Content creation is a complex task, especially with tremendous competition. Creating content that engages your existing and potential customers is challenging, and most people fail. As per the Content Marketing Institute, around 73% of B2B companies use content marketing research.
But the question here is, how do you create content that the audience likes? The answer lies in content marketing research, which will help businesses create efficient content that their audience will like. Whether you are a seasoned businessman or a start-up, knowing your audience is the first and most essential step to creating valuable content. Hence, adequate research can make you stand out from the rest.
What is Content Marketing Research?
It is a research conducted by companies for the sole purpose of creating engaging content for their audiences. It is often overlooked and not considered necessary, but if the research happens, it can help businesses learn more about their audience and their preferences and reach them with the help of content.
It is equally vital to remember that this research is not similar to market research or SEO research. Instead, it is research that tells businesses what their audiences are looking for from them regarding articles, ebooks, blogs, posts, or other written forms of content.
Steps for Content Marketing Research
If you are wondering what steps are involved in content marketing research, read along to find out.
Identify Content Trends and Volumes
The first step in any research activity is to identify the competitive landscape. In the case of content creation, check the number of articles published on the internet that are similar to yours. You can research how many such articles are published weekly or monthly and their likes and shares.
It will tell you that if the number of articles is high, you must create content that stands out to reach the public’s eye. Additionally, if you are searching on machine learning, for instance, and see a lot of topics on the main issue, it is time for you to create subtopics that nobody is touching. Subtopics will compete for less than the main topic, and your readers will be interested in something fresh and different.
Analysis of Industry Successful Articles
After researching the types of popular articles, it is time to check out the ones gaining the most success. It is a way of knowing what is inside the successful content people like most. Such research will assist you in creating content that your audiences will like the most.
Identify the Content Formats and Types
In this research step, you must identify the content your audience enjoys online. Here, you need to understand whether your audience prefers a simple text format, a video with text format, content with more infographics, a newsletter, case study content, etc.
You can even create surveys to get a good response. Surveys on your website for existing and potential customers will gauge the preferences of people approaching your webpage. It is a good way to know why your webpage has too little or too much traffic.
Identify the Most Popular Content Sites
While understanding why the article gained popularity is important, it is also essential to check the most popular websites with audiences for content. Through this, you will know which site shares the most content and what content they publish. You can compare the different sites’ content materials to better understand audience behavior and patterns.
Analyze Your Competitors Popular Content
Every business has competition and keeps a close eye on its performance. Why not for content when you can do it for sales and marketing figures? You can determine the difference by analyzing your competitors’ most popular content. You should check their titles, headings, references, and article length for analysis.
You never know; you might learn that one thing your rival is doing to draw in customers is superior to what you have been doing.
Check for Social Media Networks
Have you ever noticed how social media influences the content market? Yes, it is true. While creating content is one thing, creating something that matches the platform where it will be published is another. When you do content marketing research, ensure you check where your audiences share your content.
For instance, you may create content related to the latest news about your financial product and have the audience share the link on Pinterest. In that case, your content needs to reach the proper audience. Use infographics that show the advantages of your product that will attract clients to Pinterest to spread the word about it, in this case.
Identify Promotional Methods
There is one thing businesses miss out on the most – applying promotional methods. Because of the high level of competition, no matter how excellent your material is, you will need more to reach the audience. Therefore, a promotional strategy is a must for content.
Only sometimes do you need a paid promotional strategy; at other times, organic shares and backlinking also work wonders.
Keep a Success Measure
You should set some benchmarks to track your progress now that you understand how to produce exciting content through research. You can use organic traffic or conversation as your metrics, or any other parameter that suits your business needs. But remember, to monitor your success, you will need to continue with your content marketing research.
Conclusion
To conclude, mastering the art of content marketing research is a game-changer for success in today’s digital landscape. Following our comprehensive guide’s insider tips and techniques, you can uncover valuable insights, create data-driven strategies, and connect meaningfully with your target audience.
Remember, content marketing is a dynamic and ever-evolving field; continuous research is the key to staying ahead of the competition. So, embrace the power of research, refine your approach, and watch your business thrive as you deliver engaging content that matches your audience and drives remarkable results.
