native advertising, and retargeting.

See these lessons and resources for more information:

5) Use Retargeting And Advertising Automation Tools

Retargeting and advertising automation tools can help you target your audience more effectively, automate your campaigns, and drive more traffic to your website.

Follow these steps to automate your retargeting and advertising campaigns:

  1. Choose a retargeting and advertising automation tool that meets your needs.
  2. Identify your target audience and create a retargeting or advertising campaign.
  3. Set your budget and bid for ad placement.
  4. Monitor and analyze the performance of your retargeting or advertising campaigns using analytics tools and adjust your strategy as needed.

Some popular retargeting and advertising automation tools that let you create targeted ads, retarget your website visitors, and analyze your performance include:

  • Google Ads –  Google Ads allows you to create and automate your advertising campaigns on Google search, YouTube, and other platforms.
  • Facebook Ads – Facebook Ads allows you to create and automate your advertising campaigns on Facebook and Instagram.
  • AdRoll – AdRoll offers retargeting and advertising automation tools, as well as email marketing and analytics features.

See these lessons and resources for more information:

6) Use Lead Generation Automation Tools

Lead generation is a key aspect of content promotion, as it allows you to capture the contact information of potential customers and build your email list.

By using lead generation automation tools, you can automate the process of capturing leads and save time.

Follow these steps to automate your lead generation:

  1. Choose a lead generation automation tool that meets your needs.
  2. Create a lead capture form and embed it on your website or landing page.
  3. Set up automated lead nurturing campaigns and follow-up emails.
  4. Monitor and analyze the performance of your lead generation campaigns using analytics tools and adjust your strategy as needed.

Some popular lead generation automation tools include:

  • PhantomBuster – lets you generate leads from all major networks and websites, with 100+ ready-made automation tools for everything you can think of; from collecting email addresses on LinkedIn to auto-following on Twitter.
  • HubSpot – offers a range of lead generation automation tools, including lead capture forms, email marketing, and lead nurturing campaigns.
  • Sumo – Sumo offers a range of lead generation automation tools, including pop-up forms, welcome mats, and analytics and reporting features.

See these lessons and resources for more information:

Save Time Automating Your Content Processes

See the lessons below for additional ways to automate your content processes:

Content Planning Automation

Content Planning Automation

Streamline your content planning process and maximize your team's productivity with content planning automation.
View Lesson
Content Production Automation

Content Production Automation

Streamline your content production process and optimize your workflow with content production automation.
View Lesson
Content Promotion Automation

Content Promotion Automation

Streamline your content promotion process and optimize your workflow with content promotion automation.
View Lesson
Content Management Automation

Content Management Automation

Streamline your workflow and maximize your team's potential with content management automation.
View Lesson

***

Image: AI-Generated (Dall-e)

Content Production Automation

Streamline your content production process and optimize your workflow with content production automation.

Content Production Automation

Learn how to streamline your content production process and optimize your workflow with these content production automation tips.

Content Production Automation - AI Generated imageContent production can be a complex and time-consuming process, involving tasks such as research, writing, editing, and publishing.

However, with the rise of content production automation, your business can streamline its workflow and increase its productivity.

This lesson is part of our content automation series and provides essential content production automation tips to help you optimize your processes and achieve better results.

Content Production Automation Tips

Use these content production automation tips to optimize your workflows, increase your productivity, and achieve better results:

1) Use AI-Powered Tools For Content Research And Analysis

AI-powered tools for content research and analysis can help you gather insights into your target audience, competitors, and industry trends. You can use these insights to create more targeted, relevant, and engaging content, and save time and effort in creating quality content.

Follow these steps to automate your content creation using AI tools:

  • Choose an AI-powered content research and analysis tool that meets your needs.
  • Use the tool to generate topic ideas, analyze keywords and search terms, and gather data on your competitors.
  • Use the insights from the tool to create high-quality, relevant content that meets the needs of your target audience.
  • Monitor and analyze the performance of your content using the tool to refine and optimize your content strategy.

Some popular AI-powered content research and analysis tools include:

  • SemRush – provides comprehensive data and insights on your competitors and helps you identify profitable keywords and topics for your content.
  • BuzzSumo – analyze the performance of your content and your competitors’ content on social media.
  • Clearscope – helps you optimize your content for search engines by analyzing your content and suggesting improvements.

See these lessons and resources for more information:

2) Use Templates For Content Creation And Formatting

Templates can help you streamline your content creation process and ensure consistency across different formats and channels.

You can use templates for blog posts, social media posts, email newsletters, and other types of content.

Follow these steps to automate your content creation and formatting using templates:

  1. Choose a content creation and formatting tool that offers templates.
  2. Choose a template that fits the type of content you want to create, such as a blog post, social media post, or email.
  3. Customize the template to fit your brand and message.
  4. Use the template as a guide to create high-quality, consistent content.

Some popular content creation and formatting tools that offer templates include:

  • Canva – provides templates for various types of content, including social media posts, flyers, and infographics.
  • HubSpot – offers templates for email campaigns, landing pages, and blog posts.
  • Grammarly – Grammarly offers templates for business writing, such as emails and reports.

See these lessons and resources for more information:

3) Automate Your Content Publishing And Distribution

Automating your content publishing and distribution can help you save time and ensure that your content reaches your target audience at the right time and on the right platforms.

You can use scheduling tools to publish your content on different channels and at optimal times.

Follow these steps to automate your content publishing and distribution:

  1. Choose a content management system that offers automation features.
  2. Create a content calendar that includes your publishing and distribution schedule.
  3. Use automation features to schedule your content for publishing and distribution on the appropriate platforms.
  4. Monitor and analyze the performance of your content using analytics tools and adjust your strategy as needed.

Some popular content management systems that offer automation features include:

  • WordPress – offers plugins and automation tools that allow you to schedule your posts and distribute your content across various platforms.
  • HubSpot – offers automation features for content creation, publishing, and distribution, as well as analytics and reporting tools.
  • Buffer – allows you to schedule and automate your social media posts and analyze the results.

See these lessons and resources for more information:

4) Use AI-Powered Tools For Content Optimization And SEO

AI-powered tools can help you optimize and improve the visibility and ranking of your content on search engines, and increase your organic traffic.

You can use these tools to identify relevant keywords, analyze your content’s readability and structure, and suggest ways to improve your SEO.

Follow these steps to automate your content optimization and SEO using AI-powered tools:

  • Choose an AI-powered content optimization and SEO tool that meets your needs.
  • Use the tool to analyze your content and suggest improvements to optimize it for search engines.
  • Use the insights from the tool to make changes to your content, such as adjusting keywords, optimizing meta tags, and improving readability.
  • Monitor and analyze the performance of your content using the tool to refine and optimize your content strategy.

Some popular AI-powered content optimization and SEO tools include:

  • SmartCrawl – a popular WordPress plugin that analyzes your content and provides suggestions for improving your SEO. It analyzes various elements such as content length, readability, and keyword usage, and provides suggestions for improving your content.
  • SemRush – provides the ability to conduct in-depth keyword research, analyze competitors’ strategies, track search engine rankings, identify content gaps, generate content ideas, and monitor brand mentions and backlinks.
  • Google Analytics –  provides insights into how users interact with your website and content. It can help you identify areas for improvement and track the performance of your content.

See these lessons and resources for more information:

5) Automate Your Content Quality Assurance And Editing

Automating your content quality assurance and editing can help you improve the quality and consistency of your content and ensure that your content is error-free.

You can use tools to check for grammar and spelling errors, ensure that your content follows your brand guidelines, and provide feedback to your writers.

Follow these steps to automate your content quality assurance and editing:

  1. Choose a content quality assurance and editing tool that meets your needs.
  2. Use the tool to check for errors such as spelling and grammar, as well as readability and style.
  3. Use the insights from the tool to make changes to your content.
  4. Monitor and analyze the performance of your content using analytics tools and adjust your strategy as needed.

Some popular content quality assurance and editing tools include:

  • Grammarly – checks for spelling and grammar errors, as well as readability and tone.
  • ProWritingAid – ProWritingAid checks for errors and provides suggestions for improving your writing, including style and structure.
  • Hemingway Editor – checks for readability and suggests improvements to make your writing more clear and more concise.

See these lessons and resources for more information:

Save Time Automating Your Content Processes

See the lessons below for additional ways to automate your content processes:

Content Planning Automation

Content Planning Automation

Streamline your content planning process and maximize your team's productivity with content planning automation.
View Lesson
Content Production Automation

Content Production Automation

Streamline your content production process and optimize your workflow with content production automation.
View Lesson
Content Promotion Automation

Content Promotion Automation

Streamline your content promotion process and optimize your workflow with content promotion automation.
View Lesson
Content Management Automation

Content Management Automation

Streamline your workflow and maximize your team's potential with content management automation.
View Lesson

***

Image: AI-Generated (Dall-e)

Content Planning Automation

Streamline your content planning process and maximize your team’s productivity with content planning automation.

Content Planning Automation

Learn how to streamline your content planning process and maximize your team’s productivity with these content planning automation tips.

Content Planning Automation - AI Generated imageContent planning is the backbone of any successful content marketing strategy.

However, without the right tools and processes, this can be quite a daunting task.

Manually planning content can be time-consuming and inefficient.

This is where content planning automation comes in. Automating certain tasks can help you save time and ensure that your content planning is optimized for maximum results.

This lesson is part of our content automation series and provides essential content planning automation tips to help you get started.

Content Planning Automation Tips

Here are some essential content planning automation tips that will help you streamline your workflow and boost your team’s productivity.

1) Use AI-Powered Tools For Content Ideation

AI-powered tools can help you generate fresh and engaging content ideas based on trending topics, search queries, and social media activity. These tools can also provide valuable insights into the performance of your existing content and suggest ways to optimize it.

Follow these steps to automate your content ideation process:

  1. Identify your target audience and the purpose of the content.
  2. Research these AI-powered content ideation tools and select one that matches your needs.
  3. Input relevant keywords, topics, and categories into the tool.
  4. Review and analyze the generated content ideas.
  5. Use these ideas as a starting point for your content creation.

Some popular AI-powered tools that can assist in the process of generating content ideas include:

  • Clearscope – a content optimization tool designed to help you produce high-quality content that is relevant to your audience’s search queries.
  • MarketMuse – MarketMuse uses AI to analyze your content and identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.
  • BuzzSumo – BuzzSumo uses AI to identify the most shared content related to a given topic on social media platforms.
  • Google Trends – Google Trends provides insights into the popularity and relevance of specific search terms, allowing you to tailor your content to the interests and needs of your target audience.

See these lessons and resources for more information:

2) Automate Your Editorial Calendar

An editorial calendar can help you stay organized and consistent with your content creation.

Automating your editorial calendar can help you plan and organize your content in advance, streamline the process, and save you time. You can use scheduling tools to schedule content publication and ensure that your content is published on time.

Follow these steps to automate your editorial calendar:

  1. Determine the frequency and type of content you want to publish.
  2. Choose an editorial calendar tool that fits your needs.
  3. Plan and schedule your content in advance.
  4. Automate reminders and notifications to keep you on track.
  5. Monitor and adjust your editorial calendar as needed.

Some popular AI-powered editorial calendar tools include:

  • Monday – Monday.com helps you streamline your content planning and creation process by allowing teams to collaborate, assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress in a visually appealing and customizable dashboard.
  • CoSchedule – CoSchedule is a comprehensive marketing calendar that allows you to plan and schedule all your marketing activities in one place.
  • Trello – Trello allows you to create a board for your editorial calendar and add cards for each content piece.
  • Asana – Asana allows you to create tasks and assign due dates for your content creation process.

See these lessons and resources for more information:

3) Automate Your Content Research

Automating your content research can help you save time and ensure that your content is optimized for your target audience. You can use AI-powered tools to gather data and insights on your target audience, such as their interests, preferences, and behavior.

Follow these steps to automate your content research:

  1. Decide on the keywords and topics you want to research.
  2. Choose a content research tool that fits your needs.
  3. Input your keywords and topics into the tool.
  4. Analyze the results and gather the necessary information.
  5. Use the gathered information as a basis for your content creation.

Some popular content research tools include:

  • SemRush – provides insights on competitors, keywords, and topics.
  • Google Trends – allows you to track the popularity of a keyword over time.
  • Ahrefs – provides insights on backlinks, organic search traffic, and keywords.

See these lessons and resources for more information:

4) Use Content Planning Templates

Content planning templates can help you stay organized and consistent with your content creation, streamline your content planning process, and ensure that you cover all the essential elements of a successful content marketing strategy.

You can use templates to plan your content themes, formats, channels, and goals.

Follow these steps to automate your content planning with templates:

  1. Determine the type of content you want to create.
  2. Choose a content planning template that fits your needs.
  3. Fill in the necessary information, such as topic, keywords, and target audience.
  4. Plan and schedule your content in advance.
  5. Monitor and adjust your content plan as needed.

Some popular content planning templates include:

See these lessons and resources for more information:

5) Automate Your Content Distribution

Automating your content distribution can help you reach your target audience more effectively and efficiently, save time, and ensure that your content reaches your target audience.

Follow these steps to automate your content distribution:

  1. Determine the distribution channels that best fit your content and target audience.
  2. Choose a content distribution tool that fits your needs.
  3. Set up and configure your content distribution tool.
  4. Schedule and automate your content distribution.
  5. Monitor and analyze the results and adjust your content distribution strategy as needed.

You can use scheduling tools to schedule email newsletters, social media posts, and other types of content distribution.

Some popular content distribution tools include:

  • Aweber – create and automate email campaigns.
  • Hootsuite – Hootsuite allows you to schedule and automate your social media posts across multiple platforms.
  • Buffer – Buffer allows you to schedule and automate your social media posts and analyze the results.

See these lessons and resources for more information:

Save Time Automating Your Content Processes

See the lessons below for additional ways to automate your content processes:

Content Planning Automation

Content Planning Automation

Streamline your content planning process and maximize your team's productivity with content planning automation.
View Lesson
Content Production Automation

Content Production Automation

Streamline your content production process and optimize your workflow with content production automation.
View Lesson
Content Promotion Automation

Content Promotion Automation

Streamline your content promotion process and optimize your workflow with content promotion automation.
View Lesson
Content Management Automation

Content Management Automation

Streamline your workflow and maximize your team's potential with content management automation.
View Lesson

***

Image: AI-Generated (Dall-e)

Don’t Put Yer Content Writers In Charge Of Yer Content Strategy. Here’s Why…

Lemme give it to ya raw, so y’all see the hidden flaw…

Don’t Put Yer Content Writers In Charge Of Yer Content Strategy. Here’s Why…

AI-generated laptop image: Dall-eLemme give it to ya raw
So y’all see the hidden flaw
Why gettin’ from article to conversion
Requires a logical inversion

If you ain’t got no content strategy,
And you ain’t got no content plan,
All you’ll get’s discontent’n’tragedy
When your bizzyness gets out of hand

When it comes to strategizing
Execs gotta make the decision
Coz writers’ got brains that’ll do yer writing
But they ain’t got eyes that’ll see yer vision

Don’t ask writers for ideas
And then ask’em to start writin’
Coz they’ll give ya panaceas
That read good but are seldom profitin’

If you wanna hit yer metrics
You gotta listen to me, man
Start with plain arithmetics
Number one: yer content plan

Don’t ask writers to create one
Coz I’m telling ya, it’ll never fly
Management’s gotta get it done
And I’m here to tell ya why

If y’all blogging to be heard
Then y’all gotta stop yer guessing
Before y’all publish yer first word
Y’all gotta know who y’all addressing

Who’s yer audience? That’s so epic
To generate sales’n’leads
Do yer research and make each topic
Hit yer target market’s needs

Who’s yer writer gonna write for
If they don’t know where they’re going?
How y’all gonna make’em write more
If they don’t know what y’all knowing?

