If content is king, then we’re all out here living in its worldwide kingdom—and some of us want a taste of that royal life. But the king’s moat is deep, and every day it overflows with the latest content. So how does your content get past the moat and join the king’s court?
No, you don’t need chainmail or a sword. But you do have the right idea: using tools to help make your content more enticing and stand out from the rest of the content in the moat. And we know just the tools that will get your content across the drawbridge and draw in more readers.
Visual Content Tools
Have you ever opened up a book that you’re interested in reading and seen a bunch of long paragraphs in tiny print? Yeah, text like that makes us grimace, too—and can even have us put the book right back on the shelf without a second thought.
The same goes for online content. Say, you’re presented with two blogs that have the exact same textual content.
One presents a huge wall of text, almost like an essay or report. The other breaks up the text with aesthetically appealing visual elements.
Which one are you drawn to? (No pun intended. Well, maybe a little intended.)
Graphic Design
Canva
Even if you have no previous design experience, you can easily create your own graphic designs with Canva. From icons, charts, photo enhancements, and collages, to text to image generation with AI, Canva can help you create eye-catching designs that will capture users’ attention.
Canva offers three different plans, including a free one! But if you find yourself really getting into this tool, Canva offers a Pro plan for $119.99 annually. You can learn more about their pricing options here.
Piktochart
Piktochart is similar to Canva, although Piktochart targets more professional, formal use cases. Thus, Piktochart is a great option for writers creating more business-centered or educational content campaigns.
Piktochart also offers a free plan! But if you want to bump up your subscription, you can get the Pro plan for an annual fee of $168. You can find more information about Piktochart’s pricing here.
Video Creation
Animoto
Animoto is a popular, easy-to-use platform for making high-quality videos with considerable customizable features. You can add your own watermark to videos, resize your videos, add music, and even upload your own fonts.
Animoto offers a free plan that allows users to create an unlimited amount of videos! You can get more features with their Basic plan for $180 a year. You can find out which plan best fits your needs by reviewing their pricing page.
Lumen5
Lumen5 is also a popular video tool, but it differs from Animoto in one key area: Not only can you create and edit videos, but Lumen5 also uses AI to transform text into video using relevant stock footage.
Although Lumen5 does offer a free plan, the features are significantly limited. The Basic plan costs $228 a year. You can review their plans here.
Free Images
Who doesn’t love free stuff? Using free images is an easy way to break up your content without too much effort.
Forget those goofy stock images. Tools like Unsplash and Pexels offer a massive range of beautiful photos that won’t cost you a penny. Just make sure that the images you use truly are copyright free.
Interactive Content Add-Ins
Just like kids who like to touch everything, we adults like to click on everything—especially interactive features. And since users love to interact, using these tools is a solid tactic for enticing and engaging with your readers.
Typeform
Typeform specializes in what you might expect: interactive forms.
You can use Typeform to create and add a quiz, survey, or even an order form right within your content. (And let’s be real, it’s hard to pass up an online quiz! Looking at you, Buzzfeed.)
Typeform offers a limited free plan, but you might find that the Basic plan for $300 per year suits you better.
You can learn more about their plans and pricing here.
Dot.vu
Dot.vu is similar to Typeform, but this platform offers a broader range of interactive add-ins. You can make interactive calculators, flipbooks, virtual tours, lookbooks, contests, and even games.
Dot.vu offers a free plan as well as four additional plan tiers. However, three of these tiers also include further subscription levels. We suggest reading more about the pricing options here due to the extensive array of plan options.
Storytelling, Writing, and Content Enhancement
All of the tools for writers we’ve mentioned thus far share a common goal: They offer different ways you can break up your content.
And while these tools can help you draw readers in with graphics, photos, videos, and interactive features, it’s your content itself that makes readers stay on the page—and, you know, read.
Witty
Have you ever stopped reading something because the language felt biased or non-inclusive? Writing like that gives us the ick, but sometimes we don’t even realize we’re using problematic language.
Witty is like the Grammarly of inclusive writing, highlighting biased language while offering an explanation and inclusive alternatives.
Although you’ll have limited functionality, Witty’s free plan is a great deal for writers. You can also upgrade your subscription with Witty’s Teams plan, which will cost you $178.80 a year. Find out more about Witty’s plans here.
Cliché Finder
A simple tool, Cliché Finder does exactly what its name implies: It finds cliches and overused language in your text.
In other words, Cliché Finder doesn’t offer alternatives.
It only highlights what you could improve or replace.
However, this tool does encourage you to think outside the box and use more creative language.
You know what they say, the best things in life are free—and Cliché Finder is completely free!
Easy-Peasy AI
If content is king, then AI is the court jester. Meaning, AI can definitely, you know, do stuff, but we don’t always get it. Fellow writers, there’s no need to fret that AI is going to usurp the king. Instead, you might as well try to use this jester for your enjoyment.
Metaphors aside, we aren’t suggesting you use AI to write your content entirely. But we aren’t saying you shouldn’t use AI, either.
We like using Easy-Peasy AI to enhance our content campaigns. Play around with features like the Content Idea Generator, Clickbait Title Generator, Brainstorming Tool, and Catchy Tagline to get inspired and the ideas flowing.
Easy-Peasy.AI offers four different plans, and the first one is free! If the free plan is too limited, you can get more functionality for $59.88 a year with the Basic plan. You can explore the pricing options more here.
Join the Royal Content Court With The Writers For Hire
Are you ready to jazz up your content with some courtly flair and entice more readers? These tools for writers can help you set your content campaigns apart from the rest and might just be your key to the king’s castle.
But if you’re nervously looking around for a knight in shining armor to help you get across the teeming moat of content and earn a seat in the king’s court, look no further. Our team at The Writers For Hire are all certified in moat-crossing!
Okay, okay, we’re not certified sworders or moat-crossers, but we are an experienced team of professional writers. And we’re here to help you create content that will draw in your readers, drive traffic, and help boost your rankings.
The United States might not run under a monarchy, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a king.
No, it’s not Bezos or Musk (don’t let them hear you say that, though). It’s content! In fact, with so much of our lives taking place online, we’re bombarded with more content in just one given day than if we spent a whole week perusing the stacks at the biggest library in the world: the Library of Congress.
Okay, okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration. But, hey, think about how much time most of us spend online swiping through content. It certainly sounds like it could be true, right?
Even though we regularly consume copious amounts of content, it can be easy to mentally rebuff all of the efforts that went into getting the content material in front of users. Creating the content is only half the battle of strategic content marketing! The other half lies in effectively disseminating that content out into the world.
The question is: How do you go about disseminating your content?
This blog is your handy cheat sheet to some of the most prominent content distribution methods, including via websites and blogs, social media, email, paid advertising, and guest post spotlights.
But you know what they say: Time is money. So don’t bookmark this for later and don’t wait, because it’s time to learn how to disseminate! (Don’t worry, Dr. Seuss is now exiting the building.)
Methods for Content Distribution
Dissemination is all about strategically spreading your content across multiple channels to reach your target audience. But with so many options available, how do you know which ones to prioritize? The following are some of the most relevant and popular distribution methods and channels.
Image by C.B. in Canva
Website and Blog
If you’re like us, this is where your brain went first. That’s because your website is like your home base! Accordingly, we strongly encourage you to always post your content on your website and blog first.
In addition, it’s best practice to format your website so it’s easy for users to navigate, share, and subscribe to your posts.
Social Media Channels
Social media offers especially advantageous opportunities for content dissemination, as you can strategically tailor your content to various platforms and target audiences. To make it even easier for you, you can utilize a content marketing platform to streamline the posting process. Posting your content on popular platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, and Threads provides avenues for your content to reach as many users as possible.
Emails
While this method might seem a little old-school (although not nearly as old-school as snail mail), there’s a reason it’s on the list: People still use their email accounts every day!
That being said, you just can’t underestimate the power of a well-crafted email. Who hasn’t been lured in by a compelling subject line?
Who hasn’t made an impulse purchase because of a coupon that showed up in their inbox?
It’s no surprise that email remains a powerful tool for content dissemination, and we encourage you to take advantage of it!
Start building an email list of interested subscribers and send out regularly scheduled newsletters that feature your latest content.
Paid Advertising
Although paid advertising requires a financial investment, there’s no denying its benefits.
For one thing, you can use paid ads to promote your content through various channels like Google Ads, social media ads, or even sponsored content placements. But perhaps an even more noteworthy benefit is that paid ads can target specific audience demographics.
Ultimately, paid advertising presents a great method to quickly gain traction for your content.
Guest Posts
At the outset, it’s important to recognize that this example of content marketing and distribution will most likely be the most challenging one on the list.
Securing a guest post requires focused, persistent effort from start to finish. You’ll need to seek out other blogs and content creators that align with or complement your own content, and then determine, subsequently, if your prospects are open to collaborating with you and what’s required to do so.
Admittedly, this method can take some time—there are many different factors at play that you need to keep in mind.
That being said, securing a guest post is worth celebrating! Not only will this help increase your content’s reach with new users, but it will also help your content’s authority. Furthermore, if your post includes a backlink to your website, it will help drive more traffic and raise your search engine ranking.
Content Dissemination: It’s Like Watering a Garden
Every content creator dreams of their work being discovered and going viral, right? So which content dissemination method holds the magic key?
Unfortunately, there is no ultimate distribution method that rises well above all the others. It’s true that some methods might be a stronger choice than others, but this will undoubtedly vary from one content campaign to another.
The best option largely depends on factors like your target audience, campaign objectives, budget limitations, content type, and so forth.
