“Boring” is the last word anyone would use to describe 2016.
The past year was packed with a shocking amount of highs and lows, some of which left us questioning the difference between up and down. Nevertheless, the show went on, and each of us experienced a few tiny victories along the way.
It’s customary, right about now, for marketers to celebrate their high points with a countdown of their top blog posts… And while, yes, we’re just as eager as the rest to share the best of our best, we thought we’d put our own special twist on this timeless tradition.
Below, you’ll find a list of 10 content marketing tips that helped us increase our average unique pageviews by 150% over the past year. Each piece of advice comes equipped with an example that brought in a ton of traffic, so feel free to click around and check out the pieces our readers loved the most.
10. NUMBERED LISTS GET MORE CLICKS
EXAMPLE: “3 Surprising Pricing Strategies, Backed By Brain Science“
While some journalists and content marketers express snobbery over the listicle — unfairly dismissing it as a lower form of presenting information to readers — there’s an extremely basic psychological explanation for why we’re more likely to click (and finish viewing) pieces that adhere to this format.
Numbers are attractive to us, because our brains process them faster than words. Lists provide a welcome relief from the cognitive overload of our cluttered social media feeds. They’re upfront about what we should expect, allowing us to quickly predetermine whether we have the time and energy to commit to our click.
Similarly, it helps that lists have a clear conclusion. They play into the human desire to finish what we’ve started. Psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik found that we can often be “haunted” by uncompleted or interrupted tasks. (This is appropriately known as the Zeigarnik Effect.) The digestible, skimmable format of lists can help us avoid this dissonance.
9. OFFER A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE
EXAMPLE: “A Guide For Marketing To Generation Z“
Over the summer, we noticed the internet was flooded with content about marketing to Generation Z. Rather than add to the noise by rehashing the same research and statistics, we invited our in-house expert (and intern) Emma Ryan to dissect the myths and realities of her own demographic. This personal spin on a popular topic gave our readers exclusive access to a much-discussed generational group.
Of course, there are other ways to diversify the voices presented in your content. Invite industry leaders to submit guest posts, participate in roundups, or share their knowledge in an exclusive interview. Not only does this tap into the Authority Principle — our tendency to be more easily persuaded by individuals we perceive as powerful or influential — but it can also increase shareability on social media by exposing your brand to their audience.
8. SUPPORT WITH INTRIGUING STATS
EXAMPLE: “Email Subject Lines: 6 Magical Do’s & Don’ts“
Research-backed statistics can increase your credibility, but be wary of including every single bit of data that’s available. You could wind up overwhelming your audience. Instead, choose numbers that will pull in your readers and act as an essential component in supporting your key points.
To increase shareability, highlight some of the more surprising stats in your social media updates. This can be especially effective when you know what your audience wants to hear and focus on numbers that confirm their preexisting opinions. Your ultimate goal should be to make people say “WOW” or, even better, “I knew I was right about this, but now I’ve got the proof”.
Just make sure your sources are legitimate, and whenever possible, research alternative viewpoints! If all you’ve got to lean on is Confirmation Bias — our tendency to give more weight to information that supports our beliefs — you run the risk of sacrificing credibility and being seen as less trustworthy by your followers.
7. IT’S OKAY TO RECYCLE
EXAMPLE: “The Key To Copywriting Success“
Great content is great content – no matter when, where, or how it appears. As long as you are providing your readers with helpful information that isn’t outdated, there is no shame in repurposing or resharing things that have performed well in the past. Take a popular blog post and turn it into a video or infographic. Share it again on social media with new copy and visuals, just in case someone missed it the first time around.
When appropriate and given permission, take the opportunity to reformat and republish content that has appeared elsewhere. We did this with a list of copywriting tips assembled for The Mad Marketer, and the new version became one of our top posts for 2016. Another piece shattered our record for average pageviews by 1125 percent, after it was adapted for LinkedIn Pulse by one of our team members.
6. TAPPING INTO TRENDS CAN PAY OFF
EXAMPLE: “The Behavioral Science of Pokémon Go“
When it feels like everyone’s talking about something, you might hesitate to chime in with your own “hot take” about whatever trendy new product or cultural phenomenon’s currently dominating the headlines. However, there are times when it’s beneficial to listen to what’s happening within your industry and reap the benefits of Social Proof — our tendency to follow the actions of others.
