Content is being created by brands of every size and type, which means organizations that haven't had editorial-type departments in the past, are now employing writers and executives to handle their content marketing initiatives.
Website Magazine published, "Rinse and Repeat: Quality Content Checklist" in our Dec. 2016 issue and it addressed some common quality concerns and how to deal with them as they arise. For the sake of space in our print issue, we weren't able to include everything, so we've quickly listed some more considerations below:
- Vet guest bloggers: Don't let just anyone contribute content to your site. Make sure they are a proven thought leader and the site they may be linking to is one that won't harm your own SEO efforts. Likewise, don't allow them to include any promotional copy or links within the article itself (keep them in the bio/byline); you and your readers will be better off for it.
- Think about "scanners": People typically spend much less than one minute on any given article, so content creators should consider how people who "scan" an article will be able to retain information and be compelled to read more.
- Invest in education: Whether it's a seminar, conference, accreditations or reading materials, brands should commit to the advancement of their writers because if they are not experts on what they are covering, then readers will know and won't reward them with their time.
- Make digital asset management easier: With so much content being created, organizations should have a way to repurpose it and make the assets used within it available to others. From the get-go, brands need to organize their content (images, blogs, logos, quotes) so that employees, who should, have easy access to it. The easier it is to access assets, the more content can be created.
- Know when it's time for a new CMS: Content management systems have come a long way from what you see is what you get type systems to ones that truly empower everyday content developers to do things like test headlines, evaluate results and personalize content for any given audience.