Nevertheless, the best content dissemination strategies involve a multi-channel approach.
Think about it: The chances of your content going viral aren’t very high if you only use one method to distribute it.
That’s why we like to think of disseminating content like watering a garden. Would you water just the flowers in your garden and leave the veggies? Of course not! You would spread the water around the whole garden to promote growth and a bountiful harvest.
The same goes for content dissemination. You can boost the visibility of your content considerably by distributing it far and wide.
Distribute your content like a pro.
With these content marketing tips in hand, it’s clear that the road of content dissemination doesn’t lead down a one-way street. Rather, it’s a path that branches and leads to several different destinations.
But getting to all those destinations takes dedicated time and effort, two things many businesses don’t have extra to spare. Fortunately, a reputable content writing agency can take on tasks like these so you can focus on other parts of your business.
An experienced writing team will help you identify the best distribution methods for your content campaign and make sure your content is posted everywhere it should be. With their help, your content will land in front of as many users as possible.
In today’s ever-evolving digital landscape, executing an effective marketing communication strategy calls for more than crafting catchy messages and choosing the right platforms.
Luckily, with the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), businesses have access to a remarkable tool that can take their communication game to the next level.
Read on as we explore how AI can help you execute a flawless communication strategy with the use of a few very effective programs using this technology.
Why You Need an Effective Communication Strategy
A communication strategy is an integral part of any marketing plan. “Without a communication strategy, you’re shooting from the hip and hoping for the best,” says Chrisna Basson-Wessels, a Brand and Communication Strategist with more than a decade’s experience in the field. “An effective communication strategy links to the business strategy and clearly articulates the different paths from objectives to channels to key messages and KIPs.”
It all boils down to better results, as a robust communication strategy can help you build stronger brand awareness, better engagement with your audience, and customer loyalty. What’s not to like about that?
A Quick Recap: What Is AI again?
It is rather unlikely that you haven’t heard about AI, but just in case, let’s take a quick look at what it is and what it offers us.
AI has been around for some time, but it was with the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT that it became a household topic.
Basson-Wessels notes: “If you look beyond the hype to a more realistic view, AI can be very useful and pragmatic.” Using Natural Language Processing (NLP), ChatGPT and programs like it can be more effectively utilized by simply inputting a prompt.
However, getting the right response takes some finesse and requires a bit of know-how and experience.
How To Use AI in Your Content Marketing
Programs such as ChatGPT are extremely powerful, and their usefulness extends beyond solving white-page syndrome or simply answering questions.
AI can take tedious content marketing tasks and complete them in record time through what is known as Intelligent Automation (IA). It is through IA that most of the usefulness of AI for marketers can be unlocked.
A marketing communication strategy is an essential part of content marketing and comprises four essential things: Key Messaging, Audience, Dissemination, and Schedule.
Let’s take a closer look at how AI (and IA by default) can be of service to developing each.
1. Key Messaging
Basson-Wessels states:
“A ‘key message’ is the crux of what you need to relay to your audience. It helps to link a specific message to a specific objective in the communication strategy process. For example, for your brand-building objective, you should have a key message pushing your unique selling proposition (USP), and for your sales-driving objective, you should have a key message pushing your special offer. But importantly, you must not push all key messages at every point of contact.”
In other words, knowing what information to give your customer during each phase of their journey is crucial to obtaining the desired behaviors and outcomes.
For marketers, AI is especially useful for analyzing customer sentiment, personalizing content, optimizing headlines, and checking that your company message and brand voice are consistent across platforms and throughout content.
Using AI, users can input the company’s Brand Voice and have the program check whether existing content aligns with it. These are only a few of the possible uses of AI-powered programs.
2. Audience
Knowing your audience is as essential to your company’s success as having a clear vision and strong leadership.
Who are the people that are buying your product or using your service? What do they like? Where do they hang out? What other products or services do they use?
Using AI, marketers can answer all these questions by analyzing vast amounts of data to create a clear audience profile.
A worthwhile feature of AI that marketers can use is the ability to listen in on the language their audience is using so that they can adapt their message to their audience’s interests. This is just another way AI can build a better picture of the people you might be trying to reach.
3. Dissemination
There are a seemingly unlimited number of online platforms with which users engage and through which they consume content. However, knowing who your audience is makes it easier to understand where to publish content to attract their attention.
Basson-Wessels notes: “As our channel ecosystems expand, it’s an opportunity to engage with audiences in multiple ways. It adds layers to your brand identity and ultimately brand perception when you show up in different ways leveraging different channel formats.”
She warns, however, that “audiences have a very specific relationship with each channel, so it’s crucial not to simply replicate the content of one channel onto another.” Again, this is where AI can be of use. By analyzing user data and past trends and behaviors, AI algorithms can suggest the best type of content and which platforms and channels would get the best results.
In addition, when users engage with your brand through your website or social media, AI can curate content based on their preferences and past behaviors.
Another possibility is an AI-powered chatbot integrated into your site to answer questions, provide recommendations, and guide users to relevant content.
4. Schedule
The right timing is crucial when it comes to publishing content and hitting your marketing goals.
For Basson-Wessels, creating a schedule “ensures that you have a holistic approach to your content, with different pillars or themes linked to different objectives, going live at the right time.”
AI algorithms can identify the optimal times at which content needs to be published to specific channels to be best perceived by your audience.
Then, IA adds to the effectiveness of your campaign by allowing you to schedule the automatic publication of certain posts or have specific content delivered to audiences when triggered by a particular behavior.
The result is content that gets delivered at the right time and in the right place.
A Few Useful AI-Powered Programs
Search for “AI Marketing Programs” online, and you are sure to find a dozen. But deciding which are worthy of your time and effort can feel like an unnecessarily difficult task. That’s why we’ve rounded up a few popular programs that are sure to have something of use.
SemRush is a robust software program that gives marketers massive opportunities to improve a brand’s online visibility. It helps with everything from making content to overseeing and evaluating it across various channels. It helps you increase your SEO with on-page analysis, keyword search, and much more. The platform is robust and has a free trial to get you started.
We’ve written about Grammarly before, and that’s because it is just such a handy tool to have. At the bare minimum, it’s a spell-checker that can be installed to check your writing across your social channels, making sure no mistakes slip through. But at its most useful, it is a tool that uses AI and NLP to create written content for you or offer suggestions on improving your work while considering your brand voice and aims.
Having a website means there is no reason not to have Google Analytics. The program gives you vast amounts of data and insights into how users use your website and whether you are achieving your goals. What’s great is that you get insights into who uses your site at the click of a button— checking out where they were before coming to your site and how long they stayed on it. Google Analytics uses AI to generate these insights; the best part is that it is free!
At its core, SalesForce is a technology that helps connect companies with their customers. Like most other programs mentioned here, it is pretty powerful, and even knowing where to begin using it can feel intimidating as there are so many possibilities. SalesForce uses predictive and generative AI across the platform to allow its users to create personalized sales emails, customer service experiences, and even product descriptions, among others.
Having a brand presence across a wide array of social media channels can feel overwhelming, especially as you need to keep track of what’s happening on each one. Enter: Hootsuite. The program lets you import all your profiles into one inbox and reply to comments and messages across platforms. Not only that, but you can be alerted when someone mentions your brand or there are conversations happening about it. And, of course, its AI writer is there to help write first drafts, come up with content ideas, write captions, and choose the best hashtags for your posts—all in one place.
Buffer is a handy program that allows you to distribute content across various channels with scheduled publishing at recommended times for optimum engagement and awareness. Moreover, the Buffer AI Assistant can generate content ideas for you and repurpose existing content repeatedly. At the same time, its IA counterpart creates automated reports to showcase your work and identify your success.
Useful for: Dissemination and Schedules
Conclusion
Harnessing the power of AI is not merely a trend but a necessity for modern marketing communication strategies. As we’ve explored, the power of AI is easily accessible through many tools and programs that can significantly enhance every aspect of your communication strategy.
Communication is a two-way street, where information flows in one direction and back in the other. When communication works well, all parties get their message across effectively.
However, in order for messages to get across, every interlocutor must listen more than they speak.
Unfortunately, many brands fail to understand the concept of two-way communication. Some brands believe in talking down to their customers. They hold an erroneous belief that they know what is good for their customers.
The message falls flat when content marketing is about the brand and not the customer.
Instead, brands must strive to communicate with their customers by showing their genuine understanding of their pain points. Moreover, brands must be empathetic to their customers’ needs.
The question is: How can a content marketing campaign be about customers?
Using a Content Campaign to Communicate With Customers
A content campaign provides a wonderful opportunity to communicate with customers. Brands can use this two-way communication to foster a meaningful relationship.
How so?
Customers base their relationships with brands on trust. When customers trust a brand, they are loyal. When customers lose trust, they seek other brands or alternative products.
Indeed, building trust between brands and customers is the main goal of content marketing. Communication is the vehicle that enhances communication.
When brands fail to communicate, they have difficulty building trust in their customers.
The brand may sell, but customers may not remain loyal.
Moreover, customers may find excuses (usually price) to switch over to another brand.
Please remember that content campaigns should always be centered around customers. There are three things that content campaigns must always address:
Focusing on customer pain points
Showing empathy with customers
Communicating how the brand can solve or alleviate pain points
These three elements enable brands to communicate with customers effectively. After all, customers may see that brands “get them.”
Nevertheless, the question begs, “How can you learn what customers want to hear?”
Building a Customer-centered Content Campaign
Building a customer-centered content campaign is not an esoteric proposition. Customer-centered content campaigns are the result of listening more than talking.
