I wish there was a straightforward answer to this question, but the truth is there isn’t. It’s one of those educated guesses that you keep tweaking as you go. The good news is there are things you can do to track the progress of your articles to make sure your efforts are headed in the right direction.
I’ve made a list of things I do from ideating topics to tracking topic success. This way you’re pointing towards a target. And the target gets more direct as time goes on.
Use a spreadsheet
As simple as it sounds. Spreadsheets are your best friend here. A blog post without a spreadsheet is like throwing darts with a blindfold. How will you know where the target is if you’re throwing things with no direction? Your spreadsheet is where you will track everything. I use Google Sheets, which is an easy tool to learn and is free to use.
Build a content plan
Make a list of topics and build a content plan. Have topics in mind or want to make sure your topics are on the right track? Use a keyword search tool to align your topics with SEO. There are paid tools you can purchase for easy research or free resources you can find in this article. The things I track on my content plan are:
Topic
Persona (your target audience)
Buy Cycle (what stage the buyer is at)
Publish Date
Keywords
Overall Blog Visits
Traffic Source (Social media, Organic, Referrals?)
Reshares
Conversions
The last four items on the list are your KPIs. They are important because it will put a numerical value to your efforts, which is the key to knowing whether or not your article is headed in the right direction. You’ll add to this list as you discover which things are important numbers for you to track. In the meantime, think about the information that portrays the success of your efforts. For instance, although the number of likes your article or post has seems like a good number to track, how many of those people actually engage beyond that like? Resharing and conversions (such as purchasing a product or service) show action, which speaks directly to your efforts.
Write the article
When writing the article, think about who you’re targeting. This step is important because there can be many types of customers at different stages of consideration. Your target audience is also known as your persona. This is backed up by thorough research on the people’s buying habits of who you are targeting. The better you get at client research, the better client interactions you will have.
SEO has changed. In fact, having an article with keywords in it is one of the best ways to raise your ranks in Google searches. So do your keyword research and write about topics that prove your knowledge of your industry.
Track article progress now and overtime
Assess on a regular basis if you’re hitting your benchmarks. Track these on a regular schedule. Consider weekly, and monthly check-ins. Once you have a variety, you’ll begin to see trends. Unfortunately, benchmarks are not one size fits all. You’ll have to be patient to assess what numerical success looks like for you. This includes actual demographics, as well as where you’re posting to.
Consider things such as where your postings are getting the most success, and with which type of post. Understanding which style posts are getting the most type of traffic, and knowing where that traffic is coming from will help you direct your efforts. Say you are putting hours into Instagram, but after tracking those posts you find that most of your clients are coming through LinkedIn. Your next move may be to start putting more energy towards LinkedIn and minimizing your Instagram efforts.
Over time, continue to refine your efforts so that you’re hitting marks that benefit you. If you are getting opens, but no conversions, you may want to reconsider the topics you’re choosing. You don’t want to attract the wrong people. Nothing is set in stone, and the idea is to continue moving closer to your target with the least amount of effort.
Take risks
Be bold and try different topics. You might be surprised. If something doesn’t work, then don’t do it again. Assess why it didn’t work, and learn from those trials.
By using a variety of topics, targeting different personalities, at different decision-making stages, you’re going to hit a variety of people. From there, you’ll learn who is biting and interacting the most. And most important, what is helping you to convert your readers into buyers. All it takes is some ideas, some risks, and tracking. After some time, you’ll see what is a hit, what is a flop, and be able to make educated decisions on what to write and to whom.
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