It takes solid information
To gain users’ trust and belief
So get yer systems in organization
And create a content brief

Y’also need a content pipeline
That’ll keep yer content goin’
With written procedures and guidelines
And documented workflowin’

If ya have existing content
Ya don’t wanna duplicate it
So make sure to be consistent
And perform a content audit

And if y’ain’t getting no results
From all yer writers’ rootin’-tootin’
Shelve yer cussin’ and yer insults
And start content troubleshootin’

Yeah, I know y’ain’t got no budget
Nor resources, nor the time
But there’s just no way to fudge it
To make content worth yer dime

Without all this prior structurin’
Yer content production will run dry
And yer content team will be fracturin’
And yer content dream will die

So if yer success is to be no accident
Ya gotta listen to me, dude
Y’all need some serious content management
And a change of attitude

Coz the more work ya pile on yer writers
Before they even pen a word
The less content ya’ll feed to search spiders
And the more yer targets will seem absurd

So until y’all do all to maximize yer team’s productivity
Don’t make’em yer content marketing overseers
Don’t put’em in charge of yer content strategy
Don’t ask’em to brainstorm new content ideas

Don’t make your content writers SEO analysts
Or topic cluster siloing specialists
Don’t send’em searchin’ for trends in yer analytics
And keep’em right out of yer BizDevOps politics

Don’t delegate yer content planagement
Don’t abdicate yer content management
Don’t fixate only on yer content promotion
It’ll just complicate yer content production

Ignore the AI dramedy
Forget one-click automation
There’s no simple push-button remedy
For strategic domination

Develop a content strategy aligned with yer goals and vision
Implement a content plan, don’t forget yer content research
Set up yer systems for tracking and get cracking with yer documentation
And watch yer content creation and yer content metrics converge

If ya want yer content marketing to help get yer vision realized
Give yer writers all they need and tell’em exactly what to write
Then get busy with yer business of expandin’ yer enterprise
Coz yer content will be targeted and hit yer metrics right.

***

Not generated by AI … just I.

Content Management System FAQ

Find answers to frequently asked questions about content management systems (CMS).

Content Management System FAQ

Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about content management systems.

Content Management System FAQsContent management is a critical aspect of modern businesses and organizations.

It encompasses everything from creating and storing content to distributing it to the right people at the right time.

As such, it’s no surprise that there are many questions and misconceptions about what content management is and what it entails.

As this entire website is devoted to helping you better understand why and how to manage your content more effectively, in this blog post, we’ll focus on answering some of the most frequently asked questions about content management systems (CMS), including what a CMS is, the different types of content management systems, the benefits of using a content management system, and how to choose the right one for your business.

***

What is a content management system (CMS)?

A content management system is a software tool that provides a centralized platform for managing digital content, making it easier for organizations to keep their digital content up-to-date, consistent, and secure.

For a more comprehensive explanation, see this lesson: Content Management System (CMS)

What is the difference between a content management system (CMS) and content management?

CMS and content management are related but distinct concepts.

A CMS, or Content Management System, refers to a specific type of software application that provides the tools and technologies needed to manage your digital content.

A CMS includes features such as authoring and editing tools, version control, workflows, and publishing capabilities.

A CMS also provides a centralized platform for organizing, storing, and managing digital content such as text, images, videos, and documents, through a centralized platform, making it easier for organizations to keep their digital content up-to-date and consistent.

Content management, on the other hand, is the process of managing digital content throughout its lifecycle. This includes tasks such as creating, editing, organizing, storing, and publishing content, as well as managing versions, workflows, and access controls.

Content management is a broader concept that includes the use of various tools and technologies, including using a CMS, but also encompasses other types of software, such as digital asset management systems (DAMS), component content management systems (CCMS), and enterprise content management systems (ECMS), which we will touch on shortly in this article.

In summary, a CMS is a specific type of software tool used for managing digital content, while content management refers to the overall process of managing digital content throughout its lifecycle.

For practical lessons and tutorials on content management and its components, go here: Content Management

For a detailed lesson on using a CMS, go here: Content Management System (CMS)

What are the benefits of using a content management system (CMS)?

A CMS offers several benefits, including:

  • Ease of use: Non-technical users can easily create, publish, and manage content without the need for HTML or coding skills.
  • Improved efficiency: A CMS streamlines the content creation and publishing process, making it faster and more efficient.
  • Better organization: A CMS allows for the centralized storage of all digital content, making it easier to find and manage.
  • Consistency: A CMS helps maintain a consistent look and feel for all digital content, improving brand consistency.
  • Accessibility: A CMS allows for multiple users to access and contribute to the content, improving collaboration.

What are the different types of content management systems?

Different types of CMS include:

What are the key features of a content management system?

The key features of a CMS include:

  • Content creation tools: A CMS should have tools for creating and editing content, such as a WYSIWYG editor or HTML editor.
  • Content management: A CMS should provide a centralized location for storing and managing content, as well as tools for organizing and categorizing content.
  • User management: A CMS should allow for multiple users to access and contribute to the content, with features for controlling access and managing user roles.
  • Publishing and distribution: A CMS should provide tools for publishing and distributing content, as well as the ability to schedule content for future publishing.
  • Analytics and reporting: A CMS should provide metrics and analytics to track the performance of published content and inform content strategy.

What are the different deployment models for a CMS?

There are two main deployment models for a CMS: on-premise and cloud-based.

  • On-premise CMS: This type of CMS is installed and hosted on the organization’s own servers. It provides greater control and customization, but also requires IT resources for setup and maintenance.
  • Cloud-based CMS: This type of CMS is hosted by a third-party provider and is accessed through the internet. It offers lower upfront costs and less maintenance but may have limitations on customization and control.

How do I choose the right CMS for my organization?

Choosing the right CMS for your organization requires evaluating your specific needs and requirements. Consider factors such as:

  • Size and complexity of your organization: Choose a CMS that can scale and grow with your organization.
  • Technical expertise: Consider the technical skills of your team and choose a CMS that is easy to use and requires minimal technical expertise.
  • Budget: Consider the cost of the CMS, including upfront costs, recurring costs, and potential hidden costs.
  • Integration requirements: Consider any existing systems and tools your organization uses, and choose a CMS that can integrate with them.
  • Content management needs: Consider the type of content you need to manage and choose a CMS that provides the necessary features and capabilities.
  • Deployment model: Decide whether you want an on-premise or cloud-based CMS, and choose the model that best fits your needs.

How does a CMS improve website accessibility?

A CMS can improve website accessibility by:

  • Providing a centralized location for managing and organizing content, making it easier to ensure that all content meets accessibility standards.
  • Offering WYSIWYG editors and other content creation tools that allow users to create accessible content without needing specialized knowledge.
  • Providing features for managing and updating content, reducing the risk of outdated or broken accessibility features.
  • Allowing multiple users to access and contribute to the content, improving collaboration, and reducing the risk of inaccessible content.

How does a CMS improve the user experience?

A CMS can improve the user experience by:

  • Streamlining the content creation and publishing process, making it faster and more efficient.
  • Providing a centralized location for managing and organizing content, making it easier for users to find what they’re looking for.
  • Allowing for consistent branding and design across all digital content, improving the overall look and feel of the website.
  • Providing analytics and reporting to track the performance of published content, allowing for continual improvement of the user experience.

How does a CMS improve search engine optimization (SEO)?

A CMS can improve SEO by:

  • Allowing for the creation and management of meta tags, which are used by search engines to understand the content on a website.
  • Providing tools for creating and managing internal links, which help search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of the website.
  • Allowing for the creation and management of sitemaps, which provide a roadmap for search engines to crawl and index the website.
  • Providing analytics and reporting to track the performance of published content, allowing for continual improvement of SEO efforts.

How does a CMS support collaboration and teamwork?

A CMS supports collaboration and teamwork by:

  • Allowing multiple users to access and contribute to the content, improving collaboration.
  • Providing features for controlling access and managing user roles, allowing for secure collaboration.
  • Allowing for centralized storage and management of all digital content, improving organization, and reducing the risk of version control issues.
  • Providing tools for tracking changes and managing revisions, improving accountability, and reducing the risk of conflicts.

A CMS is a powerful tool for managing digital content, but it can also be complex and confusing. We hope that by answering the most frequently asked questions about CMSs, you have a better understanding of this technology and how it can benefit your organization.

For more lessons related to Content Management Systems (CMS), click on one of the links below:

Content Management System (CMS)
Content Management System (CMS)
Learn how a content management system (CMS) can help you manage your content more effectively.
View Lesson
Content Management System FAQ
Content Management System FAQ
Find answers to frequently asked questions about content management systems (CMS).
View Lesson
Web Content Management Systems (WCMS)
Web Content Management Systems (WCMS)
Learn about the key benefits and features of a Web Content Management System (WCMS) and popular WCMS platforms.
View Lesson
Enterprise Content Management Systems (ECMS)
Enterprise Content Management Systems (ECMS)
Learn about the key benefits and features of an Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) and popular ECMS platforms.
View Lesson
Component Content Management Systems (CCMS)
Component Content Management Systems (CCMS)
Learn about the key benefits and features of a Component Content Management System (CCMS) and popular CCMS platforms.
View Lesson
Digital Asset Management Systems (DAMS)
Digital Asset Management Systems (DAMS)
Learn about the key benefits and features of a Digital Asset Management System (DAMS) and popular DAMS platforms.
View Lesson

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Image: AI-Generated

Content Types For Different Business Models

Learn about different types of content that you can use in different business models.

Content Types For Different Business Models

Learn about different types of content that you can use in different business models to meet your target audience’s needs.

Different Business Models - Office with laptopCreating content for your business is an essential aspect of digital marketing.

However, it’s not enough to simply create content; it’s crucial to understand which types of content are best suited for your business model.

Different business models require different types of content to be effective in reaching and converting potential customers.

In this article, we’ll explore different types of content that different business models can use to better resonate with their target audience.

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For more details about different content types, including the challenges associated with creating these, recommended best practices, and links to useful tutorials, tools, and other helpful resources, see this lesson: Content Types

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Business Models And Suitable Content Types

Knowing which type of content will resonate best with your target audience depends on a number of things, including how well you understand your target audience and the buyer journey.

The type of business that you operate also plays an important part in choosing the types of content that you will create for your audience.

Some content types can suit many different business models.

For example, if your business wants to create content that is visually appealing and emotionally engaging, then the types of content you would create would include videos, infographics, social media posts, and webinars that showcase your products or services in an attractive and relatable way.

Similarly, if your aim is to inform, educate, and persuade your audience, then the types of content you could consider creating would include articles, whitepapers, case studies, podcasts, and eBooks focusing on the specific problems or challenges that your target audience faces and how your products or services can help to solve these.

Additionally, thought leadership content, such as blog posts, webinars, whitepapers, case studies, podcasts, and ebooks can also be useful in positioning your business as an authority in your industry.

Below is a brief overview of different business models with a general guide to the different content types that may best suit their audience.

B2B (Business-To-Business)

This business model involves selling products or services to other businesses, rather than to individual consumers.

Examples of B2B businesses:

  • Salesforce (cloud-based software services)
  • 3M (manufacturer of industrial and consumer goods)
  • FedEx (transportation, e-commerce, and business services)

Content types that suit a business-to-business (B2B) audience include whitepapers, case studies, webinars, research reports, infographics, blog posts, e-books, and industry news focusing on specific problems or challenges, and solutions.

B2C (Business-To-Consumer)

This business model involves selling products or services directly to consumers.

Examples of B2C businesses:

  • Amazon (e-commerce)
  • McDonald’s (fast food)
  • Nike (apparel and footwear)

Content types that suit a B2C audience include product videos, product demos, customer reviews, influencer partnerships, lifestyle photography, infographics, and social media posts showcasing the benefits and uses of products or services in an attractive and relatable way.

Additionally, creating content focused on the customer’s experience, such as customer testimonials or user-generated content, can also be effective in building trust and credibility with potential customers.

D2C (Direct-To-Consumer)

This business model involves companies selling products or services directly to consumers, bypassing traditional retail channels.

Examples of D2C businesses:

  • Warby Parker (eyewear)
  • Casper (mattresses)
  • Dollar Shave Club (grooming products)

Content types that suit a D2C audience include creating highly targeted and personalized content to reach and convert potential customers, such as email campaigns, retargeting ads, and personalized product recommendations that are tailored to the specific interests and needs of the target audience.

Additionally, brand storytelling, behind-the-scenes content, user-generated content, influencer partnerships, and social media posts to build trust and a sense of community with customers, and creating interactive content, such as quizzes or surveys, can also be effective in engaging with potential customers and gathering valuable data about their preferences and behavior.

C2C (Consumer-To-Consumer)

This business model involves consumers buying and selling products or services to other consumers, often through online marketplaces.

Examples of C2C businesses:

  • eBay (online marketplace)
  • Craigslist (online marketplace)
  • Airbnb (online marketplace for lodging)

Content types that suit a C2C audience include user-generated content, such as product photos or videos, product reviews and ratings, user reviews, testimonials, social media posts, and community-building efforts.

Creating content that focuses on the customer experience, such as step-by-step guides on how to use the product, can also be effective in building trust and credibility with potential customers.

Additionally, creating interactive content, such as quizzes or surveys, can also be effective in engaging with potential customers and gathering valuable data about their preferences and behavior.

P2P (Peer-To-Peer)

This model involves individuals or businesses providing goods or services to other individuals or businesses without a centralized intermediary.

Examples of P2P businesses:

  • Uber (ride-sharing)
  • Lending Club (peer-to-peer lending)
  • Spotify (peer-to-peer music streaming)

Content types that suit a P2P audience include blog posts, user tutorials and social media posts, customer reviews, testimonials, feedback to help build trust and credibility, safety and security tips, and success stories from other users to build trust and encourage participation in the platform.

F2F (Franchise-To-Franchisee)

This model allows a business to expand by giving other businesses the right to use its brand name and sell its products or services in a specific area.

Examples of F2F businesses:

  • McDonald’s (fast food)
  • Subway (fast food)
  • 7-Eleven (convenience stores)

Content types that suit a F2F audience include creating content focused on the customer experience, such as step-by-step guides on how to use the product, interactive content such as quizzes or surveys, and content that focuses on the support and benefits of being a franchisee and helps to attract potential franchisees, such as success stories of existing franchisees, training materials, best practices, webinars, and newsletters.

Affiliate Marketing

This model involves earning a commission by promoting other people’s or company’s products and getting a percentage of the sale when a customer clicks through an affiliate link and makes a purchase.

Examples of affiliate marketing businesses:

  • Amazon (affiliate program)
  • Shareasale (affiliate program)
  • Commission Junction (affiliate marketing network)

Content types that suit this business model include blog posts, videos, webinars, social media posts, and email campaigns focusing on the benefits of using affiliate marketing, potential earning opportunities, and strategies and tips for effectively promoting affiliate products and earning commissions to attract potential affiliate partners.

More info: Managing Your Affiliate Content

Bartering

Bartering businesses exchange goods or services with other businesses or individuals without using money as a medium of exchange.

Examples of bartering businesses:

  • Bartercard (barter exchange network)
  • Barter.net (barter exchange network)
  • ITEX (barter exchange network)

Content types that suit this business model include articles, videos, social media posts, webinars, newsletters, and case studies that explain the process and benefits of bartering goods or services and provide tips on finding suitable trading partners, creating a fair exchange, and building a successful bartering network.

Co-Creation

Co-creation businesses work with customers to design and develop products or services, allowing them to co-create value.

Examples of co-creation businesses:

  • Lego (toy building blocks)
  • Threadless (crowdsourced t-shirt designs)
  • Quirky (crowdsourced product development)

Content types that suit this business model include blog posts, videos, and case studies showcasing the process and benefits of co-creating products or services with customers to encourage customers to actively participate in the design and development of a product or service.

Examples include open-source software development, crowdsourced product design, and online forums for customer feedback.

Collaborative Consumption

This model involves sharing access to products or services, such as car-sharing or tool-sharing, rather than owning them outright.

Examples of collaborative consumption businesses:

  • Zipcar (car-sharing)
  • Airbnb (lodging)
  • ThredUp (clothing swapping)

Content types that suit this business model include blog posts, infographics, and case studies that educate on the benefits of sharing and renting products instead of buying them outright and highlight the environmental and social benefits of sharing resources, such as reduced consumption and increased community engagement.

Examples include infographics, videos, and articles that highlight the impact of collaborative consumption on the environment, local communities, and the economy.

Community-Based

Community-based businesses rely on the support and participation of a specific community, such as a local neighborhood or interest group, in order to succeed.

