Read on for 14 tips from HubSpot\u2019s experts on podcasting, blogging, conversion rate optimization testing, video marketing, content strategy<\/a>, and more for you to add to your company\u2019s marketing plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n From friendly reminders to set your standards high to practical tips around historical optimization and non-organic content, here are 14 tips straight from the content experts at HubSpot.<\/p>\n Lisa Toner, HubSpot\u2019s Director of Content, names holding your team accountable to higher standards as her recommendation for leading a content team.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my experience, you know a piece of content isn’t ready to publish if the people creating it aren’t super excited to publish it and see their name next to it,\u201d she explains. \u201cAsk your team \u2018how proud are you of this content on a scale of 1-10?\u2019 If it’s not a 10, it’s not ready.\u201d With multiple subject matter experts on the team, it\u2019s easier to gain that honest, actionable feedback faster.<\/p>\n In addition, Lisa emphasizes the importance of \u201cfinding creators who are passionate about delivering exceptional value to the customer\u201d to help differentiate your organization’s output from the sea of other options online. Exceptional content that includes current statistics and original graphics is more likely to attract links organically<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Google is always updating its algorithm and search engine results page (SERP) features, leaving SEO teams constantly on their toes for what\u2019s coming next. HubSpot\u2019s SEO Marketing Manager Amanda Kopen notes that Google Trends \u2013 a free tool \u2013 opens up the doors for marketers to keep track of what people are searching. This data can help you identify what keywords you should create content around.<\/p>\n \u201cUse Google Trends to identify how popular different search terms are. Also, keep an eye out on the People Also Ask boxes on the Google SERP. This can allow you to do some very basic keyword research to see what your company should include in their content.\u201d<\/p>\n These People Also Ask (PAA) boxes are expandable questions that someone searching for a term may also<\/i> search for. These boxes may answer searchers\u2019 questions more directly, and since this feature tends to rank high on SERPs, securing placement in one can boost your effective ranking for your website\u2019s pages.<\/p>\n At HubSpot, organic traffic composes up the vast majority of our overall website traffic. However, we don\u2019t want to rely solely on search engines to bring us page views, which is why we developed a holistic non-organic content strategy, helmed by Senior Marketing Manager Pamela Bump.<\/p>\n \u201cMake sure you\u2019re not just leveraging search result pages for traffic,\u201d she encourages. \u201cYou can also increase traffic from non-organic channels like email, social media, or other websites by including elements like expert quotes, original data, trend coverage, links to related industry news, or real-world examples<\/b> of what you\u2019re discussing.<\/p>\n \u201cNot only do these elements encourage online sharing, but they also can help build your credibility and boost your domain authority,\u201d she concludes, suggesting that even without prioritizing SEO with this content, you may still reap organic benefits.<\/p>\n This strategy was also extremely beneficial to the content team during the pandemic. As search intent radically shifted, this non-organic approach became a reliable way for HubSpot to bring in blog traffic by offering more timely and relevant data and information to blog readers.<\/p>\n Get started<\/a><\/p>\n “To create content that resonates, it\u2019s important to consider the factors at play outside of the four walls of your industry,\u201d says Content Team Manager Carly Williams. \u201cGreat content creators add value to the conversation by responding to real-time needs with awareness and empathy, especially during times of uncertainty.”<\/p>\n Carly suggests content creators “zoom out and get some perspective before hitting publish.” Thinking about your role in your industry is essential, but thinking about what might be happening socially, economically, and politically in your region \u2013 and how that might impact your content and your industry \u2013 cannot be overlooked. I<\/p>\n There\u2019s no sense in creating content unless it\u2019s intended to contribute to a concrete goal for your business. Whether that goal is something as simple as traffic or engagement, or as far down the pipeline as revenue, goals should be the driving force behind everything you create. Establishing defined goals and objectives can help you measure the performance of your B2B content marketing<\/a> plan and make improvements as needed.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore you can set any goals and track the proper KPIs, you need to know why<\/b> you’re tracking those metrics,\u201d says Growth Marketer, Brandon Sanders. \u201cStarting with your \u2018why\u2019 will help you accurately measure performance and build your strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor example,\u201d he asks, \u201care you trying to increase your share of voice, improve your brand, generate more quality leads, or drive more traffic? Once you’ve determined your \u2018why,\u2019 you’ll better understand key KPIs you can use to monitor your efforts effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n For those unfamiliar with the term, historical optimization<\/b> is the process of revisiting and updating existing pieces of content with more helpful and relevant information.<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to create a piece of content, watch it soar, expect that it\u2019s in a good place, and then move onto the next project. However, this content creation model could be a huge<\/b> opportunity cost when it comes to organic traffic and conversions for your top-performing pieces of content.<\/p>\n That\u2019s where historical optimization comes into play. Amanda Sellers, the manager of HubSpot\u2019s Historical Optimization Team, notes the many benefits of this practice.<\/p>\n \u201cOver time, organic traffic performance for even your top blog posts can start to decay \u2013 sometimes as soon as six months after publishing!