This point is where most brands get it wrong.
Many brands fail to listen to their customers. Some brands neglect to listen to what their customers have to say. Microsoft founder Bill Gates once said, “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”
Point taken.
The fact is that most companies would much rather listen to all the good things customers have to say. However, no one ever wants to listen to the bad things customers have in mind.
How so?
It all boils down to fear. There is a fear of hearing what no one wants to hear. But it is facing that fear that allows brands to grow. The brands that fail to listen are the ones that ultimately fail. Walmart founder Sam Walton encapsulates this point with the following statement: “If you don’t listen to your customers, someone else will.”
Who is that “someone else?” The competition!
When companies fail to listen to their customers, competitors have a golden opportunity to swoop in.
Building a customer-centered campaign begins with listening to customers. Successful brands take the time to listen and pay close attention. These brands are far more interested in talking to unhappy customers than satisfied ones.
Why?
Successful brands understand the value of listening to dissatisfied folks. When brands truly pay attention, they build trust by showing customers they care. Please remember that empathy is a valuable asset. Empathy starts with careful listening.
5 Ways to Make a Content Campaign About Customers
There are five significant ways brands can build a customer-centered campaign when building a content campaign.
1. Forget about the brand.
The first step is to forget about the brand. In other words, building a successful content campaign is not about touting the brand. It is about focusing on the customers’ needs. The last thing a successful content campaign does is hype the brand.
Think about it.
Using a content campaign to hype a brand is like going on a date to spend the entire time talking about oneself. The other party would most likely get bored quite quickly.
The same goes for content campaigns. Customers tune out quickly when the message focuses on tooting the brand’s own horn.
Brands must get to know their customers in order to build effective content campaigns. The most effective way to know one’s customers is to talk to them.
Savvy brands incentivize customers to fill out questionnaires and surveys with special rewards. For example, offering a special discount code to anyone who fills out a questionnaire can become a highly useful tactic.
Also, some brands use focus groups and segmented demographics to figure out how customers feel. From there, brands can determine where their target customers lie.
It is incredible how much customers are willing to speak when given the opportunity. So, listen up!
2. It’s all about pain points.
The next step in an effective content campaign is to focus on customer pain points. These pain points may be problems, needs, or wants customers face. A typical approach is to focus on a problem customers face. However, effective content campaigns do not tout the brand. Instead, they offer valuable information that customers can use to alleviate their pain points.
Consider this situation:
A fitness brand plans to launch a new line of weight loss supplements. Instead of telling customers how wonderful the supplements are, its content campaign focuses on addressing weight loss issues. The content campaign provides free health advice sponsored by the brand. The customers see the brand, but they do not get a sales pitch. Rather, customers get helpful advice on how to build healthy habits.
Please keep in mind that successful content campaigns always talk about customers and their needs. The brand sits in the background, waiting for an opportunity to emerge as part of the solution.
3. Show empathy.
Some brands fail to show empathy with their customers. These brands sell their products by telling customers what to do. For instance, a pharmaceutical brand tells customers that their painkillers are the best on the market. Their content is focused on extolling the product’s qualities while completely neglecting what customers truly want.
How can brands show empathy?
First, brands must address pain points. In our previous example, the pharma brand recognizes that customers must live with pain. They discuss the causes of pain and what habits or diseases may cause pain.
Then, the brand strives to show empathy. They tell customers that everyone must deal with pain. They are not alone. When brands “get it,” they run ads that show people suffering from pain. They highlight the types of activities that may cause pain and the types of people it affects.
The brand strives to communicate its message by saying, “We’ve been there, too.” Nevertheless, the brand does not push any products on customers. At least, not yet.
4. Offer a solution.
Great content campaigns provide useful information customers can utilize to solve their pain points. The information itself, however, may be insufficient to solve the issue fully. This point is where brands can present their solution to the problem.
Think about the last example. The main customer pain point is living with pain. The brand uses a fantastic campaign to offer tips on diet, exercise, and healthy habits customers can use to relieve pain. However, these valuable bits of information may be insufficient to get rid of pain once and for all.
Now is the time for the solution.
The brand introduces its new pain medication as the definitive solution. However, the brand does not tout the product.
Instead, the brand focuses on how the product relieves pain by explaining how its formulation works to reduce discomfort.
Thus, the message is not, “Take this product because it is the best pain reliever.” Instead, the message is, “The formula in this product, along with all the other information provided, will help you eliminate pain. We know it works because we have tried it, too.”
In this example, the message is effective because it flips the narrative. The narrative is no longer about how wonderful the product is. The narrative focuses on how the product is a great tool to solve a significant pain point.
5. Show the outcomes.
Successful content campaigns end their marketing interventions with satisfied customers. Clever brands showcase how customers solve their pain points by consuming the brand. In the previous example, the brand could use customer testimonials to show how effective the product truly is.
Why does this approach work?
It works because it is about empathy!
Once unhappy people tried the product, and it worked. Now, they want to share their happiness with others just like them.
Showing the outcomes with real people is the most effective way to get a message across. Forget about fancy lights and cool people. Instead, focus on real people, real problems, and real solutions.
How can a writing agency help produce a killer content campaign?
Regarding pain points, some brands might feel that building an effective content campaign may be beyond their scope.
How so?
Creating a customer-centered campaign requires specialized knowledge and technical expertise. Furthermore, the research and effort that goes into building a successful content campaign demand time and effort.
Often, time and effort are limited resources for most brands.
Hiring a writing agency can become the best solution to this significant pain point.
Here is a look at how hiring a writing agency can help brands build effective customer-centered campaigns:
A writing agency can produce the documentation needed for market research. For example, questionnaires, surveys, data processing, and report writing all fall within a writing agency’s area of expertise.
A writing agency can assist in producing a content campaign. A professional writing agency typically has a diverse writing team. This team is capable of producing top-quality copy, scripts, marketing materials, product brochures, and user manuals.
A writing agency saves time and effort. An experienced writing agency can tackle the nitty gritty of a successful content campaign. They know how to manage the ins and outs of a content campaign project.
A writing agency becomes a trusted partner. Over time, a professional writing agency can become a trusted partner for any brand. The relationship between brands and writing agencies is predicated on trust. After all, brands trust that their chosen writing agency will always deliver.
The partnership between brands and writing agencies can become a force multiplier. Brands know their customers. Writing agencies know what it takes to produce effective content campaigns. When joining both forces, superb content reaches information-hungry customers.
A Final Thought About Content Campaigns
There are those who might say that hiring a writing agency is expensive. Moreover, some might say that it is an unnecessary cost.
Those who feel this way have never seen a writing agency in action.
Hiring a writing agency is an investment. The cost of hiring a writing agency is offset by the gains brands make.
Brands gain customers, boost revenue, and improve profitability with effective content campaigns.
Shrewd brands know that getting the right writing team on board can boost their content campaigns’ effectiveness exponentially.
Here is a final thought:
“The key is to set realistic customer expectations and then not just meet them but exceed them—preferably in unexpected and helpful ways.”
This quote by Virgin founder Richard Branson sums up this discussion. Fantastic content campaigns can help solve customer pain points in unexpected and helpful ways. It is all a matter of listening more than talking.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a valuable ally for authors, supporting them in various facets of the creative process. AI tools can assist writers with brainstorming ideas, generating content, and even refining language.
AI’s ability to analyze vast datasets very quickly enables it to provide valuable insights that can help writers overcome creative blocks and improve their coverage of a subject. Additionally, AI-powered grammar and style checks contribute to improved writing mechanics by offering real-time suggestions.
However, amid the promise and potential benefits, there is a dark side to AI that warrants careful consideration.
AI models are trained on data that reflects existing societal biases. This raises concerns about prejudice in generated content. Thought leaders should keep an eye out for any unintentional reinforcement of stereotypes or biased viewpoints in AI-generated material.
Another real concern is the risk of plagiarism. Both the ethical and legal implications of content ownership require conscientious oversight.
Authors who want to leverage AI as a tool should do so for augmentation rather than replacement. While AI can enhance efficiency and creativity, human oversight is imperative to ensure that writers’ work is original, ethical, unbiased and appropriate for their readers.
The Dos of Using AI in Thought Leadership Content
The potential upside to the use of AI in writing is enormous.
It is especially helpful with the creation of thought leadership content.
Content created with the help of AI can deliver considerable time savings as authors can produce useful content in a fraction of the time it might normally take.
In order to harness this advantage properly, here are 10 crucial things to keep in mind:
1. Understand the Technology
Content creators and content writing services must invest time and resources into understanding the AI technology they employ for thought leadership content. This involves delving into the intricacies of the model’s architecture and functionalities, recognizing potential biases, and acknowledging any ethical implications associated with using it.
Authors must know how AI technology works to get the most out of it without compromising the quality of their thought leadership content.
2. Augment, Don’t Replace
AI should be viewed as a tool for augmenting human capabilities, not as a replacement for them. While AI can streamline certain processes, it lacks the unique contextual understanding and creative intuition that humans possess.
Content writing services should integrate AI as a collaborative partner, leveraging its strengths in data analysis and content creation while relying on human expertise for creativity, context, and ethical considerations. A successful, effective thought leadership content strategy requires the skills and insights of knowledgeable people.
3. Customize and Fine-Tune
Responsible customization of AI models means aligning them with industry characteristics, the author’s unique voice and the brand’s values. This kind of fine-tuning lets writers optimize content created by AI to resonate with the target audience.
This process tailors AI output to match a thought leadership content strategy’s messaging and stylistic preferences and enhances the quality and relevance of the content.