Rest assured that you don’t have to tackle every trending topic! That would become exhausting for both you and your audience. Pick and choose based on your team members’ level of interest, knowledge, and familiarity. Aim to publish your piece before any given topic’s passé, but don’t stress too much about being the first in line (unless you’re in the business of breaking news).
5. FOCUS ON AUDIENCE & INDUSTRY
EXAMPLE: “3 Things To Keep In Mind When Writing A Financial Campaign“
Our customer persona research found that people are more likely to click on articles about their own industry or specialty. This directly relates to what Dr. Robert Cialdini referred to as Unity in his new book Pre-Suasion. The so-called “seventh principle of influence” states that the more we identify ourselves with others, the more likely we are to be influenced by them.
As such, you should resist the urge to please everyone and make room in your editorial calendar for niche content. Take a moment to consider the different segments of your target audience, and ask yourself how you can address their unique needs and pain points.
4. VISUALS CAN MAKE OR BREAK A STORY
EXAMPLE: “9 Easy Visual Hacks That Increase Content Consumption“
Humans are highly visual creatures. It’s been said that over 90 percent of the information transmitted to the brain takes visual form, and we’re capable of processing this information 60,000 times faster than text. Articles with at least one image get more than double the shares of articles with none.
We could rattle on with stats like these, but by now, you probably get the picture. (Pun intended, unless you hate puns.) Most marketers know that visuals are integral to content marketing strategy, yet we can take it further by understanding which images are scientifically proven to trigger mental shortcuts that result in automatic behavior. Our CCO Nancy Harhut shared 9 of her favorite visual hacks earlier this year.
3. CONDUCT & HIGHLIGHT ORIGINAL RESEARCH
EXAMPLE: “A Secret About Millennials That May Impact Your Bottom Line“
Whether you’re diving into your own data or developing a more substantial study, you’re going to catch your audience’s attention with research-backed content. There’s a magnetic appeal to valuable information that’s not readily available. This is why ebooks and whitepapers that highlight original research can be particularly effective tools for lead generation.
Our team saw this in action after we teamed up with Sentient Decision Science for a pair of behavioral economics studies about Millennials and Boomers. This original research brought considerable traffic to our blog and led to additional opportunities, such as webinars and live presentations.
2. OUR EYES GRAVITATE TOWARD INFOGRAPHICS
EXAMPLE: “5 Ways To Increase Cognitive Fluency“
Last January, our President John Sisson broke down the three essential reasons why brands should use infographics. It all comes down to the human brain’s attraction to visuals, their capacity for storytelling, and how this format boosts shareability by catering to short attention spans.
Our team hit a home run with an infographic about Cognitive Fluency, which outlined 5 different ways to make it easier for your customers and prospects to take action. This post wound up in our top three for 2016, and additional infographics about the travel industry, marketing to seniors, and eye magnet words weren’t too far behind.
1. KNOW YOUR KEYWORDS & SWEET SPOTS
EXAMPLE: “The Curious Science of FOMO In Marketing & Advertising“
Your audience wants to tap into your expertise. They have certain expectations about the type of content you’re going to produce. Look to your analytics, social shares, and verbal feedback to get a better understanding of what they want to see from you. The more you’re able to give that to them, the better.
For example? We specialize in applying the science of human behavior to marketing. Our followers have shown that they enjoy learning about how behavioral science principles like the Status Quo Bias and Choice Architecture affect their strategies, but also, how they might impact them in their everyday lives.
Throughout the year, we examined everything from horror films to Black Friday through a scientific lens, but ultimately, it was our dissection of fear of missing out that dominated traffic for 2016. By combining marketing and behavioral science – the backbone of what we do – we offered actionable tips to our readers, while staying in line with what makes our agency unique.
And that’s a wrap for our list! We’d love to hear what made your content shine in 2016, so leave a comment below or reach out to us on Twitter to share your best tips.
The post Year In Review: 10 Essential Content Marketing Tips From Our Most Popular Posts Of 2016 appeared first on Wilde Agency.