\u201d, she explains. \u201cThis is because new, more competitive content<\/b> is being created every day and can show up on the SERPs, pushing your posts down. With that in mind, make re-optimizing your existing library part of your content repurposing strategy so that your organic channel stays healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n Content \u2013 especially content that is created collaboratively \u2013 needs to be planned and managed effectively. Communicating goals, establishing quality guidelines, and sticking to timelines all require strict project management skills.<\/p>\n Charlene Strain, HubSpot\u2019s Marketing Manager for Co-marketing & Partnerships, notes the importance of this skill \u2013 particularly when working with external partners. \u201cRefining your project management skills is a plus since you’re working with multiple people, from multiple companies, with multiple moving parts and goals.\u201d<\/p>\n Strain suggests documenting an agreement on responsibilities and project scope before anything is created to ensure a clear understanding of who is handling what parts of the assignment, which \u201ccan help improve the operational and strategic side of partner communications and content creation.”<\/p>\n While not all of your content can (or should) directly promote your product(s) and\/or service(s), there\u2019s still plenty of benefit to staying aligned with your product team so that when the moment comes to mention your brand, you do so accurately and convincingly.<\/p>\n Kristen Baker, HubSpot\u2019s Blogger for Product Content, claims that \u201caligning your content with your product or service is an effective avenue for driving traffic, brand awareness, and conversions.\u201d<\/p>\n This alignment can happen in a way that best suits the needs and availability of both teams, but some examples might be:<\/p>\n However, these mentions need to be appropriate given the context of your content. If it doesn\u2019t make sense to mention your product \u2013 don\u2019t.<\/p>\n \u201cBy naturally<\/b> inserting relevant information about your product’s features and the types of challenges it resolves, you educate your audience in a way that helps you 1). establish your brand as an industry thought-leader, and 2). show your audience how your product resolves their pain points.\u201d It\u2019s a win-win for education and<\/i> promotion.<\/p>\n Get started<\/a><\/p>\n We all know about the importance of strategically promoting content<\/a>, but HubSpot\u2019s Social Community Manager, Jennifer Kim, suggests leaning into different creative elements to help spread the word.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether that\u2019s infographics, text-based, or even video content, it\u2019s best to try different types out to see what your audience engages with most. Plus, it adds some diversity to your promotions,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Over time, you\u2019ll gradually get a feel for what types of creative assets your audience reacts to \u2013 especially on different channels. For example, infographics might work well in email, but not on social \u2013 meanwhile, your social audience may gravitate towards video. And there is even more granularity in this context \u2013 do your viewers prefer live streams<\/a> or pre-recorded videos? This lesson came from Alanah Joseph, the Senior Marketing Manager for HubSpot\u2019s Podcast Network<\/a>. The network hosts multiple shows, but each show has a different host. Rather than plug in a pre-recorded ad or give the show\u2019s host(s) a script, Alanah works with these hosts to promote more naturally.<\/p>\n \u201cPart of our work at HubSpot Podcast Network is to deliver custom ads to each of our shows,\u201d she says. \u201cThe best ads that we create are a true collaboration with the creator. When you find creators that genuinely align with your brand values, ad production is a smooth process. The best thing you can do is give the creator room to infuse their voice and style into the ad. Let content creators do what they do best: create content!\u201d<\/p>\n This idea of carefully planning advertisements also speaks to the general need for advertising and promotion strategy. How closely do you think about which calls-to-action you place on a blog, or refine your Facebook ad<\/a> audience? Being more intentional about your ads, what they look and sound like, and to whom they have been exposed increases the likelihood of generating a strong ROI.<\/p>\n As we mentioned in the intro, video is the most commonly used format in content marketing. But is your video strategy sticking?<\/p>\n Nelson Chacon, the Principal YouTube Strategist for HubSpot, encourages content creators to think about the bigger picture of video content in a business strategy, noting consumers have flocked not just towards YouTube, but also sites \u201clike Instagram, TikTok, and streaming services like Netflix and Hulu in reaction to the pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n This trend opens the door for more avenues for creating and sharing videos \u2013 not just about industry trends, but also about your company. \u201cHaving explainer videos<\/a> or common FAQ videos that can support your customer service department is a good idea to increase sales and improve customer experience,\u201d Nelson suggests.<\/p>\n Jennifer Brault, HubSpot Team Manager for Social Media Strategy & Operations, points out the importance of promoting your top content through as many channels as possible. Otherwise, you might miss out on getting in front of a relevant audience.<\/p>\n14 content marketing best practices from HubSpot<\/h2>\n
1. Set your standards high<\/h3>\n
2. Stay up-to-date with Google Trends<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/unnamed.png\")
<\/p>\n3. Diversify your traffic sources with non-organic content<\/h3>\n
4. Think about the bigger picture<\/h3>\n
5. Know the \u201cwhy\u201d behind your goals<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/unnamed-1.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n6. Historical optimization is non-negotiable<\/h3>\n
7. Brush up on project management skills<\/h3>\n
8. Get aligned with the product team<\/h3>\n
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9. Promote content using different creative assets<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/unnamed-1.png\")
<\/p>\n
\nGet creative and see what drives engagement.<\/p>\n10. Advertise contextually<\/h3>\n
11. Invest in an in-depth video strategy<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/unnamed-2.png\")
<\/p>\n12. Maximize the reach of your content with cross-promotion<\/h3>\n