Still, human eyes are necessary to ensure that results reflect the author’s content strategy and avoid sounding disjointed or incoherent.
4. Verify and Fact-Check
Rigorous verification and fact-checking is essential to responsible AI content creation. The dynamic nature of information means human oversight is needed to ensure accuracy and reliability.
Content writing services should establish robust processes to cross-verify AI-generated information, corroborate facts, and fix any inaccuracies that arise.
Please keep in mind that factual inaccuracy is the biggest criticism of AI created content, and one that is perfectly reasonable.
Authors must ensure that AI-generated content is accurate to prevent questions about their reputations and credibility.
This is especially true when an author is looking to outsource content writing.
5. Ensure Ethical Use of Data
The ethical use of data in AI content creation requires that authors source data responsibly, comply with privacy regulations, and are transparent about data usage practices.
Ethical considerations also extend to how data is collected, processed, and used in training AI models. All are important to maintaining public trust in the use of AI created content.
It is worth pointing out that when thought leaders use data ethically, it shows they understand the implications of using AI for content creation. Their followers can confidently consume original content within the context of AI created content. This is why disclosure of human-generated and AI created content is a key part of protecting a thought leader’s reputation and credibility.
6. Include Human Oversight
Including human oversight in the AI content creation process helps guard against potential biases and ethical lapses. It also ensures the content aligns with the content strategy’s objectives.
While AI can automate certain aspects of content creation, human editors and experts bring their understanding of context, their emotional intelligence and creativity— refining and enhancing the generated content.
7. Continuously Learn and Improve
A commitment to continuous learning and improvement in the use of AI technologies is a must for effective thought leadership content strategies. This involves staying abreast of new developments, enhancements, and best practices in the field.
Content creators should regularly assess AI models to incorporate new insights so their thought leadership content remains cutting-edge and meets audience expectations.
Authors should actively seek and integrate user feedback into the AI content creation process. experiences. Users can provide valuable perspectives on content effectiveness, resonance, and audience expectations.
Establishing a feedback loop allows organizations to adapt and refine this content, enhancing the quality and relevance of thought leadership content in response to real-world users.
9. Explore Multi-Modal Content Generation
Authors and content writing services should be encouraged to explore the capabilities of AI for multi-modal content creation encompassing text, images, and audio. Leveraging AI across different content formats enhances engagement and caters to the varied preferences of audiences.
By incorporating multi-modal AI approaches, organizations can deliver a richer, more immersive experience, amplifying the impact of their thought leadership content strategies. These approaches can open doors to broader adoption of AI content creation within thought leadership content.
10. Collaborate Across Teams
Adopting AI as part of a thought leadership strategy allows collaboration between AI specialists, content creators, and domain experts.
An interdisciplinary approach ensures that AI created content is linguistically accurate and aligned with a clear understanding of industry-specific concepts, trends, and audience preferences.
This maximizes the potential of AI as a strategic tool within a content creation ecosystem.
The Don’ts of Using AI in Thought Leadership Content
There is a potential “dark side” to AI usage in thought leadership content—a side that demands that authors and content writing services pay close attention to the ways AI created content responds to quality and ethical standards.
Let’s take a look at some of the possible issues people may have when using AI for content creation.
Plagiarism or Infringement
Authors and content writing services must never use AI for plagiarism or intellectual property infringement. The originality of AI created content is both an ethical concern and a legal requirement.
Authors should implement mechanisms to verify the uniqueness of content created with AI and prevent violations of copyright laws.
Ignoring Ethical Considerations
Ethical considerations related to AI must not be overlooked. Content creation services should address biases in AI models to ensure fairness in generated content.
A thorough examination of output, continuous monitoring, and corrective measures all work together to minimize biases and uphold ethical standards in thought leadership content creation.
Overreliance on AI
It is prudent to steer clear of overreliance on AI without human input. While AI excels in data-driven tasks, human creators contribute vital contextual understanding, emotional intelligence, and creativity.
Authors who outsource content writing should recognize the symbiotic relationship between AI and human expertise. Doing so enables a holistic and effective approach to thought leadership content.
Lack of Transparency
Transparency in the use of AI is another key to maintaining trust with a target audience.
Companies should communicate openly about the role of AI in thought leadership content strategies; the extent of its involvement and the specific tasks it undertakes.
Transparent communication fosters understanding and trust, reducing concerns about the use of AI in thought leadership content.
Neglecting Legal Compliance
Legal compliance is non-negotiable in the integration of language models into AI content creation. Content creators must ensure their use of AI aligns with laws and regulations, including privacy, data protection, and intellectual property statutes.
Legal compliance safeguards an author from potential legal consequences while reinforcing ethical standards in the use of AI created content.
Assuming Perfection
Content writing services should not assume their AI generated content is perfect. Rigorous review and editing is essential to identify and fix any inaccuracies, inconsistencies, or unintended biases that may arise.
Human oversight helps ensure the final output meets high standards of quality, accuracy, and alignment with a thought leader’s brand and values.
Unethical Manipulation of Information
Thought leaders can help prevent the unethical manipulation of information and spreading of inaccuracies through AI. Authors can do this by establishing and communicating clear ethical guidelines that prevent deceptive misuse of AI created content.
When thought leaders uphold the principles of transparency and integrity, they safeguard the credibility of thought leadership strategies and maintain trust with their audiences.
Ignoring Cultural Sensitivities
Authors shouldn’t overlook cultural sensitivities and norms when using AI created content. Cultural awareness helps them prevent publishing material that is inadvertently offensive or inappropriate.
Doing cultural sensitivity checks as content is created helps ensure AI-created content both respects and resonates positively with diverse cultures.
Automated Social Media Posting Without Review
Thought leaders should resist the temptation to automate social media posting without full human review.
Social media platforms require a thorough understanding of tone, context, and real-time events. Review helps ensure that any content created with the help of AI is contextually appropriate and up to date.
Neglecting Cybersecurity Measures
Companies should take cybersecurity measures when implementing AI content creation. Content creation services and thought leaders must prioritize the security of AI systems to safeguard against potential vulnerabilities and cyber threats.
To protect sensitive data used in AI models, thought leaders should adhere to cybersecurity best practices that reduce the risk of targeting AI infrastructure.
A comprehensive cybersecurity strategy improves the integrity and reliability of AI-generated thought leadership content.
A Final Thought
AI offers undeniable benefits to the writing process, streamlining tasks and enhancing efficiency. It excels at data analysis, provides valuable insights, and aids in content generation. Its grammar checks and style suggestions can improve writing mechanics.
However, human creativity, emotional intelligence, and nuanced understanding remains irreplaceable. Writing is a deeply human art that involves empathy, context, and perspective that AI lacks. Human writers bring cultural awareness, intuition, and the ability to think subjectively about complex topics.
AI, while a powerful tool, cannot replicate the depth, originality, and soulful expression possible in human-authored content. The interplay between AI and human writers represents the optimal synergy, using the strengths of both to produce harmonious and impactful writing.
When it comes to content marketing, you may think that content creation is the key element to focus your efforts on. You’re not wrong, exactly. However, finding your target audience is just as imperative if your content is going to impact your business the way you want it to.
Identifying and understanding your audience is a fundamental element of content marketing success.
But what is a target audience? And how do you identify yours and use content marketing to show exactly what your product or service can do for that group of people?
What is a Target Audience?
You may have heard of a target market before. This is a broader group that may potentially use your product or service. A target audience is a subset of your target market—a more defined and specific group of peoplewhom you can “target” with content marketing campaigns.
A target audience is composed of those most likely to use your product or service. The factors that determine its membership can include age range, geographic location, interests, income, education level, and more.
For example, if you create content about an Orlando, Florida steakhouse, people who live in or are likely to visit Orlando and patronize eateries with similar price points and menu offerings are your target.
Why Do I Need a Target Audience for Content Marketing?
You may be asking “Why do I even need a target audience? What if my product or service is for anyone who wants to use it?”.
In an ideal world, trying to appeal to everyone can be tempting, but that kind of utopia doesn’t exist. Everyone has specific needs; that’s something marketing departments understand.
Ask any marketing expert and they’ll tell you that nailing down a target audience is crucial to zeroing in on your customers. A good audience profile will affect both your marketing and content decisions.
Your efforts to appeal to a target audience can affect financial decisions, the growth of your customer base, even your standard business practices. When you know who your content is meant for, you can tailor it to attract them.
Working with a content marketing agency to define your most likely customers may be the best way to get the proverbial ball rolling.
How To Identify Your Target Audience
Here are some tried-and-proven approaches, all useful to help identify your target audience:
1. Create Personas
To nail down who your target audience is and isn’t, create personas to define those who have needs your company can best fulfill.
A persona is a fictional (or somewhat fictional) representation of your target audience or a part of it. This extremely detailed picture takes a deep dive into the traits of your ideal customers. Details may include their values, goals, likes, dislikes, motivations, and fears.
There are many ways to create a persona, and how you do so depends on your business objectives. Be as specific as you can when creating your persona. A few key details to get you started are:
Name
Demographics (age, location)
Values (are they family-focused, career-minded, or both?)
Work and/or life goals
Social media platform preference (if any)
Likes and dislikes
Challenges they face that you can help them overcome
Motivations
Fears
A personal style that brings them to life
The details you can add to the personas you create are limitless; stick to the ones that make the most sense for your purposes. You don’t need to know about shoe size if you’re selling office supplies.
“Without a clear view of who your target audience is and what makes them tick, you’ll have to rely on guesswork when developing your content strategy.”