Examples of community-based businesses:

  • Nextdoor (social networking for neighborhoods)
  • Meetup (social networking for groups)
  • Kickstarter (crowdfunding platform)

Content types that suit this business model include videos, blog posts, and social media posts highlighting the impact of community engagement on business success, case studies of successful community-based businesses, and content emphasizing the importance of community and the benefits of building strong relationships with customers and other stakeholders.

Crowdfunding

This business model involves raising funds for a project or venture by soliciting small contributions from a large number of people, usually through the internet.

Examples of crowdfunding businesses:

  • Kickstarter (crowdfunding platform)
  • Indiegogo (crowdfunding platform)
  • GoFundMe (crowdfunding platform)

Content types that suit this business model include videos, blog posts, social media posts, success stories, testimonials, and behind-the-scenes content focusing on the story behind the idea, the impact it will have on the community, and the benefits and perks of supporting the project to build trust and credibility with potential funders, and encourage participation in the crowdfunding campaign.

Dropshipping

This model involves an online retailer who accepts customer orders but does not keep goods sold in stock, instead, it transfers customer orders and shipment details to either the manufacturer, another retailer, or a wholesaler, who then ships the goods directly to the customer.

Examples of dropshipping businesses:

  • Wayfair (online furniture retailer)
  • Zulily (online retailer)
  • Overstock (online retailer)

Content types that suit this business model include blog posts, videos, ebooks, webinars, and case studies focusing on the benefits and value of dropshipping for e-commerce businesses, such as low overhead costs and flexible inventory management to attract potential customers.

Freemium

Freemium businesses offer a basic service or product for free but charge for additional features or higher levels of service.

Examples of freemium businesses:

  • LinkedIn (professional networking)
  • Spotify (music streaming)
  • Dropbox (cloud storage)

Content types that suit this business model include comparison charts, feature breakdowns, and success stories that focus on the benefits and value of the premium version of the product or service, highlight the additional benefits of upgrading to a paid subscription, and help to convert free users into paying customers.

Hybrid

Hybrid businesses combine elements of different business models to create a unique approach to selling products or services.

Examples of hybrid businesses:

  • Amazon (e-commerce and cloud computing)
  • Tesla (automotive and energy)
  • Netflix (streaming video and DVD rental)

Content types that suit this business model include a variety of content types like case studies, infographics, videos, and blog posts tailored to the different aspects of the business that communicate the unique value proposition of the hybrid business model.

This can include creating informative and educational content for B2B aspects, visually appealing and emotionally engaging content for B2C aspects, and targeted and personalized content for D2C aspects.

Additionally, creating interactive content, such as quizzes or surveys, can also be effective in engaging with potential customers and gathering valuable data about their preferences and behavior.

Licensing

Licensing businesses grant the right to use a specific asset, such as a patent, trademark, or copyrighted material, in exchange for a fee or royalty payment.

Examples of licensing businesses:

  • Microsoft (technology licensing)
  • McDonald’s (franchise licensing)
  • Disney (entertainment licensing)

Content types that suit this business model include content focusing on specific terms and benefits of the licensing agreement and the value of using the products or services, such as license agreements, FAQs, and testimonials to attract potential licensees.

Low-Cost

Low-cost businesses offer products or services at lower prices than competitors by keeping costs low and efficiency high.

Examples of low-cost businesses:

  • Ryanair (airline)
  • Aldi (grocery store)
  • Dollar Tree (discount store)

Content types that suit this business model include blog posts, videos, case studies, infographics, comparison charts, and customer testimonials that illustrate the cost-saving measures and strategies the business uses to offer low prices, demonstrate how businesses can operate successfully while keeping costs low, and emphasize the benefits of low-cost business models, such as affordability, and scalability.

Non-Profit

Non-profit businesses operate solely for the purpose of achieving a social or environmental mission, rather than to make a profit.

Examples of non-profit companies:

  • Amnesty International (human rights organization)
  • UNICEF (children’s rights and emergency relief)
  • Oxfam (poverty alleviation)

Content types that suit this business model include videos, articles, social media posts, infographics,  impact reports, and donation or volunteer call-to-action content explaining the mission and goals of a non-profit organization, the importance of non-profits in society, how they are funded, how they measure success, how they differ from for-profit businesses and highlighting success stories of those who have benefited from the organization’s programs or services to encourage more donations or support.

On-Demand

On-demand businesses provide goods or services to customers immediately, as soon as they are requested, rather than in advance.

Examples of on-demand businesses:

  • Uber (ride-sharing)
  • GrubHub (food delivery)
  • Instacart (grocery delivery)

Content types that suit this business model include video demonstrations of on-demand services, customer testimonials, guides on how to use on-demand services, blog posts, social media posts, infographics, and case studies explaining the benefits of on-demand services, such as convenience, flexibility, and immediacy.

Pay-Per-Performance

Pay-per-performance businesses charge customers based on the performance of a product or service, such as pay-per-lead or pay-per-sale.

Examples of pay-per-performance businesses:

  • Google AdWords (pay-per-click advertising)
  • Amazon Mechanical Turk (human intelligence tasks)
  • Upwork (freelance marketplace)

Content types that suit this business model include metrics, case studies, and testimonials emphasizing the results that customers can expect from using a product or service, such as increased productivity, improved sales, or higher ROI.

Pay-Per-Use

Pay-per-use businesses charge customers based on the number of times they use a product or service, such as pay-per-view or pay-per-click.

Examples of pay-per-use businesses:

  • Zipcar (car-sharing)
  • Netflix (streaming video)
  • Spotify (music streaming)

Content types that suit this business model include content highlighting the benefits of using a product or service on a pay-per-use basis, such as cost savings, flexibility, and convenience with information on pricing and usage.

Examples include articles and video tutorials on how to use a software platform or product demonstrations of rental equipment.

Pay-What-You-Want

Pay-what-you-want businesses allow customers to pay what they want for a product or service, with the option to pay nothing at all.

Examples of pay-what-you-want businesses:

  • Radiohead (music band)
  • Humble Bundle (digital storefront)
  • Some independent coffee shops or cafes

Content types that suit this business model include blog posts, videos, social media posts, and success stories focusing on the benefits and value of the product, service, and pricing model to attract potential customers.

Pop-Up

Pop-up businesses open temporarily in a specific location, such as a shopping mall, before moving on to a different location.

Examples of pop-up businesses:

  • Warby Parker (eyewear)
  • Rent the Runway (clothing rental)
  • Birchbox (subscription box service)

Content types that suit this business model include videos, articles, social media posts, and behind-the-scenes content highlighting the unique and temporary nature of the pop-up, with discounts and promotions to encourage customers to visit before the pop-up shop or event is gone.

Platform-Based

Platform-based businesses create a platform that connects different parties, such as buyers and sellers, and earn revenue through commissions or fees.

Examples of platform-based businesses:

  • Uber (ride-sharing)
  • Airbnb (lodging)
  • Amazon (e-commerce)

Content types that suit this business model include videos, social media posts, user tutorials, webinars, and success stories that help users navigate and make the most out of the platform and content that focuses on the benefits and value of using the platform, such as testimonials from satisfied customers, to help attract new users and retain existing ones.

Reverse Auction

Reverse auction businesses allow customers to bid on products or services, with the lowest bid winning.

Examples of reverse auction businesses:

  • Priceline (online travel agency)
  • eBay (online marketplace)
  • Uber (ride-sharing)

Content types that suit this business model include infographics, videos, and articles that explain how the reverse auction model works and its benefits, such as cost savings and increased competition among suppliers, step-by-step guides on how to participate in a reverse auction, case studies of successful reverse auctions, tips for buyers on how to get the best deals, and information on the specific terms and benefits of this pricing model.

Sharing Economy

Sharing economy businesses allow customers to share resources, such as cars, tools, or equipment, as well as services, such as accommodation or transportation, rather than owning them outright.

Examples of sharing economy businesses:

  • Uber (ride-sharing)
  • Airbnb (lodging)
  • Zipcar (car-sharing)

Content types that suit this business model include blog posts, infographics, videos, and case studies explaining how the sharing economy works and how it can benefit individuals and communities, success stories from companies that have implemented it, and content emphasizing the benefits of sharing resources, such as cost savings and increased access to goods and services.

Social Enterprise

Social enterprise businesses prioritize social and environmental impact alongside financial success.

Examples of social enterprise businesses:

  • TOMS (shoes)
  • Warby Parker (eyewear)
  • Patagonia (apparel)

Content types that suit this business model include videos, articles, and social media explaining the principles of social enterprise to achieve social and environmental goals and content that explains the concept and benefits of integrating social and environmental impact into the business model.

Subscription-Based

This model involves customers paying a recurring fee to access a product or service, such as a monthly magazine subscription or a streaming service.

Examples of subscription-based businesses:

  • Netflix (streaming video)
  • Spotify (music streaming)
  • Birchbox (subscription box service)

Content types that suit this business model include videos, infographics, social media posts, customer testimonials, and user-generated content.

Also, creating educational content such as how-to guides, expert interviews, webinars, and newsletters focusing on the benefits and value of the subscription and the unique features of the product or service to attract and retain subscribers and justify the ongoing cost of a subscription.

Virtual Business

This model refers to businesses that are entirely online-based and do not have a physical storefront or location.

Examples of virtual businesses:

  • Alibaba (online marketplaces)
  • Amazon (e-commerce)
  • Automattic (the company that runs WordPress)

Content types that suit this business model include blog posts, webinars, ebooks, social media posts,  and case studies explaining the benefits and logistics of running a virtual business such as lower overhead costs, greater flexibility, and the ability to reach a global audience, and how the business operates entirely or primarily online.

Wholesale

Wholesale businesses purchase products in bulk from manufacturers or distributors and resell them to retailers or directly to consumers at a higher price.

Examples of wholesale businesses:

  • Costco (membership-based warehouse club)
  • BJ’s Wholesale Club (membership-based warehouse club)
  • Sam’s Club (membership-based warehouse club)

Content types that suit this business model include content that educates other businesses on the benefits and cost savings of buying in bulk, such as product catalogs, bulk pricing information, videos, blog posts, and case studies.

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There are many other different business models and variations, and new ones can be created as the market and technology evolve.

Additionally, some businesses may also use a combination of different business models to achieve their goals.

Creating content tailored to your business model is crucial in reaching and converting potential customers. Whether you have a B2B, B2C, or D2C model, understanding the specific needs and preferences of your target audience is key to creating content that resonates with them.

By focusing on the types of content that are most effective for your business model, you can increase your chances of reaching and converting potential customers, and ultimately, driving business growth.

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Image: Office Desk

Buyer Journey

Learn how your customer’s buyer journey impacts your content strategy. 

Content Strategy: Understanding The Customer’s Buyer Journey

Understanding your customer’s buyer journey can increase your chance of creating content that turns prospects into buyers.

Buyer journey - ecommerce hands coming out of laptops and exchanging psyment for goods.The buyer journey is the process that a potential customer goes through before making a purchase.

Understanding each stage of your customer’s buyer journey will help you create an effective content strategy to deliver content that your audience will resonate and want to engage with.

Creating content that aligns with the buyer journey also requires an understanding of your target audience, their pain points, and what resonates with them.

In this section, we look at the different stages of the buyer’s journey and the challenges of mapping your content strategy to each stage.

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Stages Of The Buyer Journey

Your content strategy is a plan for creating, publishing, and managing content that aligns with the goals of your business.

One way to implement a content strategy is by mapping it to the stages of the buyer journey.

Chart - Stages of the Buyer Journey
Different stages of the buyer journey.

The buyer journey typically consists of the following stages: awareness, consideration, decision, and retention.

Let’s look at each stage in more detail:

Awareness

In the awareness stage, a potential customer becomes aware of a problem or need that they have. They may not yet be familiar with your brand or product (or even know it exists), but they are starting to do research to find a solution to their problem.

At this stage, it’s important to provide educational content that helps to inform and educate your audience about the problem they are facing and potential solutions.

Content that can be helpful in this stage includes blog posts, infographics, and social media posts that educate and inform the customer about the problem or need and why it is important.

The challenge at this stage is to capture the attention of potential customers who may not be familiar with your brand or solution. It can be difficult to create content that stands out in a crowded marketplace and educates potential customers about the problem or need in a way that is both engaging and informative.

Consideration

In the consideration stage, the potential customer is actively searching for a solution to meet their needs and is considering their options. They may be comparing different products or services, and are looking for more detailed information to help them make a decision.

At this stage, it’s important to provide more detailed information about your product or service such as content that showcases the features and benefits of your product or service and helps to differentiate you from your competitors and to show how it can help to solve their problem or meet their needs.

Case studies, product demos, webinars, and testimonials that help the customer compare solutions and understand the benefits of your product or service can all be valuable types of content at this stage.

The challenge at this stage is to provide potential customers with the information they need to make a decision, while also differentiating your solution from the competition. It can be difficult to create content that is both informative and persuasive, and that addresses potential objections to your solution.

Decision

In the decision stage, potential customers have made a decision to solve their problem, they are now looking for the best solution, and are ready to make a purchase. They have likely narrowed down their options and are now deciding between your product or service and those of your competitors.

At this stage, it’s important to provide content that highlights the unique value of your product or service, helps to build trust and confidence in your business and persuades the potential customer to choose your brand.

Content that can be helpful in this stage includes whitepapers, customer reviews, case studies, testimonials, free trials, and consultation calls that help the customer make a final decision about your product or service.

The challenge at this stage is to convert potential customers into paying customers by providing them with the information they need to make a decision. It can be difficult to create content that is both trustworthy and compelling and that overcomes any remaining objections a potential customer may have.

Retention

At this stage, the customer has purchased your product or service and is now using it.

While this stage is not typically considered a part of their purchasing journey (as they have already purchased), your content strategy still needs to accommodate customers in terms of retaining them and building customer loyalty.

Content that can be helpful in this stage includes user guides, tutorials, and customer success stories that help the customer make the most of your product or service and promote customer loyalty.

The challenge at this stage is to keep customers engaged and satisfied with your solution, so they remain loyal and continue to use your product or service. It can be difficult to create content that is relevant, useful, and engaging for an already converted customer.

Tools To Better Understand Your Customer’s Buyer Journey

It’s a good idea to test your created content with real users and iterate on the basis of the feedback received.

Here are some tools you can use to better understand your customer’s purchase journey:

  • Google Analytics: This free web analytics service offered by Google tracks and reports website traffic. It can help you understand how customers are interacting with your website and identify areas of improvement.
  • Google Search Console – GSC can also provide excellent data on what people are doing on your site, depending on how your content is performing.
  • Mixpanel: An analytics platform that allows you to track user engagement and behavior on your website and mobile apps. It can help you understand the customer’s journey through your digital properties.
  • Kissmetrics: A marketing analytics platform that helps you track and analyze customer behavior. It can help you understand how customers are interacting with your website, what actions they are taking, and where they are dropping off in the buyer journey.
  • Heap: An analytics platform that automatically tracks user behavior on your website and mobile apps. It can help you understand how customers are using your digital properties and identify areas for improvement.
  • UserTesting: A user research platform that allows businesses to conduct usability tests on your website and mobile apps. It can help you understand how customers are interacting with your digital properties and identify areas for improvement.
  • Qualaroo: A tool that allows you to conduct surveys on your website and mobile apps. It can help you understand customer feedback, their preferences, and their pain points.
  • Hotjar: A website analytics tool that provides heat maps, session recordings, feedback polls, and other data to help you understand how your customers interact with your website, which will inform the buyer journey
  • SurveyMonkey: A survey creation and analysis tool that you can use to conduct customer research and gather data about the buyer journey.

These are just a few examples of tools that are available to help you understand your customer’s buyer journey. The best tool will depend on your specific needs and the data that your business wants to collect.

tip

To learn more about each of the content types you can create for each stage of the purchase journey, see this lesson: Content Types

Your Content Strategy vs Your Customer’s Buying Journey

If you have a thorough understanding of your customer’s buying journey and find that your content strategy is not working as effectively as you expect, the problem may simply be…people.

People don’t do what businesses want them to do. They do what they want to do.

And they have too many options, too many choices, and too many needs to take into consideration that are influencing their buying decisions.

“Consumers don’t follow a reliable, linear purchase process anymore. Too many research channels, feedback loops, and competing messages mean too few opportunities for your content to exert influence – if they could even find it – before they make a buying decision.”

