Key Takeaways
Cost-Effective Content Marketing: Bootstrapping with time investment is key, as content marketing is 62% cheaper than traditional methods. Video content is especially effective, providing faster ROI and higher engagement.
Blogging and Omnichannel Strategy: Blogging significantly influences consumer behavior and ROI, while an omnichannel approach, incorporating platforms like LinkedIn, enhances reach and effectiveness.
SEO and Multimedia Importance: Original multimedia content boosts credibility and search rankings. SEO success requires patience, especially for new content, and a focus on mobile-friendliness and comprehensive topic coverage.
Monetization and Technical Choices: Delay monetization until significant traffic is achieved. Diversify income streams and initially opt for cost-effective shared hosting plans, emphasizing content quality over production value.
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Content Creation Aspect
You Can Bootstrap Your Content Marketing Efforts
Creating content isn’t free – it costs money, time, or both.
Yet, content marketing is 62% cheaper than traditional marketing.
Bootstrapping your content marketing efforts initially is feasible, requiring only time investment.
Starting to create content on your own, even with plans to outsource later, is advisable.
This approach helps you understand the process thoroughly before paying others.
Video Content Marketers See Faster ROI
83% of marketers report video content provides a good ROI.
Video content engages and shares more than text-based content.
On LinkedIn, video posts are 5X more likely to receive comments and are shared 20X more than other types of content.
Remember, ‘faster’ ROI with video content doesn’t mean ‘instant’; it’s typically quicker than focusing solely on blogging.
Blogging is Still a Powerful Content Marketing Channel
61% of consumers have made purchases influenced by blog recommendations.
Marketers focusing on blogging are 13x more likely to experience positive ROI.
68% of marketers find blogging more effective than it was two years ago.
Despite periodic claims of its demise, blogging remains a core element of content marketing.
A well-crafted blog on your company website offers numerous benefits:
- Increases your site’s keyword ranking
- Attracts links
- Boosts website domain authority
- Solves customer problems
- Enhances branding and awareness
- Generates qualified leads and sales
The Omnichannel Approach Works Well
The competition online is becoming increasingly fierce each year, pushing content marketers to enhance their strategies.
It’s now a common suggestion to utilize multiple content marketing channels in your strategy.
Presently, these three channels are proving effective for many marketers:
- Blog
- YouTube
I’ve already discussed blogging and YouTube (video content marketing), so let’s focus on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn has evolved from a business recruitment tool into a significant content marketing platform.
With over 1 billion users, LinkedIn sees more content consumption than production, offering a unique advantage.
Your content on LinkedIn is likely to be shared organically with a broader audience than on platforms like Facebook or Instagram.
Will My >Insert Niche Here< Content Work on LinkedIn?
Almost any niche can find success on LinkedIn due to its diverse and active user base.
Original Images and Videos are Preferable
Incorporating original multimedia in blog posts is favored by search engines and audiences alike.
Using original images and videos demonstrates hands-on experience with your topic, enhancing credibility.
For instance, showcasing personal use of a product in reviews significantly bolsters audience trust.
While it’s not always feasible to have original multimedia, if you can, definitely include it.
For more details on the optimal number of images per blog post, check out my article on this subject.
SEO Aspect
New Websites and New Content Take Time to Rank
Search engines like Google thoroughly assess new sites before directing significant traffic to them.
Entering a competitive niche or creating content on popular topics with a new website extends this evaluation period.
Typically, it takes 4-8 months for new content to gain traction on Google.
However, targeting under-served topics in your niche might accelerate this process.
Still, don’t expect dramatic results in the first year.
Search Intent is Critically Important
When developing content, always review the first page of Google to understand what content performs well.
If your content doesn’t align with what users are seeking, it won’t rank.
For instance, searching “best gardening tools” on Google reveals mostly lists of tools.
This isn’t because Google assumes users want a list; it’s because Google, through nearly 200 ranking factors, concludes that a list is the most useful format for the majority of users.
80:20 Rule is All You Need When it Comes to SEO
SEO can be a bottomless pit that consumes time and distracts from creating content.
Google’s increasing sophistication reduces the emphasis on elements like keyword density or meta descriptions.
Apply the 80:20 rule to gain 80% of the benefits with 20% of the effort by:
- Ensuring your site is mobile-friendly and runs fast
- Creating relevant content
- Covering topics comprehensively
- Creating content for humans, not search engines
Your Site Has to be Mobile-Friendly
Google’s move to mobile-first indexing means they use the mobile version of your site for indexing and ranking.
This isn’t a big issue since most modern WordPress themes are mobile-friendly.
If your theme isn’t, it’s essential to switch to a mobile-friendly one.
Build Relevance by Comprehensively Covering Topics
Google values relevance, signified by the acronym E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
To build E-E-A-T in your niche, focus on comprehensively covering topics and addressing every possible problem your audience may have.
Although this can’t be achieved overnight, it’s a vital long-term strategy for your content creation.
Monetization Aspect
Don’t Worry About Monetization Initially
Hold off on site monetization until you’ve published at least 50-100 quality content pieces or reached 5,000 monthly pageviews.
If your site achieves 5,000 pageviews within 30 days with fewer than 30-50 articles, that’s impressive.
It indicates you’re selecting the right topics and producing quality content.
Before reaching this milestone, it’s more beneficial to focus on creating additional content.
Ads as a Powerful Monetization Tool
Ranking high on Google for transactional search intent keywords and earning affiliate commissions is great, but these keywords are highly sought after in every niche.
As a new site, you have a better chance of ranking for long-tail informational search intent keywords.
Fortunately, ads can be an effective monetization strategy if you attract substantial traffic by dominating these keywords.
Diversify Monetization Strategies for Long-Term Success
The top three website monetization strategies among content marketers are:
- Ads
- Affiliate marketing
- Your own digital products
Relying too much on just one of these can be risky.
Creating your own digital product is advisable only with a large audience, yet it’s a worthwhile long-term consideration.
For beginners, ads and affiliate marketing are more accessible options to start with earlier in your journey.
Technical Aspect
A Cheap Shared Hosting Plan is More Than Enough in the Beginning
A shared hosting plan from a reputable company is all you need until your site starts generating revenue.
You’ll likely spend only a few dollars per month for the first year for good hosting options, like a basic WordPress plan from A2 Hosting.
Keep in mind that the hefty discounts for new clients like those offered by A2 Hosting only apply for the first year so make sure to check out the full price as well just to be aware of it.
For those with a bit more to spend, WPX offers excellent hosting and customer service for about $21 per month, and they’re worth every penny.
Production Quality is Less Important Than You Think
Production quality is great, don’t get me wrong.
But, it shouldn’t be a barrier to starting.
For instance, a photo of a product in your hands, taken with an old phone, is more valuable than a high-quality image of the product in someone else’s hands.