Halsema emphasizes refining personas as you learn more about your audience to develop a more strategic and data-driven marketing plan.
Once a persona is created, it can act as a template for other personas you make in the future. With multiple customer personas, it will become easier to create specific content for each of them.
2. Identify Pain Points
Pain points are problems that customers need to solve. Sometimes, they don’t even realize yet that they have these problems. They are the annoyances, burdens, or time wasters that you know your product or service will solve.
Here is where content marketing comes in. Through your content, show how what you offer can solve a problem.
First, figure out what category the pain point falls into. There are four basic categories:
Productivity – The “time waster”
Financial – Budget, cost, or sales-related
Process – Issues with how products or services work
Support – A need for information, instructions, suggestions
Next, jot down questions to define pain points specifically affecting the personas and their dilemmas. These are a few questions to start with:
What is the pain point? (Define the frustration the persona has. E.g., software is too complicated)
How does this pain point get in the way of their goals?
What is the easiest way to solve this pain point?
Which solution makes sense, cost-wise, for your personas?
Tutorials or surveys work well to pinpoint both the pain and the potential gain for the customer when it’s alleviated. Other effective techniques include case studies, focus groups, or customer interviews.
Also, pay attention to social media comments about your company, products, or services. Keep a regular log of customer questions or issues to develop a clear picture of what they want. This can also help you stay on top of issues raised by customers.
Consider exactly how to turn a pain into a gain for one of your created personas. Putting yourself in their (figurative) shoes can help you understand a pain point.
3. Look at Your Competition
Check out what your competition does. See what they offer customers. Dive into their social presence. Look at anything you can find about them. See what they do that creates results like those you want to achieve.
When exploring their social media platforms, look at their content and followers.
Your current target audience may or may not differ.
Discovering how and why they have reached their target audience can help you better understand how to reach yours.
Here are some ways to do competitive research:
Choose a few top competitors who offer something similar to your offerings.
Dive into their social media accounts. See what they post, how often, and what kinds of comments their followers post.
Sign up for any enewsletters to see what type of news they send to subscribers.
Check out their website for additional content like blogs, FAQs, specific offers, etc.
Set up a news alert for their press releases or news pieces about them.
Discovering why customers engage with another company or use their product can help you improve your content marketing as well as your offerings.
With this information in hand, you can put an imaginative twist on your own content that highlights reasons to choose your business over others.
4. Get Ultra-Specific with Your Content Marketing
Is it really that important to define a target audience for content marketing? You better believe it!
With audience personas defined, you can start planning content marketing campaigns that encompass content that will resonate with them.
Make sure you segment your personas according to the ways they prefer to be marketed to. A younger audience may not like to receive email newsletters, but instead prefer a short explanatory video. The methods matter just as much as the message.
Jocelyn Wady, Communications Specialist for the Alberta Association of Architects, shares her expertise on how to use content marketing to reach a target audience.
“A more direct appeal may necessitate an email marketing campaign or other tactics like collaborating with fellow industry organizations. Learning the target audience of any organization comes with experience and research, so don’t be afraid to ask questions and use your colleagues as resources.”
Jocelyn Wady
Appealing to a target audience in a friendly, helpful, conversational way is key to getting their attention. Timing your content well is just as important.
Picture the steakhouse mentioned earlier. If you send out an email on Sunday night at 11:30pm promoting a ribeye special, it probably won’t get the most optimal attention.
A Wednesday or Thursday night email, though, could catch diners who have a taste for ribeye in time to influence their weekend plans.
5. Creating the Content
Create exciting, personalized content for your target audience that captures their attention. You can personalize content based on location, age group, purchase history, even the latest news.
Weaving current events into content marketing seamlessly can be very effective.
As Wady expresses it,
“One of the most enjoyable parts about managing social on behalf of an organization [is] the challenge of finding trending or popular topics and making [them] relevant to your organization. For example, for Martin Luther King Day, I shared an article about the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (MLKL), designed by a famed architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. During winter solstice, I shared monuments around the world that civilizations built in honor of the solstice.”
The type of content you create will depend on the personas your organization wants to reach.
E-newsletters, blogs, short videos, funny social media posts, infographics – the list of content options is almost endless. Choose a few to try out and see how they resonate with your audience.
You can always change elements of your content to keep things interesting. Changing the color of a social media post or the format of your blog can keep them fresh. Try something new, see what works, and always record your progress.
6. Make Sure Content Reaches the Target Audience
Content marketing aims to reach the right audience with the right content at the right time. So how do you know if you’re doing all those things?
Analytics can show you which content an audience interacts with, supplying you with information about your website traffic, social media followers, sales, and more. You can use this to better plan and schedule content. There is a variety of analytic software available.
Analyzing data and statistics doesn’t happen overnight. Allow your content marketing campaign some time to get results. Then, define the parameters of your data; for instance, Q1 web traffic vs. Q2 web traffic.
Specialized pages can help you connect with customers. With a customer login page on your website, you can offer promotions, allow visitors to “like” products, list their purchases, or keep track of their browsing history. They can get specialized offers or notifications if something they’re waiting for comes back into stock.
Customer activity can also give you direction in creating personalized, targeted emails. Automated email flows based on a customer’s activity on your site allow you to offer just what they’re looking for, from sales to new products and much more.
Check comments, likes, shares, and reposts on your social media platforms and blogs. Ask subscribers to reply to e-newsletters to boost personal engagement. A target audience that is engaged is likely to share the content they enjoy with similar people.
So, what if it’s not working?
What can you do if your content marketing campaign is well-researched, yet isn’t reaching the target audience? You’ve done all the steps correctly, but you’re not quite hitting the mark. What next?
“Sponsored content is a good option if you know where your audience lives,” Wady explains. “For example, LinkedIn is, by far, the busiest social media channel for my organization. When we put out a call for speakers for an upcoming conference and we were lacking applications, we tried a sponsored LinkedIn post and had great results.”
Performing keyword research, ensuring your content is SEO-friendly (uses relevant keywords, meta tags, headings, etc.), and working with industry experts are a few more ways to make sure you do start hitting your audience bullseye.
The number of ways to study, understand, and reach your target audience is almost endless. Tweak your content marketing strategies and personas as your business, and your target audiences, grow and change.
The time you take to identify and focus on your target audience members so you can connect with them is worthwhile. Nothing in business is foolproof, but the results of developing a deeper understanding of your audience may surprise you.
It would be nearly impossible not to have heard about ChatGPT and the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in the creative landscape. Now, more than ever, AI is an essential tool in content marketing.
In fact, you might even have noticed that around the web there have been an increasing number of articles and blog posts that seem to have been written by a robot.
Right now, bots can only do so much. Sure, they can write content in a straightforward way, but somehow they haven’t figured out how to make it sound quite human. But make no mistake, the technology is developing fast and in the future AI will be able to make convincingly human-sounding content.
For the time being, though, AI simply offers us tools that make the creation of content easier and faster. This is especially useful in the realm of content planning and developing a content marketing strategy.
Let’s take a look at the topic of creating unique and valuable content in the age of AI.
The Role of AI in Content Creation
With all the proclamations that AI is taking over the world, it would be easy to think it is a recent invention. Not so. AI has been around for quite some time, as far back as the 1970s, when truly concentrated research began.
At the time, the only thing holding back development in the area was the lack of computing power.
Fast forward to the present day and computers can process and store the vast amounts of information that make programs like ChatGPT possible.
Fast forward to the present day and computers can process and store the vast amounts of information that make programs like ChatGPT possible.
As a result, AI now has the capabilities to use Natural Language Processing (NLP) to understand and analyze human language, to create written content, and to produce images using image recognition.
Nonetheless, as Stephen Jeske, a Senior Content Strategist at MarketMuse, notes, “We use the term AI because it’s more convenient, not necessarily because there’s anything intelligent [about it].”
AI is designed to analyze and process data, automate specific tasks, and generate outputs based on learned patterns. Simply put, AI is like any other tool: It’s there to save us time and hassle.
Human Creativity With AI Assistance
Most discussions around AI acknowledge the fact that although the technology is transforming media forever, it still needs a human hand to set it in motion.
For Jeske, AI is still just a tool in our toolbox: “You [need] skill to properly power the tool!”
Anything that is created by AI is done at the behest of a living, breathing person using prompts. Writing a prompt for AI is like writing a brief, except you have to be extremely specific and know exactly what you want it to do, which is one of the limitations of AI—right now.
A human is still needed to input what is needed and oversee and edit what AI spits out.
Thus, the most effective use of AI is not so much in creating content, but rather with it acting as a helping hand in the process. It is a powerful tool that can be put to use by content creators to automate repetitive tasks, double-check their writing, and research a given topic, among others.
By embracing this symbiotic relationship, content creators can focus on the parts of their work that require creativity and innovation, while leaving the tedious tasks to the computer. I thin
A few ways in which content creators and marketers use AI are to:
Photo by Matheus Bertelli: https://www.pexels.com/photo/eyeglasses-by-smartphone-with-chatgpt-16094061/
Do a quick Google search for AI tools and you will have a seemingly endless list of possibilities. However, some programs are remarkably useful, specifically within the sphere of content marketing. Here are a few that are essential to know about:
1. ChatGPT
Perhaps the most famous on this list and certainly the one that catapulted AI into the media spotlight, ChatGPT is fast changing how content is created.
Using NLP, users can interact with ChatGPT using natural language. In other words, you can ask ChatGPT a question and it will respond like a human would.