Source: ContentMarketingInstitute

So, while it’s important to understand how the customer sees their buying process and align your content strategy to it, to be aware of the challenges of creating content for each stage of the buyer journey, and to keep in mind that the stages of the buyer’s journey may vary depending on your industry, product, or service, and target audience, the complexity of today’s buying decisions may require using a more flexible approach.

For example, in the video below, Ali Wert, a senior director of content strategy for global software company Appfire, discusses the perils of aligning your content strategy too closely along a traditional funnel or linear buyer’s journey and ending up with “funnel vision” and “random acts of content.”

Ali suggests using different strategic frameworks for keeping your content strategy aligned with your business goals while taking the guesswork out of content planning.

According to Ali, mapping the different frameworks referenced in the video and article above against your content audit and content calendar can deliver a repeatable strategy that is consistent, scalable, and more closely connected to your business goals.

Another approach as discussed in this article is to build a process in your content strategy focused on creating valuable content that meets Google’s EAT guidelines at each stage of the buyer journey based on researching,  understanding, and delivering what your audience wants, instead of what your business wants.

In other words, if you want your content strategy to perfectly align with the customer’s buyer journey, your content must be driven by your audience’s interests and needs over those of your brand’s products and services.

Customer Buyer Journey vs Marketing Funnel

Something else to keep in mind is the difference between the customer’s buyer journey and a marketing funnel.

The customer’s buyer journey refers to the process that your customer goes through as they move from being aware of a problem or need, to researching and evaluating options, to making a purchase, and finally to becoming a repeat customer.

It encompasses all of the different stages that your customer goes through as they make a purchase decision, including the emotional and psychological factors that influence their behavior.

The marketing funnel, on the other hand, is a framework that businesses use to understand and guide the customer’s buyer journey.

It is a visual representation of the different stages that customers go through as they move from awareness to purchase, and it is often used to track and measure the effectiveness of different marketing strategies.

A marketing funnel is a tool that helps businesses understand their customer’s behavior and tailor their marketing efforts accordingly.

A marketing funnel typically includes the following stages:

  • Awareness: The first stage of the marketing funnel, where potential customers become aware of a problem or need and start searching for solutions. Examples include social media ads, blog content, and search engine optimization.
  • Interest: The second stage of the marketing funnel, where potential customers express interest in a product or service and begin to gather information. Examples include email campaigns, webinars, and product demos.
  • Evaluation: The third stage of the marketing funnel, where potential customers compare different options and evaluate which product or service best meets their needs. Examples include customer reviews, case studies, and free trials.
  • Decision: The fourth stage of the marketing funnel, where potential customers decide to purchase a product or service. Examples include special offers, discounts, and personalized recommendations.
  • Post-purchase: The final stage of the marketing funnel, where customers have made a purchase and are encouraged to continue their engagement with the brand through loyalty programs, upselling, and customer retention strategies.
  • Retention: The stage of the marketing funnel where the customers are retained by providing excellent customer service, after-sales support, and providing a positive experience. Examples include surveys, follow-up emails, and rewards programs.
  • Advocacy: The stage of the marketing funnel where the customers become advocates for the brand and promote it to their friends, family, and acquaintances. Examples include referral programs, customer testimonials, and brand ambassadors.

In summary, the customer’s buyer journey is the actual process that a customer goes through while the marketing funnel is a tool that businesses use to understand and guide that process.

Summary

Understanding the buyer journey and the types of content that will be most relevant and valuable to your audience at each stage is essential for creating an effective content strategy.

By providing the right content at the right time, you can help guide potential customers through the buyer journey and increase the chances of turning them into customers.

The complexity of today’s buying decisions may require a more flexible approach than aligning your content strategy too closely along a traditional funnel or linear buyer’s journey.

References:

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Image: eCommerce

Target Audience

Identify your target audience’s demographics, interests, and pain points to create a more targeted content strategy.

Content Strategy: Identifying Your Target Audience

Identifying your target audience’s demographics, interests, and pain points helps to create a more targeted content strategy.

Identify Your Target AudienceUnderstanding your target audience is crucial for developing a successful content strategy and creating content that speaks directly to your audience’s needs and desires.

In this section, we expand on our lesson on how to create a content strategy by providing additional information, resources, and tools to help you identify your target audience’s demographics, interests, and pain points, describe the potential downsides of using these methods, and look at ways to segment your audience to improve your results.

Researching Your Target Audience

How do you go about identifying the demographics, interests, and pain points of your target audience?

First, let’s understand what we’re looking for:

1. Target Audience Demographics

Demographics relates to a market or sector of the population.

Having access to demographic data is essential for all businesses.

By collecting and analyzing demographic data using the resources and tools listed further below, you can gain valuable insights into the characteristics and preferences of your target audience, and tailor your products, services, and content strategy to better meet the needs of your customers.

There are several key demographics that can help you identify and better understand your target audience:

  • Age: The age range of your target audience can affect the language, messaging, and design of your marketing materials.
  • Gender: Understanding the gender distribution of your audience can help inform the tone and imagery you use in your marketing.
  • Income: Knowing the income level of your audience can help you understand their purchasing power and tailor your marketing messages accordingly.
  • Education: The level of education of your target audience can affect how they process information, so it can be helpful to know their education level when crafting marketing messages.
  • Occupation: Knowing the occupations of your target audience can help you understand their interests and needs, as well as their work schedule and lifestyle.
  • Geography: The location of your target audience can affect their cultural background, climate, and other factors that can shape the product or service you offer.
  • Family Structure: Knowing whether your target audience is made up of singles, couples, or families with children can help you understand their needs and preferences.
  • Lifestyle: Understanding the lifestyle of your target audience can help you identify their interests, hobbies, and values, which can inform your marketing messages and branding.
  • Psychographics: Audience’s personality, values, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles can also play a role. They can be segmented as Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority, and Laggards.

You may find that some of these factors are more relevant to your business than others. The important thing is to gather as much information as you can about your target audience so that you can create effective marketing strategies.

2. Target Audience Interests

Understanding your target audience’s interests and hobbies can help you create messaging and advertising content to fit their preferences and resonate with your audience, keep them engaged longer with your business or website, and create a more personalized approach to your business or product to increase the chances of attracting new customers and retaining existing ones.

Identifying the interests and hobbies of your target audience requires knowing the answer to questions like:

  • What do they like to do in their free time?
  • What are they interested in learning more about?

Here are some examples of questions you can ask to uncover answers to the above:

  • “What are some of your favorite hobbies or activities outside of work?”
  • “What are some of the books, movies, or TV shows you enjoy?”
  • “What are some of the websites or blogs you like to visit?”
  • “What kind of music do you like to listen to?”
  • “What kind of events or activities do you like to attend?”
  • “What kind of sports or fitness activities are you interested in?”
  • “What kind of hobbies or activities do you enjoy with your family?”
  • “What are some of your favorite travel destinations or dream vacation spots?”
  • “What are some of the volunteer or community activities you’re involved in?”
  • “What are some of the causes or social issues that you care about?”

There may be some specific interests and hobbies that are more relevant to your business or industry than others, so use your own judgment when asking questions.

Also, keep in mind that maintaining a neutral and respectful tone encourages people to share information about themselves.

3. Target Audience Pain Points

In addition to understanding your audience’s demographics and interests, it’s important to understand the challenges and frustrations that your target audience is facing.

What problems do they face in their daily lives? What problems are they trying to solve? How can your product or service help to address these pain points?

By understanding your audience’s pain points, you can tailor your content strategy and your marketing and advertising messages to address their specific needs, desires, and concerns.

There are many questions you can ask potential customers to identify their pain points. Some examples include:

  • “Can you tell me about the challenges you’re currently facing in [specific industry or area]?”
  • “How does [specific problem or task] currently impact your business or daily routine?”
  • “What are some of the biggest obstacles you encounter when trying to achieve [specific goal]?”
  • “What’s the biggest frustration you have with [specific product or service currently being used]?”
  • “How do you currently handle [specific problem or task] and are you satisfied with the results?”
  • “What are the most time-consuming aspects of [specific process or job function] for you?”
  • “What are some of the key metrics you track to measure success in [specific area], and how do you feel they are currently performing?”
  • “Can you walk me through the process you currently use for [specific task or problem], and where do you feel it could be improved?”
  • “What are the most important aspects of a solution for [specific problem], and how does your current approach measure up in those areas?”
  • “How does [specific pain point] affect your customer satisfaction/retention?”

It’s important to ask these questions in a conversational and non-threatening manner and to avoid leading questions. Also, it’s a good idea to ask follow-up questions to gather more details and context and be willing to listen actively.

4. Gather Data About Your Audience

Now that you understand what you are looking for, the next step is to gather as much data as you can about your target audience.

Here is a list of tools and resources that will help you identify the demographics, interests, and pain points of your target audience:

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a free tool that can provide insights into the demographics, interests, and behavior of your website visitors.

By integrating Google Analytics into your website, you can see where your visitors are coming from, what pages they are visiting, and how long they are staying on your site. You can also see what devices they are using and what their interests are based on their search history.

This information can be extremely useful for understanding the needs and pain points of your target audience.

However, keep in mind that while Google Analytics can provide a wealth of data about your website visitors, it only tracks traffic to a specific website, and therefore only captures data from individuals who visit that website.

In other words, Google Analytics may not capture information about users who do not visit your site. It may also be limited in terms of the depth of information it provides about individual users, so the data collected by Google Analytics may not be representative of your entire target audience.

Social Media Analytics

Most social media platforms have their own analytics tools that allow you to see who is engaging with your content and what their interests are.

For example, Facebook Insights allows you to see the demographics of your page followers, as well as what types of content they are most interested in.

While social media analytics tools can provide insights into the demographics and interests of your followers and this can help you tailor your social media strategy to better meet the needs of your target audience, they may not accurately represent the broader population you are targeting.

This is because social media analytics tools only track activity and engagement on a specific social media platform, and therefore only capture data from individuals who use that platform.

Additionally, these tools may not capture the full range of conversations and interactions happening on social media, particularly if they are not directly related to your brand, or provide detailed information about the demographics of users. This makes it difficult to accurately represent the demographics of your target audience.

More information: Social Media Tools

Customer Surveys

Surveying your customers directly can give you valuable insights into their demographics, interests, and pain points.

By asking targeted questions and gathering feedback, you can get a better understanding of what your customers need and how you can address their pain points.

There are many online survey tools available that allow you to create and distribute surveys to your customers.

We provide a list in this lesson: Customer Surveys

Keep in mind that while customer surveys can be a useful tool for collecting and analyzing customer feedback, there are a few potential downsides to consider.

One potential downside is that customer surveys may not accurately represent the demographics, interests, and pain points of your entire target audience.

This is because surveys may be subject to biases such as self-selection (i.e., only certain types of customers may choose to participate) and social desirability (i.e., respondents may give answers they think are more acceptable rather than their true opinions), and only capture data from individuals who choose to participate.

In addition, customer surveys can be time-consuming and costly to administer, and may not yield a high response rate.

Market Research Firms

Market research firms are companies that specialize in conducting market research and can provide detailed insights into the demographics, interests, and pain points of your target audience.

These firms often have access to a wide range of data sources and can conduct in-depth surveys and focus groups to gather information.

Hiring a market research firm can be a useful option if you don’t have the time or resources to conduct research on your own.

Market research firms can provide valuable insights into the demographics, interests, and pain points of a target audience, but there are a few potential downsides to consider.

One potential downside is that the data collected by market research firms may be expensive to access, which may not be feasible for all businesses.

In addition, market research firms may not be able to provide real-time data or have access to the most up-to-date or comprehensive data, which can be a limitation for businesses looking to make timely decisions.

Online Focus Groups

Online focus groups can be a useful way to gather insights from a targeted group of people.

Participants are typically recruited based on specific demographics or interests, and they are asked to participate in discussions or complete tasks related to a particular product or service.

Online focus groups can be a useful tool for gathering feedback and valuable insights into the needs and pain points of your target audience, but there are a few potential downsides to consider.

One potential downside is that online focus groups only capture data from individuals who choose to participate, and therefore may not accurately represent the demographics, interests, and pain points of your entire target audience. In addition, online focus groups can be time-consuming and costly to administer, may not yield a high response rate, and may be subject to biases such as groupthink.

Interviews With Industry Experts

Talking to people who are knowledgeable about your industry can give you insights into the needs and pain points of your target audience.

These experts may be able to provide valuable perspectives on current trends and challenges in the industry, and they may be able to recommend solutions to common pain points.

Interviews with industry experts can provide valuable insights into the demographics, interests, and pain points of a target audience, but there are a few potential downsides to consider.

One potential downside is that interviews with industry experts only capture data from a small number of individuals, therefore, their perspectives may be limited to their own experiences and may not represent the broader market.

In addition, interviews with industry experts can be time-consuming and costly to conduct, and may not yield a high response rate.

If you find that surveys are too expensive to glean the information you need, conducting qualitative interviews with subject matter experts that have a deep understanding of your target audience can provide you with similar great insights.

Customer Feedback And Review Platforms

Customer feedback and review platforms allow you to see what customers are saying about your product or service, which can give you insights into their needs and pain points.

Review sites offer customers the opportunity to leave feedback about their experiences. Reading through these reviews and analyzing the data can give you a sense of what people like and dislike about your product or service, the types of products and services customers are looking for, as well as their preferred methods of communication and interaction with a business.

By understanding these preferences, you can gain valuable insights into your customers and tailor your marketing efforts, product development, customer experiences, and content creation efforts to better meet their needs and focus on activities that lead to increased satisfaction and loyalty.

One of the primary benefits of using customer feedback and review platforms is that they provide a wealth of information about the demographics of your target audience. This can include information about age, gender, location, and other characteristics that can be useful for targeting specific groups of customers.

In addition to demographic information, customer feedback and review platforms can also provide insights into the interests and preferences of your target audience.

For example, if a large percentage of your customers are interested in a particular type of product or service, this can be a valuable piece of information to consider when developing new products or marketing campaigns.

Conversely, customers often leave reviews and feedback to highlight issues or problems they have experienced with a business or product. By collecting and analyzing this feedback, you can identify common problems or frustrations that your customers are experiencing, and use this information to improve your products, services, and your content, leading to improved overall customer experience and increased customer satisfaction.

Here are some customer feedback and review platforms that you can use to gather insights from your customers:

  • Yelp: This review platform allows customers to leave feedback about their experiences with local businesses. Yelp is particularly popular for restaurants, but it also covers a wide range of businesses.
  • Amazon: The e-commerce giant allows customers to leave feedback about the products they have purchased on their platform. Amazon reviews are an important factor for many customers when deciding whether to make a purchase.
  • Google Business Profile: This platform allows businesses to manage their online presence on Google, including their Google Maps listing and Google Reviews. Google Business allows customers to leave reviews about their experiences with a business. Researching your (and your competitor’s) customer feedback can provide valuable insights about your target audience’s demographics, needs, and pain points.
  • TripAdvisor: This travel review platform allows customers to leave feedback about their experiences with hotels, restaurants, and other travel-related businesses. TripAdvisor is a popular resource for travelers when researching their options.
  • Trustpilot: This review platform allows customers to leave feedback about their experiences with a wide range of businesses. Trustpilot covers a wide range of industries and is used by businesses around the world.
  • G2: This review platform allows customers to leave feedback about their experiences with software and other business products. G2 is a popular resource for businesses looking to research and compare different products.
  • Capterra: This review platform allows customers to leave feedback about their experiences with software and other business products. Capterra covers a wide range of industries and is used by businesses around the world.
  • Glassdoor: This review platform allows employees to leave feedback about their experiences with their employers. Glassdoor is a popular resource for job seekers looking to research potential employers.
  • TrustRadius: This review platform allows customers to leave feedback about their experiences with software and other business products. TrustRadius covers a wide range of industries and is used by businesses around the world.
  • Customer Lobby: This review platform allows customers to leave feedback about their experiences with local businesses. Customer Lobby is particularly popular for service-based businesses, such as home service providers.

Keep in mind that while customer feedback and review platforms can be valuable sources of information for understanding your target audience, there are a few potential downsides to consider.

One potential downside is that they only capture data from individuals who choose to leave a review or feedback and therefore may not accurately represent the demographics, interests, and pain points of your entire target audience.

