Academia is known for its rule of “publish or perish,” and this ties into one of the best kept marketing secrets: if you don’t publish content, consumers will gravitate towards brands that do. So why is this one of the best-kept content marketing secrets? To put it simply, content creation isn’t easy — and quality content creation is even harder. So if you are going to publish good content, you need to think like a publisher. See the secret all good content marketers know explained below:

Publish Topically, Publish with Relevance

Evergreen content is good as filler and can be intriguing in its own right, but ask yourself: what do your consumers, followers, and potential customers want to read now? If you’re a cultural site, you probably would want to cover a trending topic like the infamous Will Smith slap at the Oscars — but would you cover what a has-been actor wore to the Academy Awards ten years ago? Probably not. Know what’s palatable, and find an interesting take on it that sets your brand apart.

Invest in SEO

You can publish what you believe to be important blogs or creative videos, but if the copy following them is not what your target demographic is searching for, it’ll get lost in the shuffle. Don’t just publish for the sake of publishing — you also have to know what gets read. Keywords and SEO analysis will get your posts and websites to the tops of searches, which in turn means more eyeballs on your content and eventual conversions.

Try Out a Variety of Headlines

Headlines are a major part of content marketing secrets. Need ideas for titling and publishing content? Try some of these headlines on for size and see if you can’t come up with a couple ideas to fill in the blanks for your company, and then analyze the click through rates (CTR) to see what works best for future campaigns:

• “What you must know before you…”
• “Insider tips for…”
• “The 7 biggest myths of…”
• “10 secrets on…”
• “People who…”

Boost to the Right Audience

You need to spend money to make money, and that means boosting ads and posts and website content through the right channels to the right audiences. Google ads, Facebook Ads Manager spending, YouTube promos, and more are all ways to ensure your content appears in people’s feeds — another marketing secret? End these posts with a strong call to action (CTA) so readers and viewers feel empowered to click and follow-through with their engagement.

And Finally, Publish or Perish

Our marketing secret returns to the old academia adage, but by now you know that there’s more to it than just publishing. Professors publish books that fill a gap in their field and pique the interest of their target readers. Your work should do the same — and publish regularly. Make a content calendar, map out strategies, and set time aside to analyze data and results so you know your efforts are working to your advantage. 

If you have questions about how to best leverage your brand through the implementation of strong content marketing strategies, please reach out…