ChatGPT is a great tool to use to draft content such as blog posts and articles, which then allows the user to easily overcome writer’s block by having something to work with. For example, we asked ChatGPT to give us a list of 5 ways AI can help create blogs. Here’s the response we got:
As you can see, even though this is a great starting point, in general you’ll find the info to be pretty generic and lacking in specifics or creativity. That’s where the human touch comes into play.
ChatGPT is also a very handy tool for research, although it may not always be 100% accurate and anything it states needs to be double-checked. In this example, we asked ChatGPT how many wives Henry VIII had. Here’s the response:
2. Google Analytics
Photo by Negative Space: https://www.pexels.com/photo/macbook-pro-on-brown-table-139387/
Google Analytics might not be the first thing you think about when you hear AI, but programs like it quintessentially use machine learning to allow users insights that would otherwise have been very difficult to extract from raw data.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is integrated with Google’s powerful AI algorithms to deliver valuable insights and even offer predictive metrics. The recent update includes several improvements over its predecessor, Universal Analytics, including:
Event-based Data Collection: GA4 primarily uses event-based data collection, allowing for more flexibility in tracking user interactions across platforms and devices. This means that instead of relying solely on pageviews, GA4 can track various user actions such as clicks, scrolls, video views, downloads, and more.
Enhanced Cross-Platform Tracking: GA4 provides better cross-platform tracking capabilities, allowing businesses to track user interactions across websites, apps (both Android and iOS), and other digital platforms in a more unified manner. This provides a more holistic view of user behavior across different touchpoints.
Machine Learning and AI Integration: GA4 integrates machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to provide more actionable insights and predictive analytics. It can automatically identify trends, uncover hidden patterns, and predict future user behavior based on the available data.
Audience-Centric Reporting: GA4 shifts the focus towards audience-centric reporting, enabling businesses to gain deeper insights into user segments and behaviors. It introduces new metrics such as engaged sessions, user lifetime metrics, and predictive metrics to better understand user engagement and retention.
User-Centric Data Model: GA4 adopts a user-centric data model that focuses on individual users across their entire journey, rather than sessions or pageviews. This allows businesses to analyze user behavior more accurately and attribute conversions and interactions to specific users over time.
Improved Data Controls and Privacy Features: GA4 offers enhanced data controls and privacy features to help businesses comply with regulations such as GDPR and CCPA. It provides more transparency and control over data collection, allowing users to manage data deletion, consent settings, and data sharing preferences more effectively.
Real-Time Reporting: GA4 offers improved real-time reporting capabilities, allowing businesses to monitor user interactions and performance metrics in real-time. This enables faster decision-making and more immediate insights into website or app performance.
Overall, Google Analytics 4 represents a significant evolution in web analytics, offering businesses more advanced tracking capabilities, deeper insights, and improved user-centric reporting to better understand and engage with their audience across various digital platforms.
At the click of a button, users can glean information about the behavior, demographics, and interests of their target audience.
For example, on the main page of your Google Analytics account, you can immediately see the times users most frequently visit your site, where they’re located, and which devices they use to access your site, among so much more.
Behaviour Flow is another handy part of Google Analytics: It allows you to see how users interact with your site, moving from one page to the next. This allows you to see exactly where they drop off from your site, which can help you optimize it for the future. For more information on how this amazing (free!) tool works, check out the Help Page here.
3. Grammarly
Spell checkers have been around for a long time and are a must-use for every writer before sending off their work. However, even with their help, little mistakes can slip through. Errors that rely heavily on context, such as the correct use of ‘it’s’ versus ‘its,’ are unlikely to be flagged by traditional spell checkers.
A program such as Grammarly, however, uses AI to spot mistakes and offer suggestions in a manner that showcases an understanding of language that seems almost human-like.
For marketers like Jeske, Grammarly is a no-brainer: “I use Grammarly to edit for correctness, clarity, engagement, and delivery.” The program allows users to set goals such as audience and formality to get tailored language suggestions.
4. DALL-E
AI-driven image generation has made remarkable strides in recent years.
With innovations like DALL-E, developed by OpenAI, the minds behind ChatGPT, users can craft entirely novel images simply by providing prompts.
DALL-E uses NLP in the same way that Chat GPT does, which makes it very easy to ask for what you want by providing descriptions.
The technology is so advanced that it would fool most people—and has fooled judges at an art contest). In fact, the image below was created on DALL-E using the prompt “robot using social media.” However, it’s worth noting that achieving precise results may require some trial and error. After all, the robots have yet to obtain the ability to read your mind.
Reaching Your Audience
Creating valuable content is only half the battle; ensuring it reaches the right audience is just as important. To this end, understanding your audience is essential.
Using AI, you can sift through vast amounts of data to analyze your audience and get valuable insights into who they are and what they like, so you know where on the web they like to hang out and what kind of content is most likely to win them over.
Here are just a handful of ways AI can help you find your target audience:
Natural Language Processing (NLP): AI-powered NLP algorithms can analyze text data from sources such as social media posts, customer reviews, and support tickets to understand audience sentiment, preferences, and interests. By processing and categorizing this textual data, AI can identify common themes, topics, and keywords that resonate with your audience.
Machine Learning Algorithms: Machine learning algorithms can analyze historical data about your audience, such as demographics, behavior, and purchase history, to identify patterns and trends. By training models on this data, AI can predict future behavior, segment your audience into meaningful groups, and personalize content or recommendations based on individual preferences.
Image and Video Analysis: AI-powered image and video analysis tools can extract valuable insights from visual content shared by your audience on social media, websites, or other platforms. These tools can identify objects, scenes, faces, and emotions, providing a deeper understanding of audience interests and engagement with visual content.
Predictive Analytics: AI can leverage predictive analytics to forecast future audience behavior based on historical data and current trends. By analyzing patterns in user interactions, AI can predict potential outcomes, such as purchasing behavior, churn risk, or content preferences, helping businesses make informed decisions and tailor their strategies accordingly.
Clustering and Segmentation: AI algorithms can use clustering and segmentation techniques to group similar audience members together based on common characteristics or behavior. By segmenting your audience into meaningful clusters, AI can identify different audience segments, such as high-value customers, loyal followers, or at-risk users, and target them with personalized marketing campaigns or content.
Social Network Analysis: AI can analyze social network data to understand the relationships and connections between audience members, influencers, and communities. By mapping out social networks and identifying key influencers or opinion leaders, AI can help businesses identify potential brand advocates, target niche communities, and amplify their reach through word-of-mouth marketing.
Real-time Data Processing: AI can process and analyze data in real-time, allowing businesses to gain immediate insights into audience behavior and respond quickly to changing trends or opportunities. By monitoring social media feeds, website traffic, or customer interactions in real-time, AI can detect emerging patterns, identify potential issues, and optimize marketing campaigns on the fly.
As you can see, AI can be quite handy in suggesting content ideas for your specific audience but remember that programs like ChatGPT do not have access to real-time information; they might miss out on important trends happening right now.
When it comes to creating content for your audience, the best thing is to get to know them well and use your intuition during the creation process. After all, without a pair of human eyes to overview content creation, there is always the risk of sending out something that sounds as if a robot wrote it.
Optimizing for SEO
Search engines are the third party that stands between you and your audience on the internet. Their bots need to be able to understand what is happening on your website so that they can relay it back to the search results page.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for maximizing visibility. Having your content rank high in the search engine results pages (SERP) is a must if you want your content to be found and to connect with your audience.
As the largest and most widely-used search engine, Google’s algorithms are the ones to please. Understanding how they work is crucial for content marketers.
The first question is whether your organization been covered in-depth in the media.
This media needs to be produced by a neutral, verifiable third party – not a press release, your own website, or social media that you control (like LinkedIn or Facebook). Blogs usually aren’t considered reliable sources, either.
RankBrain, the machine learning-based component of Google’s search algorithm, helps Google deliver relevant search results. It especially looks at things like a website’s relevance, user experience, load-time, mobile-friendliness, and user engagement.
A myriad of online programs (free and paid) are available to help users optimize their content for search engines. From using AI to generating SEO-friendly titles to measuring the SEO of a webpage or blog post and suggesting improvements, these tools are a necessity in the content marketing arsenal.
An example of one of these is Ahrefs, an all-in-one SEO toolset that helps marketers create content that will rank high. While one needs to sign up for a paid plan to use most of Ahrefs, the company offers a handy AI Blog Title Generator that is free to use.
While AI may take a lot of the guesswork out of SEO, marketers still need to have a good understanding of the SEO landscape to provide the necessary oversight and judgment for what AI spits out.
As more and more people begin to use AI, certain issues have come to the forefront. What content creators should be most aware of is understanding that AI programs like ChatGPT use existing content to create new content. In other words, it might be piggybacking off of something written by a journalist, or even creating images in a style developed by an actual artist.
AI capabilities go so far as to be able to use a person’s voice to say whatever you want it to—but that doesn’t mean it’s ethical. ‘Deep-fakes’ and the rise of extremely realistic AI-generated videos mean that more than ever the ethics of content generation have come into play.
Plagiarism and privacy are issues that should not be taken lightly by anyone using AI. Right now, best practice is to be as upfront and transparent as possible about the use of AI in creating content. *
*This article was created with the help of ChatGPT, Grammarly, DALL-E, Ahrefs, and many cups of coffee.
Okay, let’s be honest: Person to person, writer to writer—writer’s honor, we don’t judge! —as much as we like to say we write as a means to honor our drive to create content, we also write with the intention of the public consuming our content. There’s just nothing like sharing something that you’ve made and seeing your audience gobble it up.
Well, there’s nothing like it if you actually have an audience, that is.