In addition, they may be subject to biases such as the “online disinhibition effect” (i.e., people may be more likely to leave negative reviews online than they would in person).

Industry Reports And Market Research Studies

Industry reports and market research studies can also provide valuable information about your target audience’s demographics, interests, and pain points.

Many industry associations and research firms publish reports on market trends and consumer behavior, and these reports can be a useful source of information for understanding your target audience.

Some of the potential downsides of using industry reports and market research studies to identify the demographics, interests, and pain points of your target audience include:

  • Cost: Some industry reports and market research studies can be quite expensive, and if you’re a small business or startup, this may not be a feasible option for you.
  • Time: Conducting a thorough market research study can take a significant amount of time, and if you’re on a tight deadline, you may not be able to wait for the results.
  • Relevance: Not all industry reports and market research studies will be relevant to your specific product or service and may not always be up-to-date or comprehensive, so you’ll need to carefully evaluate whether the information you’re getting is relevant to your target audience.

Demographic Data Sources

There are many online resources that can provide demographic data on different groups of people, including the age, gender, income, and education level of different population groups, which can be useful for targeting your marketing and content creation efforts.

Here are some sources of demographic data that you can use to gather information about different groups of people:

  • U.S. Census Bureau: The official source of demographic data for the United States. The Census Bureau conducts a census every 10 years and also publishes data from ongoing surveys and censuses on a range of topics, including age, gender, race, education, and income.
  • World Bank: This organization collects and publishes data on a wide range of topics, including demographics, for countries around the world.
  • United Nations: The United Nations publishes data on a wide range of topics, including demographics, for countries around the world.
  • Eurostat: The statistical office of the European Union, and it publishes data on a wide range of topics, including demographics, for countries in the EU.
  • Statistics Canada: The official source of statistical data for Canada, and it publishes data on a wide range of topics, including demographics.
  • Australian Bureau of Statistics: The official source of statistical data for Australia, and it publishes data on a wide range of topics, including demographics.
  • Office for National Statistics: The official source of statistical data for the United Kingdom, and it publishes data on a wide range of topics, including demographics.
  • Nielsen: This market research company collects and publishes data on a wide range of topics, including demographics, for countries around the world.
  • Pew Research Center: This research organization conducts polls and studies on a wide range of topics, including demographics.
  • Gallup: This research company conducts polls and studies on a wide range of topics, including demographics.

Demographic data sources can also be a valuable resource, but there are a few potential downsides to keep in mind:

  • Limited Information: Demographic data sources typically provide basic information such as age, gender, income, and location, but may not provide more detailed information about their interests, pain points, and lifestyles or be granular enough to be relevant to your specific target audience.
  • Data Quality: The quality of the data can vary depending on the source, so it’s important to make sure that you’re using a reputable source.
  • Data Privacy: Demographic data sources can raise privacy concerns as the data source may not be transparent about how the data was collected and if proper consent was obtained from the individual.

Online Forums And Communities

Participating in online forums or communities related to your industry can give you valuable insights into the needs and pain points of your target audience.

These forums and communities can be a great place to ask questions, share information, and get feedback from people who are interested in your industry

Here are some potential downsides to keep in mind when using online forums and communities to connect with your target audience and learn more about their interests and pain points:

  • Self-Selection Bias: People who participate in online forums and communities tend to be self-selected, meaning that they may not be representative of the larger population of your target audience and may be subject to biases such as groupthink.
  • Noise: Online forums and communities can be very noisy, with lots of different conversations and topics happening at the same time. It can be difficult to extract meaningful information from all of the noise.
  • Lack of Control: Since online forums and communities are not controlled by you, the administrator, or the company, it can be difficult to control the message and ensure that the information you’re getting is accurate.

Additional Methods

Additional tools and methods to identify key target audience information include:

  • Social media conversations – Knowing where your audience likes to engage (e.g. YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Reddit, etc.) will help you better understand them and their needs.
  • Competitor analysis – Instead of simply copying what your competitors are doing, look for any opportunities they are missing in terms of what your audience is asking for, such as content formats they are or are not using, and what areas they are not covering.

5. Segment Your Audience

Once you have a good understanding of your audience, you may find that you have multiple segments within your larger target audience.

For example, you might have one group of people who are interested in one thing, and another group that’s interested in something else.

By segmenting your audience, you can create more targeted and effective content to address people who have similar needs, values, or characteristics.

There are different kinds of market segments you can create to try and better understand your target audience. Below are the four main methods of market segmentation. You can also create more niche segments within the types below.

Typically, audiences can be segmented into four main methods of market segmentation (and you can create more niche segments within these):

Socio-demographic

This is one of the most common forms of segmentation, where you split up audiences based on observable, people-based differences like:

    • Sex
    • Age
    • Education
    • Occupation
    • Income
    • Marital status
    • Family size
    • Ethnicity/language
    • Religion

Demographic information is relatively easily accessible and low-cost to obtain.

Geographic

Segmenting your audience based on their location can help you better understand their needs and enable you to create content targeted to the characteristics of the area they live in, like:

  • Country, state, county, and zip code.
  • Climate
  • Population density
  • Urban, suburban or rural areas

Geographical segmentation can impact your content strategy in ways like creating content to address regional differences (e.g. language, interests, norms, and other attributes), different needs of people in different regions (e.g. people living in cold or warm climates, or people who follow different national sports, such as baseball in the US vs cricket in India), crafting location-specific ads and articles (e.g. for a small local business vs a company with a global presence), and so on.

Behavioral

Behavioral segmentation relates directly to how people interact with your brand or products.

You segment your audience based on behaviors like:

  • Benefits sought: What need a customer is aiming to meet or satisfy by purchasing a product?
  • Online shopping habits: Knowing a user’s online shopping habits on various sites can provide valuable insights into how to create content that will increase the likelihood of them shopping on your website.
  • Actions taken on a website: Tracking actions users take across your digital properties can help you better understand their interactions. For example, how long are they staying on your site? What types of content are they clicking on? Do they read your content (e.g. articles) through to the end?
  • Usage rate: Knowing whether someone is a heavy user, medium user, light user, or a non-user of your products lets you categorize and customize your content and messaging based on their usage rate.
  • Loyalty: You can categorize customers based on brand loyalty and tailor your content or marketing to how loyal they are to your brand.

Behavioral data is useful as it allows you to market more effectively to them and can be collected through various sources, including analytic tools, website cookies, purchase data in your customer relationship management software (CRM), third-party datasets, etc.

Psychographic

Psychographic segmentation is similar to demographic segmentation but deals with attributes that are harder to observe, such as mental and emotional characteristics and motives.

For example:

  • Core beliefs and values
  • Personality traits
  • Attitudes, opinions, and preferences
  • Interests, activities, and lifestyles

Psychographic segmentation gives you insight into why people may decide to purchase or not purchase your product, click on your ad and engage with you, or ignore your content.

For example, let’s say you sell products for the home, survey a group of people in a similar demographic, and find that some members of your audience are very enthusiastic about their pets.

You could now target your content with this information and emphasize a pet-friendly home environment.

Other audience segmentation methods include classifying customers based on their “transactional worth”, i.e. how much they’re likely to spend on products, how many purchases they make, how often they purchase, and the value of the items purchased (value segmentation), characteristics of businesses such as their industry, revenue, number of employees and location (firmographic segmentation), generational segmentation (e.g. Gen Z, Millenials, Generation X, Baby Boomers, etc), lifestage segmentation (grouping people based on which stage of their life they are at), or seasonal segmentation (users who buy different items at different times of the year, such as major holidays).

Segmenting your audience has many benefits when developing a content strategy, including improving the focus of your business resources for more targeted content creation, improving the performance of your content marketing campaigns,  identifying new audience groups to target with your content, and informing decisions related to other areas, like content distribution.

6. Create User Personas

User Persona
User Persona – Generated by Smaply. Source: Smaply

A user persona is a fictional representation of your ideal customer based on data and research about your target audience.

User personas provide a detailed and specific picture of who your target audience is, what their needs and goals are, how they think and behave, and allow you to address your (visualized or imagined) ideal customer when creating your content.

Creating a user persona is an important step in developing your content strategy because it allows your business to focus its efforts on the people who are most likely to be interested in your products or services and create more effective content marketing campaigns, ultimately reaching and satisfying your target audience.

Basically, a user persona lets you have a picture in your mind of who you are addressing when you create your content.

You can then speak to that person’s demographics, their interests, and their pain points in a more relatable way.

Some of the key benefits of creating user personas include:

  • Improving the effectiveness of marketing campaigns by targeting the right audience.
  • Improving the design of products and services by understanding the needs of the target audience.
  • Reducing the cost of marketing by focusing efforts on the most promising segments of the market.
  • Increased understanding of the target audience by helping to predict how they will react to new products, changes to existing products, or new marketing campaigns.

Free Online User Persona Generators

There are many free online user persona generators you can use that let you create a persona by providing information about demographics, behavior, motivation, and goals. Many also allow you to upload images to personalize the persona, import and export personas in CSV format, and download the persona as a PDF.

These free online user persona generators listed below offer an easy and quick way to create user personas for your business:

  • Hubspot – Hubspot’s “Make My Persona” tools and persona template allow you to create unlimited detailed buyer personas by providing information about demographics, behavior patterns, pain points, and goals. You can also download the personas as a PDF.
  • Xtensio – A user-friendly platform that allows you to create interactive and shareable personas. You can customize the template and add information such as demographics, goals, pain points, and quotes.
  • UXPressia – A feature-rich online persona generator tool that lets you create multiple user personas with name and photo generator, built-in presentation mode, data integration, and live collaboration features.
  • Userforge – A simple platform that guides you through the process of creating a persona with a series of questions about the target audience. You can also create multiple personas and export them as PDFs.
  • Smaply – The Smaply persona editor lets you create and customize persona templates for different target groups.
  • Buyer Persona Institute – A comprehensive tool that allows you to create a buyer persona by answering a series of questions about your target audience. It also includes resources for persona research and best practices.
  • EvenDigit – EvenDigit is a digital marketing agency that have created its own free-to-use online persona generator tool.
  • PersonaGenerator – This simple free online persona generator tool was built by Mobility Labs for their clients. Once you have created your persona, you can share it using the links in the right sidebar. You don’t need to create an account as long as you save your links (you can also have your links emailed so you won’t lose them).

7. Understand Your Customer’s Buyer Journey

Understanding the process that your target audience goes through before making a purchase is also very important for creating an effective content strategy.

We cover this in more detail in this lesson: Understanding Your Customer’s Buyer Journey

Audience Research Checklist

  • Define the goals and objectives of your audience research: Clearly define the goals and objectives of the audience research, such as understanding the demographics, interests, and pain points of your target audience.
  • Identify key audience segments: Identify key audience segments to focus the research on, such as age, gender, location, and interests.
  • Gather existing data: Gather existing data on your audience, such as website analytics and customer feedback.
  • Conduct surveys: Conduct surveys to gather more in-depth information on the demographics, interests, and pain points of your target audience.
  • Interview customers: Conduct interviews with customers to gain deeper insights into their needs and behaviors.
  • Analyze social media data: Analyze social media data to understand the demographics, interests, and pain points of your target audience.
  • Monitor online communities: Monitor online communities and forums related to your industry to understand the conversations and interests of your target audience.
  • Create personas: Create personas that represent your target audience segments, including demographic information, interests, and pain points.
  • Evaluate the data: Evaluate the data gathered from all the research methods, and use it to identify patterns and insights.
  • Use the insights: Use the insights gathered from the audience research to inform your content, product, and marketing strategies.
  • Continuously monitor and update: Continuously monitor and update the audience research to keep it relevant and actionable.

Identify Your Target Audience And Improve Your Content Strategy

By identifying key audience characteristics such as demographics, interests, and pain points, you can create content that speaks directly to their needs, desires, and motivations and ultimately drive more success for your business.

There are many tools and resources you can use to identify the demographics, interests, and pain points of your target audience.

These tools and resources can be valuable but, it’s important to be aware of their potential downsides and to use them in conjunction with other methods to gather information about your target audience.

It’s important to take the time to gather data, identify interests and pain points, and segment your audience in order to create a targeted and effective content strategy.

Creating user personas and your customer’s buyer journey is also an important step in your content strategy, as it provides a valuable tool to help your business better understand its target audience.

To apply what you have learned in this section, see our lesson on how to create a content strategy.

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Image: Buyer Persona

Customer Surveys

Use feedback from customer surveys to create a more targeted content strategy and improve your content creation.

Use Customer Surveys In Your Content Strategy

Use feedback from customer surveys to create a more targeted content strategy and improve your content creation.

Customer SurveysCustomer surveys can help you create a content strategy that is more in line with the needs and preferences of your target audience, which can help you create content that is more likely to be consumed and shared.

In this section, we will discuss the role and benefits of customer surveys in creating a content strategy, including tips for using them effectively, useful customer survey tools, and potential downsides to consider.

Why Use Customer Surveys In Your Content Strategy

Customer surveys can be a useful tool for creating a content strategy because they allow you to gather direct feedback from your target audience about what types of content they find most valuable.

This can help you understand what topics and formats your audience is most interested in, which can inform your content creation decisions.

For example, if you run a customer survey and find that a large portion of your audience is interested in learning about a particular topic, you might consider creating more content around that topic.

Alternatively, if you find that your audience is not particularly interested in a certain type of content, you may want to consider focusing on other topics instead.

Overall, customer surveys can help you create a content strategy that is more in line with the needs and preferences of your target audience, which can help you create content that is more likely to be consumed and shared.

Tips For Using Customer Surveys

Here are some tips for using customer surveys to gather valuable insights from your customers and use that information to inform your content strategy and other business decisions:

  • Determine your survey goals: Before you start creating your survey, it’s important to have a clear idea of what you hope to learn from your customers. This will help you create a survey that is focused and effective.
  • Choose the right survey format: There are many different types of surveys you can use, including online surveys, phone surveys, and in-person surveys. Choose the format that is most appropriate for your business and your audience.
  • Keep it short and focused: No one likes to take a long, tedious survey. Keep your survey short and focused to maximize the number of responses you receive.
  • Use open-ended questions: In addition to multiple choice and rating scale questions, consider including open-ended questions that allow your customers to provide more detailed feedback.
  • Analyze the results: Once you have collected your survey responses, it’s important to carefully analyze the data to understand what your customers are saying. Look for patterns and trends in the responses, and use this information to inform your content strategy.

Customer Survey Example

Here is an example of a customer survey that could be used to inform a content strategy:

How often do you visit our website?

    • Rarely
    • Occasionally
    • Monthly
    • Weekly
    • Daily

How would you describe the content on our website?

    • Boring
    • Okay
    • Interesting
    • Very interesting

What topics would you like to see more content written about on our website? (Please select all that apply)

    • Product reviews
    • Industry news
    • Tips and tricks
    • Company updates
    • Other (please specify)

What types of content do you prefer on our website? (Please select all that apply)

    • Articles
    • Videos
    • Infographics
    • Podcasts
    • Other (please specify)

How likely are you to share content from our website with your friends and family?

    • Very unlikely
    • Unlikely
    • Neutral
    • Likely
    • Very likely

Customer Survey Tools

There are many online survey tools available that allow you to create and distribute surveys to your customers.

Most of the tools listed below provide benefits and advantages like:

  • Customizable design: The tool allows businesses to create surveys with a professional and customized look and feel.
  • Multiple question types: The tool supports a variety of question types, including multiple-choice, rating scales, and open-ended questions, allowing businesses to gather a wide range of data from their customers.
  • Data analysis tools: The tool provides a range of data analysis tools, including charts, graphs, and pivot tables, to help businesses analyze and interpret their survey data.
  • Integration with other tools: The tool can be easily integrated with a variety of other tools, including CRM systems, email marketing software, and social media platforms, making it easy to gather and analyze survey data.
  • Advanced features: The tool offers a range of advanced features, including the ability to add images, videos, and other media to surveys, and to create surveys in multiple languages.
  • Mobile-friendly: The tool is mobile-friendly, making it easy for respondents to complete surveys on their smartphones or tablets.
  • Customer support: The tool provides excellent customer support, with a range of resources and support options available to help users get the most out of the platform.