As experienced writers, we know how challenging it can be to establish and grow an audience for your content. With so much content posted every hour of the day, it can be difficult to find and claim an audience for your content.
Fortunately, our experience has also revealed steps you can take and practices you can implement that will help you do just that. So, give yourself a writerly, ink-stained high five because you just found the guide that holds the key to calling DIBS on your audience.
Establish your audience.
Define
Before you can start to establish your audience, you first need to define exactly who those people are. This is done by determining you niche, target audience, and your unique value proposition.
Niche
Since this is the first step, it might feel overwhelming but try not to overthink it. Think about the content that you want to create (or already have been creating) and define what you write about.
Your niche is the specific segment of the market that shares common characteristics, interests, needs, or demographics.
Identifying your niche allows you to focus your efforts on a particular subset of consumers who are most likely to be interested in your content.
Rather than targeting a broad and diverse audience, targeting a niche allows for more precise and tailored marketing strategies.
Target Audience
Next, turn your attention to your audience. Think about whom you want your content to reach, whom it will interest, and with whom it will resonate.
Determining the target audience for your content is crucial for crafting relevant, engaging, and valuable content that resonates with your intended audience.
Unique Value Proposition
Set your modesty aside and let out that ego, amigo. What makes your content stand out?
Providing a different perspective or something of value will help you capture your audience’s attention and keep them coming back for more.
Invent
Alright, Writer, it’s your time to shine! Let your creativity run wild and invent high-quality, valuable content that serves a purpose and demonstrates your style and skills as a writer. For instance, invent content that informs the public, entertains readers, addresses current issues, or solves problems relevant to your audience.
Remember, it’s not just what your content campaign says, it’s also how it looks and how it’s structured. If you make your content visually appealing, easy to read through, and optimized for search engines, your audience will emerge.
So, if you want to build up your audience, you have to do your part to put your content in front of as many users as possible. In the digital realm, this involves two key factors:
Where You Post
Post your content across multiple social platforms but be sure to appropriately tailor it to each platform to maximize its reach. However, don’t forget to take advantage of the other channels available! Share your content in a newsletter, guest posts, paid ads, podcast mentions, forum posts, and so on.
Accordingly, be sure to take note of which platforms your content campaign is most successful on so you can use that knowledge to enhance your reach and further expand your audience.
When You Post
Remember back when people used to watch cable TV and didn’t stream everything on demand? Not only did we know what channel our show would be on, but we also knew the exact time it would air. There was something really satisfying about sitting down and knowing that in just a few minutes the newest episode of our favorite show was about to start.
The same concept applies to our content creators today.
A consistent posting schedule is advantageous, but it will only get you so far if it’s not done at the most opportune time.
So, experiment with when you post and see what times yield the best engagement with your audience.
Don’t forget that you can also broadcast your content offline (IRL if you will). Share your work via word of mouth, fliers on community bulletin boards, event shoutouts, and so forth.
And if there’s another content creator you know whose content complements your own, reach out to them about cross-promoting each other’s content.
Socialize
Have you ever commented on a post from a creator you really like, and they reply? It’s so exciting! But moreover, did you tell anyone about the interaction and recommend following the creator’s account?
You just helped them grow their audience!
Socializing with your audience is a great way to cultivate a sense of community and grow your audience. People love to feel like the content creators they follow are real, reachable people who listen.
Replying to comments, adapting to feedback, and sharing user-generated content helps make you relatable, broadens your reach, and ultimately grows your audience.
The DIBS Approach
So, let’s recap how to call DIBS on and expand your audience:
Call DIBS on Your Audience with The Writers For Hire
Growing your audience is an exciting part of your journey as a writer!
But if you want a little help, our professional team of experienced writers can help you plan, create, and run a content campaign that will help you build up your audience.
Making content is one thing but getting it in front of the right people is entirely another.
Think about it: Between the extensive amount of content that’s published every day, all the different types and focal points of content, and so many possible audiences… well, approaching public relations (PR) activities like press releases and trade editorials for your content can feel intimidating.
Look, we get it; we can relate (you might even say we publically relate. Wink). That’s why we’re here to go over the traditional types of PR as well as help you understand the basics of how to do and approach PR for content.
Traditional PR
As you can probably guess, PR approaches and practices have considerably evolved over the years to better suit our increasingly online lifestyles.
Back in the day (as the kids say), traditional PR involved managing an entity’s reputation and public communications by networking and using offline methods like TV and radio. Think of using channels like newspapers and magazines to publish press releases and trade editorials.
But today, PR activities at content marketing firms have a broader reach and utilize digital tools and strategies.
While it still involves managing relationships between entities and their audiences, it also emphasizes communicating with audiences. That is to say, PR isn’t just about networking and disseminating an important update about a company, but it’s also about just sharing stories with the public. You know, using channels like blogs, vlogs, and social media to share your content.
So does that mean traditional PR activities are fossilizing next to some forgotten floppy discs?
Of course not! We’re here to assure you that traditional PR efforts like press releases and trade editorials are still relevant.
Did you catch that? Did you write it down? Okay, one more time, louder for the back:
Press Releases
A press release is a traditional PR tactic that’s still heavily used in effective content marketing strategies today. It’s a published document that announces specific information from an organization. For example, a press release might share:
News that a software company is deploying a new app
A product launch or book release
New hires and/or management of a well-known company
Community-wide events
Crafting an Effective Press Release
In general, traditional press releases have a similar look and feel to the average newspaper article. Before you start drafting your press release, we suggest taking the following steps:
1. Meet with the client
Discuss their goals and what they’re hoping to achieve with the press release
Identify the target audience
2. Acquire the information needed for the content
Conduct interviews (if applicable)
If the client wants the press release to include a photo, either get said photo from the client or take photo(s) and get them approved
Once you’re ready to start writing, you can use the following best practices to help you create a high-quality press release:
Of course, there are no hard and fast rules for writing a press release—it all circles back to what the client wants. For instance, some clients may want the content to be longer or to incorporate more biased, promotional language.
Distributing Press Releases
So you’ve written your press release, but how do you know who to send it to for publication? You typically have two options:
Find opportunities on your own
A large component of PR requires you to make ongoing networking efforts—making connections and building relationships with newspapers, journalists, news anchors, social media influencers, publication editors, and so on.
Since press releases can cover all sorts of information for all sorts of audiences, it won’t take long to start building up your PR network.
This will come in handy when it’s your responsibility to distribute a new press release.
Use client-curated opportunities
You’ll find that in some cases, clients may already have established connections with various distribution outlets. Although they might want you to work from their list of distribution opportunities, we encourage you to share any additional suggestions you might have.
As you make a list of distribution opportunities for your press release, it’s important to exercise constraint. As writer Flori Meeks advises, “Send fewer press releases to people who can actually do something with it.” In other words, don’t send your press release to everyone in your contacts! Only send it to your connections who you believe will truly find it relevant and of interest.
Trade Editorials
Trade editorials are another tactic of traditional PR that persists in marketing practices today. In short, the term refers to informational articles written by and for professionals. To elaborate, trade editorials are articles written by subject matter experts (SMEs) centered around topics within a specific industry or professional expertise.
Crafting an Effective Trade Editorial
Unlike press releases, trade editorials look and feel more like a longer article—like a white paper, long-form blog, or something that you might see in a magazine.
Before you start drafting your article, we suggest taking the following steps:
1. Meet with the client (if applicable)
Discuss the topic and desired outcomes of the editorial
Discuss the general structure and format of the piece
Identify the target audience
2. Acquire the information needed for the content
Perform research
Conduct interviews with SMEs (if applicable)
Once you’re ready to start writing, keep in mind the following best practices to help you create a high-quality trade editorial:
Distributing Trade Editorials
Publishing editorials actually isn’t that different than publishing press releases! That being said, there is one important part you need to both pay close attention to and adhere to:
And remember, only send your trade editorial to publishing entities that you believe your content is truly of interest and relevant to.
PR Allstars
Whether you need help with PR for B2B content marketing or just want some guidance from a professional content marketing company, our team at The Writers For Hire is here and ready to help.
If your content marketing agency is having a hard time getting creative with your business-to-business (B2B) products, they aren’t alone. While business-to-consumer (B2C) brands seem to effortlessly push out content that inspires dozens of comments and hundreds of clicks, content marketing agencies that have taken on “dryer” B2B products can feel a bit hamstrung.
They may feel like every creative idea they pitch gets shot down — too off-brand or not serious enough. But, we’re here to tell you that creative, interesting social media can be achieved by any brand — even the more challenging ones.
Take a look at few of these industry-specific tips for some of the more common B2B industries. But first, a few basics on social media and content promotion.
What is a content promotion strategy?
A content promotion strategy is a plan that outlines how to distribute and amplify content to reach a wider audience, increase visibility, and achieve marketing goals.
Creating valuable and high-quality content is just one part of the equation; the other crucial aspect is ensuring that the target audience sees and engages with that content.
A content marketing strategy involves various tactics to share your content across different channels and platforms. Here are key considerations when developing a content promotion strategy:
The first step is to understand the target audience. Content marketing agencies focus on relevant demographic factors such as age, interests, and online behavior. These insights allow content creators to tailor materials to suit their intended audiences.
Also, a successful B2B content marketing strategy must include relevant channels for content marketing. These channels may consist of traditional means such as email newsletters or e-books. Other channels can include social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, and X), industry forums, or video streaming sites (e.g., Rumble or YouTube).
Some content promotion strategies may include collaborations with relevant influencers. Influencers are online subject matter experts focused on specific niches. These collaborations can help brands reach target audiences by leveraging the influencer’s audience base. Collaborations typically involve some type of compensation for the influencer’s endorsement.