Here are some powerful and flexible customer survey platforms that you can use to gather valuable insights from your customers:

SurveyMonkey

Customer Surveys Tool - SurveyMonkey
SurveyMonkey lets you measure and undertand customer feedback.

SurveyMonkey is a popular survey tool that allows you to create, distribute, and analyze surveys. SurveyMonkey offers a range of customization options and can be used to gather a wide variety of data from customers.

SurveyMonkey - Customer Survey Template
SurveyMonkey – Customer Survey Template

SurveyMonkey has a user-friendly interface and offers a variety of templates and customization options, including custom branding options, allowing you to create surveys that match your brand’s aesthetic and messaging.

SurveyMonkey also has a large user base, which means you can reach a large number of potential respondents when distributing surveys.

More info: SurveyMonkey

Forminator

Forminator
Forminator

Forminator is a free WordPress plugin that allows you to create and manage forms and customer surveys on your WordPress website to gather feedback and insights from your audience.

To use Forminator to create customer surveys, follow these steps:

  1. Install and activate the Forminator plugin on your WordPress website.
  2. Create a new survey form using the Forminator form builder.
  3. Add questions to the survey form using the various question types available in Forminator, including multiple-choice, rating scales, and open-ended questions.
  4. Customize the look and feel of the survey form using the built-in customization options in Forminator.
  5. Publish the survey form on your website or share it with customers through other channels, such as email or social media.
  6. Analyze the survey results using the data analysis tools provided by Forminator.

More info: Forminator

Google Forms

Google Forms
Google Forms

Google Forms is a free online survey tool from Google that allows you to create and distribute surveys to gather data from customers and other stakeholders.

Google Forms can be easily integrated with other Google tools, such as Google Sheets and Google Drive, making it easy to manage and analyze survey data.

Overall, Google Forms is a reliable and convenient tool that is easy to use and integrates seamlessly with other Google tools, such as Sheets and Docs.

More info: Google Forms

Typeform

Customer Surveys Tool - Typeform
Typeform makes people-friendly forms and surveys.

Typeform is a survey tool that allows you to create visually appealing surveys with a range of customization options.

Typeform is designed to be user-friendly and can be used to gather a wide range of data from customers.

More info: Typeform

SurveySparrow

Customer Surveys Tool - SurveySparrow
SurveySparrow – an all-in-one omnichannel experience management platform.

SurveySparrow is a cloud-based customer survey and all-in-one omnichannel experience solution that enables businesses of all sizes to create engaging feedback surveys.

SurveySparrow lets you create engaging and conversational customer surveys and offers a range of customization options.

It also includes a centralized dashboard, allowing you to import and organize your contacts into custom lists based on job titles, locations, and age groups.

More info: SurveySparrow

SurveyPlanet

Customer Surveys Tool - SurveyPlanet
SurveyPlanet – Free online survey maker.

SurveyPlanet is a free and user-friendly online survey tool that allows you to create and distribute surveys with unlimited questions and responses to your customers.

You can create surveys for free or upgrade to a paid plan if you need advanced or enterprise-level features, including the ability to export and print survey results, use custom themes, question branching, survey results filtering, create white label surveys, run kiosk surveys, receive completion notifications, and more.

SurveyPlanet is a reliable and convenient tool that offers a range of customization options and integrations with other tools, such as Mailchimp and Salesforce.

More info: SurveyPlanet

SurveyLegend

Customer Surveys Tool - SurveyLegend
SurveyLegend lets you create professional customer surveys with no design or market research skills.

SurveyLegend lets you create visually appealing surveys with a range of customization options.

You can create custom, engaging text-based, media-based, or choice-based mobile-friendly surveys, forms, questionnaires, and polls on any device with the tool’s free, dynamic survey maker.

SurveyLegend lets you customize the look of your survey and display results with eye-catching and insightful graphics using drag and drop with no design or market research skills.

The free version limits you to 3 surveys, 6 pictures, no data export, 1 conditional logic, and includes ads and a watermark. If you need more advanced features and the ability to create unlimited surveys, export your data, advanced logic, and more, then consider upgrading to one of their paid plans.

More info: SurveyLegend

AskNicely

AskNicely
AskNicely

AskNicely lets you collect and act on customer feedback in real-time and get feedback via email, SMS, or web.

The tool lets you track any customer experience metric including NPS, 5-Star, or CSAT (see below), see customer experience trends broken down by location, branch, or individual, and make evidence-based decisions.

More info: AskNicely

Qualtrics

Qualtrics
Qualtrics – free survey maker

Qualtrics is a powerful survey tool that offers a wide range of features and customization options to collect feedback and understand your audience’s needs.

It provides a free survey tool with over 50 expert-designed pre-built survey templates for customer, employee, brand, product, and market research professionals (or create your own form from scratch).

Qualtrics is often used by many businesses and organizations to gather data from customers and employees.

More info: Qualtrics

Pointerpro

Pointerpro
Pointerpro

Pointerpro (formerly SurveyAnyplace) is a survey creation platform that lets you create your own online surveys with customized reports created automatically.

Pointerpro’s survey maker generates personalized PDF reports immediately upon completion of the survey.

More info: Pointerpro

Alchemer

Alchemer
Alchemer – Enterprise online survey software and tools.

Alchemer (formerly SurveyGizmo) is a comprehensive, flexible, and easy-to-setup-and-use survey tool and feedback software that offers a range of advanced features, such as logic branching and custom reports.

Alchemer is a good option for businesses that need to gather more in-depth data from customers using an enterprise solution covering everything from survey software to customer feedback management.

More info: Alchemer

Customer Experience Metrics

Many customer survey tools track customer experience metrics to measure and track the satisfaction of your customers.

These metrics help your business understand how well you are meeting the needs and expectations of your customers and identify areas for improvement.

Some common customer experience metrics include:

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a customer experience metric that measures the likelihood of a customer recommending a company’s products or services to others.

NPS is calculated based on responses to a single question: “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our company to a friend or colleague?”

Customers are divided into three categories: promoters, passives, and detractors.

Customers who respond with a 9 or 10 are considered “promoters” and are most likely to recommend the company, while those who respond with a 7 or 8 are considered “passives,” and those who respond with a 0 to 6 are considered “detractors” and are the least likely to recommend your products or services to others.

The NPS is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters.

NPS is a useful metric for businesses because it provides insight into the overall loyalty of your customer base.

5-Star rating

5-Star is a customer experience metric that measures the overall satisfaction of a customer with a company’s products or services.

Customers are typically asked to rate their satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest rating.

This metric can be helpful because it provides your business with a simple and easy-to-understand measure of customer satisfaction.

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

CSAT is another measure of customer satisfaction. It is typically based on a scale of 1 to 5 and is often used to measure satisfaction with specific touchpoints, interactions, or experiences within the customer journey, such as a customer service call or a product purchase.

Customer Surveys – Potential Downsides

While customer surveys can be a useful tool for creating a content strategy, there are also some potential downsides to consider.

One potential downside is that customer surveys may not accurately represent the preferences of your entire audience. This is because surveys are often only completed by a small percentage of your total customer base, and the responses may not be representative of the larger group.

Another potential downside is that customer surveys can be time-consuming and resource-intensive to create and administer. This can be especially challenging for small businesses with limited time and resources.

Finally, it’s important to remember that customer preferences can change over time. This means that even if you use customer surveys to inform your content strategy, you may need to revisit your strategy periodically to ensure that it is still aligned with the needs and preferences of your target audience.

Overall, while customer surveys can be a useful tool for creating a content strategy, it’s important to use them in combination with other methods, such as analyzing website traffic data and monitoring social media engagement, to get a more complete picture of your audience’s needs and preferences.

Customer Surveys – Summary

Customer surveys are a popular and effective method for gathering feedback from customers and using it to inform a content strategy.

Surveying your customers directly can give you valuable insights into their demographics, interests, and pain points.

There are many online survey tools available that allow you to create and distribute surveys to your customers.

By asking targeted questions about topics, formats, and preferences, and gathering feedback, you can get a better understanding of what your customers need and how you can address their pain points to create content that resonates with your target audience and meets their needs.

When using customer surveys it’s important to measure and track the satisfaction of your customers using customer experience metrics. By regularly collecting and analyzing these metrics, you can identify areas for improvement and work to enhance the overall customer experience.

Finally, keep in mind that customer surveys have limitations, and it may be necessary to use other methods to get a complete understanding of audience preferences.

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Image: Survey Forms

Troubleshooting Your Content Strategy

Troubleshoot common problems that can affect your content strategy.

Troubleshooting Your Content Strategy

Learn about common problems that can affect your content strategy and simple solutions you can implement to overcome these.

Troubleshooting Your Content Strategy - Frustrated blogger

Content strategy is the planning, development, and management of content. It involves creating a clear plan for the types of content you will create, how it will be organized and stored, and how it will be promoted and distributed.

A well-executed content strategy is essential for engaging your audience, building trust, and helping your business achieve its goals.

However, there are many common problems that can negatively impact your content strategy. From not having a clear target audience to poor search engine optimization (SEO) to insufficient promotion and distribution of content, these issues can affect your content strategy and your ability to create and distribute content effectively.

In this article, we will explore common problems that can impact your content strategy and provide solutions for addressing them. By troubleshooting your content strategy, you can create and distribute content that resonates with your audience and helps you achieve your goals.

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This article is part of our Content Troubleshooting Guide where we help you identify and fix content-related problems in your business.

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Common Problems That Can Impact Your Content Strategy And Solutions

Has your business developed a content strategy yet?

If the answer is “no,” then see our lesson on how to develop a content strategy for your business.

If the answer is “yes,” then use the list below to identify and troubleshoot common problems that can affect your content strategy:

1. Not Setting Specific Goals And Objectives

Without clear goals, it is difficult to know what you are trying to achieve with your content or how to track your progress.

Solution: Set SMART goals and objectives

Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals and objectives helps to guide your content creation efforts and measure their success.

By setting clear goals, you can focus your efforts on creating content that helps you achieve them and track your progress along the way.

2. Not Having A Clear Understanding Of Your Target Audience

Without a defined audience, it is difficult to create content that resonates with anyone and achieves the desired results.

Solution: Define your target audience and determine their needs and preferences

Having a clear understanding of who your target audience is and what their needs and preferences are is essential for creating effective content.

By taking the time to get to know your audience, you can create content that addresses their specific needs and interests, which can lead to higher engagement and better results.

3. Poor Organization And Storage Of Content

Having a well-organized system for storing and managing your content is crucial for maintaining efficiency and ensuring that your content is easily accessible.

Poor organization can lead to lost or misplaced content, which can be time-consuming and frustrating to deal with.

Solution: Use a CMS to organize and store your content

Using a content management system (CMS) can help you organize and store your content in a central location, making it easier to find and access.

A CMS can also help you manage multiple users, track changes to your content, and keep your content organized using tags and categories.

4. Lack Of High-Quality Content

Poor-quality content can turn off your audience and damage your reputation.

Solution: Create high-quality content that follows best practices and utilizes media

Creating high-quality content is essential for engaging your audience and building trust.

By following best practices and utilizing media such as images, videos, and infographics, you can create more engaging and effective content that resonates with your audience.

For additional information and help in this area, see these sections of the course:

5. Poor Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Poor SEO can make it difficult for people to discover your content, resulting in lower traffic and engagement.

Solution: Optimize your content for SEO by using keywords and following best practices

Optimizing your content for search engines is an important aspect of content strategy because it helps your content rank higher in search engine results.

By using relevant keywords and following SEO best practices, you can improve your search engine visibility and increase the chances of your content being seen by your target audience.

For additional information and help in this area, see this lesson: Content SEO.

6. Difficulty Creating A Cohesive Content Marketing Plan

Without a cohesive plan, your business may struggle to create content that aligns with your overall marketing goals.

Solution: Develop a content marketing plan that outlines your business’s goals, target audience, and the type of content that will be created.

Use this plan as a guide for all your content creation and marketing efforts.

7. Insufficient Promotion And Distribution Of Content

Without sufficient promotion, it can be challenging to get your content seen by the right people.

Solution: Promote your content through social media, email marketing, influencer marketing, and guest blogging

Promoting and distributing your content is crucial for reaching a wider audience and increasing engagement.

By utilizing social media, email marketing, influencer marketing, and guest blogging, you can reach a larger audience and get your content seen by the right people.

For additional information and help in this area, see our module on Content Promotion and our section on Content Promotion Tools.

8. Lack Of Analysis And Improvement

Without ongoing analysis and improvement, it can be difficult to know what is and isn’t working, and you may miss out on opportunities to optimize your content and achieve better results.

Solution: Analyze the performance of your content and use the data to improve it

Analyzing the performance of your content and using the data to improve it is an important aspect of content strategy.

By tracking content metrics such as views, clicks, and engagement, you can measure content performance, identify what is and isn’t working, and make changes to optimize your content and achieve better results.

Ongoing analysis and improvement can help you continually improve your content and achieve your goals.

9. Inconsistent Tone And Branding

Having an inconsistent tone or brand voice can be confusing and off-putting to your audience.

Developing a consistent brand voice can be difficult, especially if your business does not have a clear understanding of its brand identity and messaging.

Solution: Create a brand voice and messaging guide

Create a brand voice and messaging guide that outlines the key elements of the brand’s personality, tone, and messaging, and use this guide to ensure consistency across all content.

Maintaining a consistent tone and branding across all of your content is important for creating a cohesive and professional image.

By keeping your tone and branding consistent, you can create a more cohesive experience for your audience and build trust.

See this section for more details: How To Create A Brand Voice And Messaging Guide.

10. Lack Of Resources

Having insufficient resources, such as time, budget, or personnel, can make it difficult to execute your content strategy effectively.

Without the necessary resources, it may be challenging to create high-quality content, promote it effectively, or analyze and improve it.

Solution: Allocate sufficient resources (e.g., time, budget, personnel) for your content strategy

Allocating the necessary resources can help you create high-quality content, promote it effectively, and analyze and improve it on an ongoing basis.

For additional information and help in this area, see our lesson on Digital Business Setups.

11. Ineffective Collaboration And Communication Within The Team

Without good communication, it can be difficult to coordinate efforts and ensure that all team members are on the same page.

Solution: Foster effective collaboration and communication within your team

Effective collaboration and communication within your content team and other departments is essential for creating and executing a successful content strategy.

By fostering good communication and collaboration, you can ensure that all team members are on the same page and working towards a common goal.

12. Not Staying Up-To-Date With Industry Trends And Best Practices

If you are not keeping up with the latest trends and best practices, your content may become outdated or irrelevant, which can negatively impact your content strategy.

Solution: Stay up-to-date with industry trends and best practices

Staying up-to-date with industry trends and best practices is crucial for creating relevant and effective content.

By keeping up with the latest trends and best practices, you can create content that is timely and relevant to your audience.

13. Not Adjusting Your Strategy Based On Changes In Your Industry Or Audience

If you don’t stay up-to-date with changes in your industry or audience, your content may no longer be relevant or effective, which can negatively impact your strategy.

Solution: Adjust your strategy based on changes in your industry or audience

Your industry and audience are constantly evolving, and it is important to adjust your content strategy accordingly.

By staying up-to-date with changes in your industry or audience, you can create content that remains relevant and effective.

14. Not Being Able To Measure The Success Of Your Content

Without the ability to measure the success of your content, it is difficult to know how well your strategy is performing and what areas need improvement.

Solution: Implement tools and processes for measuring the success of your content

Measuring the success of your content is an important aspect of content strategy because it helps you understand what is and isn’t working.

By implementing tools and processes for tracking metrics such as views, clicks, and engagement, you can gain valuable insights into the performance of your content and make improvements.

15. Lack Of A Clear Content Creation Process

Without a clear process, it may be difficult to create content efficiently or maintain a consistent tone and branding.

Solution: Develop a clear content creation process

Having a clear content creation process in place helps to ensure efficiency and consistency in your content creation efforts.

By outlining the steps for creating, approving, and publishing content, you can streamline your content creation process and ensure that all team members are on the same page.

For additional information and help in this area, see these sections of the course:

16. Not Having A Content Governance Plan

Without a content governance plan, it may be challenging to maintain quality control and consistency in your content.

Solution: Create a content governance plan to ensure quality control and consistency.

A content governance plan outlines the roles and responsibilities of team members, the process for creating and approving content, and the standards for quality and consistency.

By having a content governance plan in place, you can ensure that your content is of high quality and consistent with your brand guidelines.

tip

If you are still experiencing content-related issues after going through the items listed above, try troubleshooting your content plan.

Your Content Strategy Is The Key To Your Content Success

Troubleshooting your content strategy is an important step for ensuring that you are creating and distributing effective content.

By identifying common problems and implementing solutions, you can create a content strategy that engages your audience, builds trust, and helps you achieve your goals.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different approaches and make adjustments based on the data and feedback you receive. With a little effort and attention, you can create a content strategy that truly resonates with your audience and helps your business achieve its desired results.

Refer to the Content Troubleshooting Guide if you experience other issues or problems with your content strategy.

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Image: Frustrated Blogger

The Challenges Of Managing Content Effectively

Learn about the main challenges to managing content effectively and how to address these. 

The Challenges Of Managing Content Effectively

Content management challenges abound in all organizations. Learn about the main challenges to managing content effectively and how to address these. 

Content Management Challenges - Frustrated laptop user.

There are many challenges to managing content effectively, including the challenge of too much content, the challenge of multiple contributors, the challenge of outdated content, and the challenge of adapting to new technologies and platforms.

In this article, we explore these challenges in more detail and offer suggestions for effectively addressing them.

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This article is part of our Content Troubleshooting Guide, where we help you identify and fix content-related issues in your business.

Are You Managing Your Content Effectively?

Content management is the process of creating, organizing, and maintaining digital content, and it is essential for your business to not only operate efficiently but also to effectively communicate with all stakeholders.

Poor content management, after all, can lead to confusion, delays, and lost opportunities.

As you will soon see, however, there are many challenges to managing your content effectively.

Think about this…

If your business has a web presence, it almost certainly needs web content.

This applies to all businesses. So, if your business wants to compete online effectively — especially against larger competitors, it needs to be regularly creating and promoting new content (your competition is doing the same).

New web content, however, gets old very quickly. Old web content with outdated, irrelevant, inaccurate, or obsolete information almost always has no value to users and can have a negative impact on your business.

Additionally, the more content you have, the more content you have to manage.

Now…stop for a moment and think about all the content and all the content-related areas that your business needs to manage.

You will soon realize that effective content management involves not just managing the existing content in your organization, but also managing all content-related areas and processes associated with content planning, content production, and content promotion.

As you look deeper, you will also realize that there are some obvious challenges to managing content effectively and some that are not so obvious.

Let’s look at both of these areas.

Managing Content Effectively – Obvious Challenges

The obvious challenges of managing your content effectively include:

1. The Challenge Of Too Much Content

As your business creates and acquires more digital content, it can become difficult to sort and organize it all in a way that is easily accessible and makes sense.

This can lead to important information getting lost or overlooked.

To effectively manage a large amount of content, it is important to implement a system for organizing and tagging content, as well as performing regular content reviews and purging unnecessary or outdated items.

Additionally, use a content management system (CMS) or other tools to help categorize and structure your content.

2. The Challenge Of Multiple Contributors

When you have multiple people or teams contributing content to your company’s digital assets, it can be a challenge to coordinate and consolidate these contributions.

It is important to establish clear guidelines and protocols for content creation and submission, as well as a system for reviewing and approving new content.

Ensuring that all content meets standards for quality and consistency is also crucial. This is where documenting procedures can be very helpful, as well as using a workflow management system or other tools to help streamline the content creation and approval process.

3. The Challenge Of Outdated Content

Outdated content containing inaccurate or obsolete information can be confusing for users and it can harm your credibility.

Regularly reviewing and updating content is essential to ensure that it is current and accurate. It is also a good idea to consider repurposing old content rather than simply deleting it, as it may still be valuable in a different form or context.

This may involve using a content calendar or other tools to help schedule and track content updates.

4. The Challenge Of Adapting To New Technologies And Platforms

As new content management systems and tools are developed, your business must stay current in order to effectively manage its digital content.

This can be a challenge, as it requires resources and effort to learn and implement new technologies. Additionally, it is important to ensure that content is compatible with various platforms and devices, as more and more users access the internet through mobile devices and other non-traditional means.

This may involve using responsive design techniques or other methods to ensure that content is accessible and user-friendly across different devices and platforms.

5. The Challenge Of Securing And Protecting Content

Ensuring that sensitive or confidential content is secure and protected from unauthorized access or leaks is crucial for your business.

This may involve implementing measures such as password protection, encryption, content hotlinking prevention, and access controls to protect sensitive content.

6. The Challenge Of Measuring The Effectiveness Of Content

Determining the impact and effectiveness of content is essential for making informed decisions about future content strategies.

This may involve using analytics tools or other content tracking methods to measure content metrics such as engagement, conversion rates, and return on investment (ROI) for different types of content.

7. The Challenge Of Integrating Content With Other Systems And Processes

Ensuring that content is integrated and aligned with other systems and processes within the organization is important for optimizing efficiency and avoiding confusion or duplication of effort.

This may involve using integration tools or other methods to seamlessly link content with other systems and processes.

8. The Challenge Of Budget And Resource Constraints

Allocating sufficient budget and resources to content management efforts can be a challenge, especially for smaller businesses or those with limited resources.

It is important to prioritize content management efforts and allocate resources accordingly, while also finding ways to maximize efficiency and reduce costs where possible.

We cover the challenges involved in this area in more detail in our Digital Business Setups lesson.

Managing Content Effectively – “Not-So-Obvious” Challenges

Now that we have looked at the obvious challenges of managing your content effectively, let’s look at the “not-so-obvious” challenges that are not apparent until you actually start trying to manage your content effectively.

Challenge #1 – Effective Content Management Is A Catch-22 Situation

Have you heard the expression “no one will hire you without experience, but you can’t get experience if no one will hire you?”

That’s an example of a “Catch-22” situation.

Managing content can feel somewhat like that.

You can’t plan, produce, promote, and manage content effectively until you have put in the right systems and processes to plan, produce, promote, and manage content effectively.

Putting all these systems and processes in place, however, requires a significant investment of time, effort, and resources.

Most businesses have very limited time, effort, and resources.

So…do you:

A) Invest your time, effort, and resources into putting the right systems and processes in place to plan, produce, promote, and manage your content effectively, and then create and promote your content, or…

B) Invest your time, effort, and resources into creating and promoting content, and then start putting systems and processes in place?

Chart - Content Management Options.
Which of these options will you choose to manage content effectively in your business?

Managing content effectively requires choosing option “A”.

Many businesses, however, choose option “B” because it seems more practical.

Publishing and promoting content first and then worrying about systems and processes when things start becoming unmanageable, however, only leads to more challenges and bigger problems.

Challenge #2 – All Areas Of Your Business Are Involved

Your content strategy is part of your content management system, so if you start creating and promoting content before developing your content strategy and putting other systems in place to manage your content effectively, then what’s the point of having a content strategy?

Without a content strategy, you are just creating content blindly based on guesswork and assumptions without any real direction or ways to measure and track your content’s performance, so it’s all going to be hit and miss and eventually your business will have a very difficult mess to deal with and many problems to sort out.

So you want to put a content strategy in place before you start creating and promoting content.

This, however, has its own challenges.

First, there’s the challenge that content impacts all areas of your business as discussed in the lesson on your digital business structure.

Chart - Content involves all areas of your business.
Content impacts all areas of your business. Click the image to enlarge it.

Challenge #3 – Creating And Managing Content Effectively Requires A Sizeable Digital Team

Next, is the realization that creating effective content requires a sizeable content team.

Chart - Digital Content Team.
Managing content effectively requires a sizeable content team.

There are many different roles involved in the process of planning, creating, promoting, and managing content, and whether you’re an individual blogger or part of a larger organization, all of these roles and responsibilities have to be met to create and manage your content effectively.

This leads to the next challenge…

Challenge #4 – Effective Content Management Requires Significant Resources

We touched briefly on the challenge of resource constraints earlier.

However, it’s not until you seriously try to start managing your content effectively that you realize just how resource-intensive creating and managing content can be.

You need a sizeable budget and personnel with skills and expertise, plus research, planning, and documented systems, all of which take time to create and take resources away from other areas of the business.

Chart - Content Strategy requires resources
Creating effective content requires significant resources.

Most businesses operate with limited resources and have very little time to devote to important areas like planning and documenting systems.

If, like most businesses, your decisions are influenced by a lack of time and resources, by competitive and financial pressures, and by the need to make things happen sooner rather than later, then your ability to manage content effectively may be heading toward bigger problems.

For example, here’s what can happen when you choose option “B” (i.e. start with content, then try to put systems in place later):

1) Little to no content planning

If your content is created based on keyword research but there is no content strategy or content plan and new content projects are mostly based on guesswork and assumptions instead of solid research and analytical data, then your content pipeline will keep drying up, leaving your team continually scrambling to come up with new content ideas.

2) Chaotic and disorganized content production

If there is no content plan and there are no documented procedures for workflow processes and operational guides for doing content research, creating a content brief, using content production tools, etc. your content production will be chaotic and disorganized, leading to inconsistent production outputs.

3) Hard to measure and quantify content performance

If, in addition to the above, your content metrics and content marketing objectives are not well-defined, any generated reports won’t lead to actionable efforts or initiatives to improve results, and your content marketing activities and ROI will be difficult to quantify and calculate.

Challenge #5 – Building Content Management Systems As You Go Is Hard To Do

Think about all the areas of your business that are involved in the planning, creation, delivery, distribution, and promotion of content.

Now, ask yourself:

  • How quickly can your business create and publish new content?
  • How does your business keep a pipeline of new content going?
  • How does your business keep the information in your existing content (across all content types and distribution channels) up-to-date, relevant, and accurate?
  • How do you know when your content is out of date, has become irrelevant, inaccurate, or obsolete?
  • How can you tell if your content is performing well?
  • How do you keep your content processes documented, organized, and accessible so anyone who needs the information can quickly and easily locate it?
  • How can you tell if your team members are implementing and following effective content management processes?
  • How quickly can your business adapt to incorporate new content planning, production, and promotion processes, strategies, methods, and tools?

From the above, it should be clear that not only does your content need management but all of the content-related processes and areas responsible for planning, creating, delivering, distributing, and promoting your content too.

And to manage all of this effectively requires systems.

This is where option “C” comes in. You develop, test, and improve your systems while creating and promoting content, documenting everything as you go, and repeating this process.

Chart - Effective Content Management
Option C involves building, testing, and improving your content management systems as you go.

Option “C” will help your business solve the challenges of managing content effectively, but it is very challenging and hard to do, especially if you have already started down the path of “Option B” (i.e. create and promote content first, and then worry about putting systems and processes in place later).

Building systems to document the work as you do the work requires a total “buy-in” from everyone in your organization, and the focus and commitment to work twice as hard and twice as long, often with little to no resources, and with no guarantees that things will work out until everything is in place and you can assess the results.

Even just thinking about it can feel overwhelming, because content impacts every area of your business!

But even before you can put all of these systems in place, there is one more “not-so-obvious” challenge your business has to overcome…

Challenge #6 – Managing Content Effectively Requires Solid Business Foundations

No doubt you’ve heard the expression “walk before you run”.

Without basic business foundations in place, managing content effectively becomes almost impossible.

Chart - business processes.
Many processes need to be put in place before your business can manage its content effectively.

For example, suppose you want to write and publish an article on your website that will help your business generate new leads.

You care about the reputation of your business, so naturally, you will want to publish only quality content across all channels…from your site’s company pages, product descriptions, and blog posts, to social media posts, emails, newsletters, banner ads, sales, marketing, and training content, videos, collateral materials, etc.

Also, because your business has limited time and resources, you’ll want to avoid guesswork and taking blind stabs in the dark. If you are going to invest time, money, and effort into activities designed to promote and grow your business online, every activity must be geared toward generating optimal results and delivering maximum return on investment.

So, ideally, your lead generation article will target the right audience, with the right message, at the right time, to help them make the right decision (e.g. buy, subscribe, submit an inquiry, etc.).

To do this effectively, however, you need accurate information to help you understand who you are writing the article for (i.e. your target audience).

In other words, even before you begin writing your lead generation article, you will need to know things like:

  • Who is going to buy your products or services?
  • What problems are they looking to solve?
  • Why would they buy from you and not from your competitors?
  • What can stop them from buying your products or services?
  • etc.

Once you understand this, you can begin to write the article from the instructions provided in your content brief.

Now…your content brief is created from the specifications and guidelines set out in your content plan.

But …

And all of this should have been defined during the business planning phase after a need has been identified in the market, and you have done research and feasibility studies to determine whether there is even an opportunity worth pursuing (and this should be done even before you spend any time or money getting a website built!).

Ok, let’s assume that you have done all of the above before writing your lead generation article and you know the who, what, how, why, and when of your article’s purpose.

All you need to do now is write the article, right?

Whoaaa … not so fast! Let’s think about this for a moment.

Creating a high-quality, high-value, and high-yielding article involves an editorial process with activities like content scheduling, production, planning, research, writing, editing, and different stages of reviews and approvals before the content can be published.

This requires having some expertise and skills (e.g. content research, content writing/copywriting, editing, media creation, etc.).

For example, your article needs elements like a compelling headline, useful content that will engage your reader’s interest, a call to action, and additional copy elements like summaries, excerpts, artwork, images, image captions, product and meta descriptions, testimonials, references, credits, attributions, etc.

You may also need to source, create, script, produce, edit, format, and upload media elements to your server,  like images, logos, photos, videos, audio, downloadable files, and other documentation before you can insert these into your article or web pages.

After this is done, you then also need to revise, format, fact-check, search optimize, proof, edit, review, and approve your article before you can publish, distribute, and promote it.

There are also additional checks like making sure that the content flows well and your article is easy to read; that any links in your content to related articles or additional information point to correct URLs; that branding guidelines have been adhered to; that any embedded scripts or code (e.g. rotating testimonials, forms, etc.) work correctly; that there are no distracting elements that could negatively affect your conversions; that the content displays well on all web browsers and devices, etc.

Also, you may need to obtain clearances and clarifications from other departments before your article can be published.

For example, the article may contain information related to products or services that include pricing or tax information, special offers, competitions, discount coupons, product or service availability, product ordering, shipping and delivery, liability disclaimers, terms and conditions, brand or product licensing, use of images or media, copyright, trademarks, etc.

All this needs to be cleared with your marketing, accounting, and legal teams.

Finally, you may need to consult management or executive levels (e.g. product, finance, or operations manager) to make sure that the article complies with all company policies, manufacturer specifications, third-party service guidelines, industry rules and regulations, and any other legal requirements.

But it actually doesn’t end there.

You want your investment of time and effort to achieve consistently and progressively better results for your business, don’t you?

So, after publishing the article, you will also want to track and measure your results and document these in a report so you can review, analyze, and improve your content’s performance.

After publishing, you may also need to moderate comments, answer questions, reply to user inquiries, collect and collate form data, and add new entries to your site’s FAQ section (for example, if you repeatedly get the same questions from your site visitors, prospects, customers, etc).

As you can see, creating something as seemingly simple as an article for your website requires systems and processes in place…

  • before the article gets written (to ensure that you’re targeting the right audience),
  • during the content production process (e.g. review workflows and scheduling when the article will be published), and
  • after the article has been published (e.g. tracking its results and performance).

In short, unless your business simply doesn’t care about the content it publishes, there is nothing simple about creating content for your website or blog.

It requires participation from all areas of your business and the effective integration and coordination of different roles, systems, and processes, in addition to ensuring that everyone involved follows all content procedures, specifications, and guidelines, while also ensuring compliance with all company, departmental, and legal policies…staying aligned all the while with the goals and objectives of the business.

Ideally, everything required to write an article as described above would be in place before the article is written.

Of course, you can simply ignore all of this, just start writing and promoting your articles and see what happens!

If You Don’t Want To Guess Your Way To Success…

If you want to avoid guesswork, the first step to managing your content effectively is to accept that effective content management is not a simple undertaking.

Your business will need to put effective content management systems in place to grow using content, continually review your content’s performance, and improve its results.