Additionally, paid promotions can be hugely influential in reaching the target audience. A solid content marketing strategy includes paid promotional elements beyond traditional media. Paid spots on social media platforms, video streaming services, and collaborations with influencers are all valuable ways of increasing brand and product awareness.
Overall, brands must consider a multi-faceted approach when developing a content promotion strategy.
Relying on one approach or channel for content marketing won’t cut it.
That is why exploring how various channels for content marketing can work in sync offers the most significant potential for success.
Why is an industry-specific content marketing strategy important?
Implementing an industry-specific content marketing strategy allows brands to reach their target audience more directly and effectively.
This approach gives audiences relevant materials that resonate with their specific pain points.
These pain points consist of challenges audiences face at various levels. That is why a focused content promotion strategy enables brands to connect with audiences more meaningfully.
Beyond addressing pain points, the following considerations illustrate how a content promotion strategy can effectively hit the mark with a target audience:
An industry-specific content marketing strategy allows brands to showcase their knowledge and expertise in their respective field. This approach helps build trust and credibility, positioning the brand as an authority within the industry.
Different industries often have unique challenges and require tailored solutions. Industry-specific content can demonstrate how a product or service addresses customers’ specific needs within that market.
Each industry has its own trends, regulations, and dynamics. An industry-specific content promotion strategy lets brands stay current with these trends, keeping their audience informed and engaged.
Personalized content marketing strategies enable brands to speak their audience’s language. In doing so, brands can adopt an approach that resonates with their core audience, making content more engaging and effective.
One of the most effective ways to reach a target audience is to address pain points. Pain points must refer to specific challenges the target audience faces. Thus, an effective content promotion strategy must address particular pain points instead of generic ones. Advice must be actionable and valuable to the target audience, showing the content’s usefulness and relevance.
Above all, the best content marketing strategies involve materials relevant to the target audience’s needs and wants. Therefore, an industry-specific approach cannot dabble in generic content, forcing brands to focus on specialized materials aimed at delivering value every step of the way.
Content Marketing Agencies: Try These Industry-Specific Tactics for Standing Out
Standing out on social media platforms doesn’t have to be daunting.
With the right tactics, differentiating oneself from competitors becomes much more manageable.
In order to achieve this aim, brands must focus on industry-relevant content instead of casting a broad, generic web.
The following examples highlight a specialized content marketing approach:
Finance
The finance industry covers a wide range of issues ranging from banking and investments to global economic policy. Thus, an industry-relevant approach may include some or all of the following points:
Educational Content. Share informative content about fund planning, investment strategies, and market trends to position the brand as a thought leader.
Visual Data Representation. Use charts, graphs, and infographics to simplify complex financial information and engage the audience visually.
Live Q&A Sessions. Conduct live sessions to answer financial queries, providing real-time value and building trust with the target audience.
Customer Success Stories. Highlight success stories of clients who have benefited from the brand’s financial services, showcasing the positive impact of its offerings.
Market Updates. Regularly share timely market updates and insights to demonstrate awareness of current financial conditions.
Effective financial content demands constant updating and review. Brands looking to produce a top-quality B2B content marketing strategy must ensure materials remain relevant to shifting market dynamics and conditions.
Medical
Medical-based content demands thorough research to ensure factual accuracy. The following points can help brands looking to position themselves in this niche:
Health Tips and Advice. Share medical data and patient brochures that your providers can, in turn, pass on to their patients.
Behind-the-Scenes. Offer glimpses into your facility, showcasing the human side of the brand’s practice, including your staff and facilities.
Patient Testimonials. Encourage patients to share their positive experiences and success stories, building credibility and trust in your specialty medical services.
Explainer Videos. Produce easy-to-understand videos explaining medical procedures, treatment options, and health-related topics to educate the intended audience.
The medical field is a clear example of how brands can directly address audience pain points.
By focusing on specific issues, brands can cement their positions as industry leaders. As a result, content must be as relevant as possible, avoiding generic materials at all costs.
Industrial
Any industrial niche provides a wonderful opportunity for a B2B content marketing strategy. The following considerations can help brands seeking to strengthen their footing in this market:
Product Demonstrations. Showcase industrial products in action through videos and demonstrations, emphasizing their features and benefits.
Behind-the-Scenes of Production. Offer a sneak peek into the manufacturing process, demonstrating the quality and precision that goes into the brand’s products.
Safety Protocols. Share content highlighting the brand’s commitment to safety, including procedures, training programs, and success stories.
Collaborations and Partnerships. Highlight collaborations with other industry leaders, showcasing your company’s position within the industrial ecosystem.
Sustainability Initiatives. Showcase the brand’s commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility, resonating with socially conscious consumers.
Although industrial industries must avoid making their materials seem salesy. Instead, helpful demos can open new channels for content marketing, boosting audience awareness and knowledge.
Technology
The tech sector stands to benefit greatly from dedicated channels for content marketing. That is why the following tactics can make a significant impact on their positioning:
Product Demos and Tutorials. Create engaging videos demonstrating the functionality of technology products. Provide tutorials and how-to guides to help users maximize the value of their purchases.
Beta Testing and Early Access. Generate excitement by offering beta testing opportunities or early access to new features. Encourage your commercial users to share their experiences with you, and offer co-branding opportunities (such as press releases) for successful case studies.
Industry Insights and Trends. Share insights into the latest technology trends, innovations, and industry news. Position the brand as an authority in tech by providing valuable and up-to-date information.
Interactive Polls and Surveys. Conduct polls and surveys to involve the audience in decision-making processes. This tactic engages users and provides valuable data for future product development.
The tech sector is poised to leverage content marketing more than other fields. That is why tech brands must always strive to maintain constant contact with their audiences.
Wholesale
Just because your clients aren’t the end customer, doesn’t mean that you can’t take advantage of some of the more creative social media tactics. In fact, as a wholesaler, you have the advantage of being able to appeal direct to the consumer (if they’re asking for your product retailers will carry it) and to your direct buying audience. Content marketing agencies have developed innovative campaigns to promote wholesale brands, such as:
Product Lookbooks. Create visually appealing lookbooks showcasing your latest collections. Share these on social media platforms to highlight the style and versatility of your products.
Influencer Collaborations. Partner with influencers to promote your brand. Influencers can create content featuring your products, reaching a broader audience and adding credibility to your brand.
Challenges. Encourage your audience to participate in challenges or contests. Ask them to share their unique takes on using your products, fostering a sense of community and creativity.
Behind-the-Scenes. Take your audience behind the scenes of the design processes. This tactic provides a sneak peek into the creative aspects of your brand, building a deeper connection with your audience.
Tips and Advice. Share tips, style guides, and advice on using your product or pairing it with other products or services. Position your brand as a go-to source for inspiration and expertise.
The Art of Responding to Reviews on Social Media Platforms
Reviews are a crucial element in user engagement.
Good or bad, reviews allow users to interact with their brands by making their opinions known.
Reviews also allow users to make up their minds before consuming a brand’s products and services. Unfortunately, some brands are unaware of how to address reviews, especially when reviews are unfavorable.
The following considerations can help brands better address reviews, maintaining a positive attitude throughout every interaction:
Post timely responses. Respond promptly to positive and negative reviews to show that the brand values user feedback.
Personalize your response. Personalized responses address the reviewer by name and acknowledging specific feedback points.
Express gratitude. Thank customers for their positive reviews, expressing genuine appreciation for their support and feedback.
Apologize and resolve. For negative reviews, apologize for any inconvenience and offer a solution or steps to be taken to address the issue.
Encourage further communication. Encourage reviewers to reach out directly for further assistance, demonstrating a commitment to resolving issues offline.
Promote positive feedback. Share positive reviews on social channels to build trust and showcase customer satisfaction.
Monitor and analyze. Regularly monitor reviews, analyze trends, and use feedback to improve products, services, and customer experiences.
Above all, brands must avoid engaging in negative exchanges. When customers vent their frustration, brands should always maintain a positive attitude, focusing on solutions.
Dealing with Bots on Social Media
One of the most unfortunate phenomena on social media is the use of bots. Bots are computer code designed to leave often negative comments or spam on other brand’s materials.
Some brands use this unethical practice to further their content promotion strategies. The following insights can help brands deal with bots, reducing the negative impact on their own content marketing strategies:
Identify bots. Use social media analytics tools to identify patterns indicating bot activity, such as repetitive comments or generic messages.
Set automated filters. Implement automated filters to catch and block common bot phrases, helping to reduce the visibility of bot comments.
Engage authentically. Respond authentically to comments; if suspicious, ask questions that bots may struggle to answer coherently.
Report and block. Report suspicious accounts to the respective social media platform and block them to prevent further interaction.
Educate followers. Share posts or stories educating your followers on how to identify and report bot activity, fostering a community that is aware and vigilant.
Audit followers regularly. Periodically audit your follower list to identify and remove suspicious or inactive accounts.
Use two-factor authentication. Secure your accounts with two-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access by bots.
The best thing any brand can do is report suspected bot activity. Reporting allows social media platforms to address bot usage, reducing the likelihood of bots continuing to spread.
A Final Thought
Today’s marketplace demands personalization. Generic content won’t cut it anymore.
Now, more than ever, users demand industry-specific content that can consistently deliver value.
That is why brands and content marketing agencies must strive to produce relevant content to engage audiences meaningfully.
The days of boilerplate content are long gone. Nowadays, brands must ensure they can consistently deliver to outpace competitors.