While there are loads of useful information and tools that can help you do this (including our lessons), there is no one-click, “done-for-you”, “set-and-forget”, “hands-free” service, software, or app that will allow you to manage your content effectively.

It’s a process and it requires a systemic approach.

Summary

Effective content management is essential for your business to operate efficiently and to communicate effectively with all stakeholders.

Managing content effectively in any organization, however, is a complex and difficult undertaking, as content impacts all areas of your business.

It can also feel like a “Catch-22” situation. You can’t plan, produce, promote, and manage content effectively until you have put in the right systems and processes to plan, produce, promote, and manage content effectively.

While there are challenges to managing content effectively, your business can overcome these by implementing effective content management systems.

Action Steps

Assess how willing your business is to become systems-driven (instead of personality-driven).

If you haven’t already, we recommend starting with the following steps:

Resources

***

Image: Home Office

Generate Quality Website Content Using AI

Can AI generate quality content that is engaging and valuable for human readers? Let’s find out…

Generate Website Content Using AI

Learn about the capabilities of AI in content generation and whether it can produce material that is engaging and valuable for human readers.

AI Content Generation - Laptop image with AI hand pressing key.Can AI really generate quality content that is engaging and valuable for human readers?

If so, would that not save your business significant and valuable time and money in areas like content planning, content research, and content production?

In this article, we’ll look at how AI tools can be used to generate quality content for your website, as well as the benefits and limitations of this approach.

Using AI Tools To Generate Quality Content For Your Website

Can AI really generate quality content that is engaging and valuable for human readers? If the answer is “yes”, would that not save your business significant and valuable time and money in areas like content planning and content production?

Artificial intelligence (AI) has come a long way in recent years, with numerous tools now available to assist with a variety of tasks.

One area where AI has the potential to make a significant impact is in the generation of written content. With the ability to analyze data and generate text, AI tools have the potential to create high-quality content for human readers.

However, the question remains: can AI tools truly generate content that is comparable to that produced by humans? And what are the benefits and limitations of this approach? And will it rank in the search engines?

ChatGPT: Free AI Content Writing Tool

I recently came across a “next-level” AI tool that is generating quite a buzz.

It’s called  ChatGPT. This technology not only displays impressive human-like content writing abilities, but it’s also (currently) free to use.

ChatGPT
ChatGPT is a powerful AI technology with impressive human-like content-writing abilities.

I discovered ChatGPT while researching content writing tools for this course.

As a professional content writer, I became very curious about this tool, so after watching some videos about ChatGPT on YouTube, I decided to see for myself whether this tool was capable of generating a high-quality article on a substantial topic quickly from scratch.

I also decided to record the entire content creation process from start to finish on video and share it here with you for free, so you can decide for yourself whether you would use AI to generate content for your own business and website.

You can watch all videos of my free “How To Create Quality Content Quickly Using Artificial Intelligence Tools” video course in the section below.

Following the video course section, I provide a written tutorial with additional comments and information about the article creation process.

How To Create Quality Content Quickly Using Free AI Tools – Free Video Course

Learn how to use the latest advanced AI technology to generate high-quality content quickly and easily for your business and website (no coding or technical skills required.)

If you want to save time and money creating quality articles and blog posts for your website in minutes instead of days or weeks, the step-by-step practical video course below will show you exactly how to do it.

To read the complete article that chatGPT generated (in less than 6 minutes), go here: 5 Tips For Streamlining Your Content Management Process

How To Create Quality Content Quickly Using Free AI Tools – Tutorial

Let’s break down all the steps I took to create an entirely AI-generated article in minutes. You can watch the video lesson and then review the notes below each video for more information.

Part 1 – AI Content Generation: Overview

As mentioned earlier, I wanted to see if today’s AI technology is capable of generating a high-quality article quickly, so I decided to use the tool to generate the following:

  • Content Ideas
  • Article Headlines
  • Article Outline
  • Article Introduction
  • Content For All Article Sections
  • Article Conclusion

As mentioned in the video, I had not used the tool previously to generate content and so I set certain goals and expectations, which I then discuss in the video:

How To Create Quality Content Using AI Tools video course - goals
These were my goals for using ChatGPT.

I then reviewed if and how each of these goals was met in the last video of the course.

Part 2 – Why AI Writing Tool Sucked…Until Now!

After providing an overview of the video course, we then looked at some of the earlier methods used by tools claiming to use AI technologies and their limitations.

In the video, I provide actual examples of some of the hilarious results of tools that generate rubbish content and some of the methods used.

info

It’s important to note that some of the tools that have evolved from the earlier methods shown in the video are actually quite good at what they do, provided they are used correctly.

Some of these tools include:

  • Quillbot – A language processing tool that uses artificial intelligence to rephrase and rewrite sentences and paragraphs. It is designed to help users generate new versions of text that are different from the original, while still retaining the meaning and tone of the original content. You can use this tool for a variety of purposes, such as generating unique content for websites, paraphrasing text for use in academic papers, and improving your writing skills with suggested alternative word choices and sentence structures.
  • SpinRewriter – This tool helps you generate new, readable versions of your original article using a proprietary technology called ENL Semantic Spinning and a hand-curated database of synonyms.

Part 3  – ChatGPT: Free AI Content Writing Tool

ChatGPT is an exciting and impressive new AI technology that helps you write quality content quickly and easily…for free!

Interestingly enough, when I asked ChatGPT to provide me with a description of itself, it played “dumb” and went into denial, as if calling it a bot was insulting…

ChatGPT - Screen grab.
Sorry, ChatGPT … I didn’t mean to offend you!

However, when I asked ChatGPT (I mean, “Artificial Intelligence Assistant” to create a video script describing all the ways I could use it to make money online, the tool seemed to have no issue referring to itself in the 3rd-person:

ChatGPT is a powerful language model developed by OpenAI that can generate human-like text based on a given prompt. It can be used for a variety of purposes, including generating content for websites and social media, creating chatbot responses, and more.

In this video, we’ll be exploring some of the ways you can use ChatGPT to make money online.

  • Content creation: ChatGPT can be used to generate articles, blog posts, and other types of written content. You can use it to create unique and engaging content for your own website or blog, or you can offer your services as a freelance writer or content creator to businesses and organizations.
  • Chatbot development: ChatGPT can be used to create chatbot responses that are personalized and engaging. You can use it to build chatbots for customer service, sales, or any other purpose, and offer your services as a chatbot developer to businesses and organizations.
  • Social media management: ChatGPT can be used to generate social media posts, including captions and hashtags. You can use it to manage the social media accounts of businesses and organizations, creating engaging and relevant content on a regular basis.
  • Virtual assistant: ChatGPT can be used to create responses to customer inquiries, schedule appointments, and perform other tasks typically handled by a virtual assistant. You can offer your services as a virtual assistant using ChatGPT to handle a variety of tasks for businesses and individuals.

There are many other ways you can use ChatGPT to make money online, and the possibilities are only limited by your imagination. Whether you’re a content creator, chatbot developer, social media manager, or virtual assistant, ChatGPT can help you provide valuable services and make money in the process.

ChatGPT - Make Money with ChatGPT video script.
ChatGPT will even tell you how to make money online!

To use the tool, you will need to sign up and create an OpenAI account.

After logging in, you will come to the tool’s main screen and its simple interface.

In the main section of the screen, you will find some examples of things you can ask the tool with descriptions of the tool’s capabilities and limitations.

Below it is the prompt where you enter your request and then hit enter, and on the left-hand sidebar, you will see a button for starting a new chat, a list with a history of your previous requests, and some settings (clear conversation, switch between light and dark mode) and additional information.

ChatGPT main screen.
Inside ChatGPT.

To start a new conversation, simply type in what you want to ask into the prompt, hit enter, and watch ChatGPT do its magic.

For example, in the chat below, I entered “Suggest 5 unique gifts for left-handed people” and this is what the tool created in mere seconds:

ChatGPT generated list
ChatGPT generated this list of unique lefty gifts in seconds.

Here are some additional things to note:

  • ChatGPT remembers your previous conversations. So, if you are working on an article, for example, you can enter new requests without referring to the article by name and the tool will know what you are referencing.
  • You can regenerate a response. ChatGPT will deliver you an entirely new reply, and you can toggle between the various generated responses.

tip

Sometimes, ChatGPT will just hang up in the middle of a reply.

If this happens, try typing “complete the above section.” into the prompt. ChatGPT will often resume its train of thought and complete its answer.

ChatGPT - Interrupted session
If ChatGPT hangs up mid-reply, try typing “complete the above section.” into the prompt to resume.

Part 4 – Generating New Content Ideas…Fast!

In this video, we look at how to use ChatGPT to generate great new content ideas for articles, blog posts, newsletters, videos, etc.

For example, when I typed “Generate 10 ideas for articles on effective content management with a brief description” into the tool, here is what ChatGPT returned in around 45 seconds:

ChatGPT request: Generate 10 ideas for articles on effective content management with a brief description
It took ChatGPT around 45 seconds to deliver the above list of content ideas for articles on effective content management.

Part 5 – Generating Your Article Outline

After generating a list of content ideas for articles on effective content management, the next step was to pick an article idea from the list and ask ChatGPT to generate an outline.

I picked the first article from the list and typed “Generate an outline for a comprehensive article on “5 Tips for Streamlining Your Content Management Process” into the tool.

Here is what ChatGPT returned in around 35 seconds:

ChatGPT: Generate an outline for a comprehensive article on 5 Tips for Streamlining Your Content Management Process
It only took ChatGPT around 35 seconds to deliver this article outline.

Part 6 – Generating Your Article Introduction

In less than a minute and a half, I had a list of great content ideas and an article outline.

Now it was time to begin building the actual article, so I asked ChatGPT to generate an introduction for the article.

Here’s what I got back after 15 seconds:

Chat GPT: Create an introduction for the article "5 Tips for Streamlining Your Content Management Process"
Chat GPT generated an introduction section for my article in 15 seconds.

This was so quick, that I asked the tool to regenerate a response and provide me with an alternative intro.

So, after one click, here’s what I got…

ChatGPT - alternative article introduction
ChatGPT generated an alternative introduction for my article with just one click.

So far, it’s not bad for less than 2 minutes work clicking a couple of buttons.

Let’s move on and…

Part 7 – Generating Your Article Conclusion

After using the tool to generate ideas, an outline, and a couple of great intros for my article, I decided to not only ask the tool to generate a conclusion section for the article in this video, but I also tested ChatGPT’s AI capabilities to recognize the context of our conversation and to “think outside the box” by giving it the following instruction:

Generate a conclusion for the above article. Include a call to action in the form of a haiku and write a limerick about content management.

As you will see in the video, ChatGPT not only understood which article I was referring to, but it only blinked its cursor once before delivering the following article conclusion in 20 seconds:

ChatGPT - Article conclusion.
ChatGPT delivered an article conclusion and composed a topic-related Haiku and a limerick in about 20 seconds.

Part 8 – Generating Your Article Content Sections

By now, I was feeling pretty confident that this tool can do anything you ask it to, so I thought, why not ask it to create all of the article’s main content section in one go and expand on each of the 5 tips listed in the outline?

So, I entered the following request “Expand on all of the above tips and generate an article between 1,500-2,500 words. Format each tip as a section heading enclosed in <h2> tags.”

ChatGPT immediately began spitting out some wonderful content, including bullet points, but then, around Tip #3 it choked and kind of hung up.

As you will see if you watch the video, I tried regenerating the response, and again it got to around Tip #3 and went no further.

I immediately began thinking that maybe it had exceeded the 2,500 word limit in my instruction, but when I checked using an online counter, it was only around 600 words, so I’m not sure what happened there.

Anyway, I got the section done by going back into the tool and asking it to expand on the missing tips, which it did in a total of about 4 minutes.

So, I copied and pasted the various responses I received into my swipe file and moved right along.

Part 9 – Reviewing Your AI-Generated Content

With all of the content sections generated, it was time to put my article together, which I did by logging into my website, creating a new post, pasting the content from the swipe file into the WordPress editor, deleting any irrelevant bits, then making some final SEO tweaks and formatting adjustments and saving it as a draft post.

In the video, I review the finished (and unpublished) article and discuss the process in a little more detail.

Part 10 – AI-Generated Content: Wrap-Up

Having allowed ChatGPT to create the entire article from start to finish, I then did some checks for content plagiarism to make sure the tool wasn’t just giving me someone else’s existing content, and asked it to perform some additional tasks before publishing the article by entering the following instructions:

  • Provide a post excerpt for this article
  • Write a meta description for this article and supply relevant tags.
  • Suggest an appropriate royalty-free image to be used as this article’s featured image.
  • Suggest synonyms for “content management process”
  • Provide sources to verify the claim that WordPress offers the ability to automate content scheduling.

Again, ChatGPT did an impressive job, as you can see if you check out the video.

Having satisfied myself that the content was indeed original and looking good, I then published the article.

After publishing the article (you can read the entire article here: 5 Tips For Streamlining Your Content Management Process), I then looked at the total time taken to create it (6 minutes), and whether the Ai tool met each of my goals (it did).

Finally, I wrapped up the video recording by discussing other potential content creation uses for the tool (e.g. generating recipes, creating video scripts, story plots for books, generating content with AI voice narrations, etc.)

ChatGPT - Hot And Spicy Air Fryer Chicken Recipe
Letting bots write your web content can surely make you hungry…so I asked ChatGPT to suggest a delicious air-fried chicken recipe for lunch.

Should You Use AI Tools To Create Your Website Content?

Whether or not you should use AI tools to create your website content depends on your specific needs and goals. If you are looking for a quick and easy solution for generating content, AI tools may be a good option.

However, if you want to ensure that your content is of high quality and truly unique, it may be best to stick with human writers.

And if you want your ai-generated content to rank well in the search engines (which, of course, you do), then make sure that it complies with Google Search’s guidelines for AI-generated content.

Ultimately, the decision will depend on your priorities and the resources you have available.

Benefits And Limitations Of Using AI-Generated Content

There are several benefits to using AI tools to generate content for your website:

  • Efficiency: AI tools can analyze data and generate written material quickly and efficiently, which can save time and effort for content creators.
  • Consistency: AI tools can produce content that is consistent in terms of tone and style, which can be beneficial for maintaining a cohesive brand voice.
  • Error-free: AI tools can generate content that is free of spelling and grammar errors, which can improve the overall quality of the material.
  • Cost-effective: In some cases, using AI tools to generate content may be more cost-effective than hiring human writers.

However, there are also some limitations to using AI tools for content generation:

  • Lack of creativity: While AI tools can analyze data and generate text, they may struggle to produce content that is truly creative or innovative.
  • Lack of emotional connection: AI-generated content may not be able to effectively connect with readers on an emotional level, as it lacks the human element.
  • Potential for bias: If the data that is used to train the AI tool is biased, the generated content may also be biased.
  • Legal issues: In some cases, using AI-generated content may raise legal issues, such as copyright infringement or plagiarism. It’s important to carefully review any generated content to ensure it is legal to use.

Conclusion

In today’s digital age, it’s more important than ever to have a strong online presence. One way to achieve this is by regularly publishing high-quality content on your website.

But if you’re struggling to keep up with the demands of creating new material, you might be wondering if there’s a way to automate the process.

That’s where AI tools come in. By leveraging artificial intelligence, it’s possible to generate written content that is not only error-free but also engaging and valuable for your audience.

In this article, we’ve looked at how AI tools can be used to generate quality content for your website, as well as the benefits and limitations of this approach.

And, of course, I let ChatGPT create all of the above sections 😉

ChatGPT: generate a conclusion for this topic: "Should You Use AI Tools To Create Your Website Content?"

ChatGPT: What are the benefits and limitations of this approach?

ChatGPT: Create an introduction for an article titled "Using AI tools to generate quality content for your website"

The Last (Human) Word

While I feel tools like ChatGPT have tremendous potential to save businesses time and money in content-related areas like content planning, content research, content production, SEO, and other ways I have yet to imagine, the ethical use of artificial intelligence tools is the subject of wide debate everywhere, Google says that using AI writing tools is against its guidelines, and there are other things to consider before filling up your website with AI-generated content, such as the limitations described above.

While ChatGPT created an impressive article in just a few minutes and with only a few clicks, I doubt if it could have created the article you are reading now…but I could be wrong!

After all, I’m only human.

***

Image: AI Hand Robot