Search Engine Optimisation

04/Dec/2017

Content marketing campaigns and PR strategies remain out of sync at most modern organisations despite the incredible potential for positive returns when the two activities are carefully managed as a “single entity”, a new report published by Version 2.0 Communications has found.

The State of Content & PR – Optimized or Opportunity? study comes at the end of a year where content marketing has been hailed as a hot new trend for amplifying public relations and improving communications, but the main takeaway indicates brands have work to do to reduce silos, optimise strategies and make better use of PR skills for content promotion.

Over 50% of the PR professionals surveyed say they currently believe their organisation is not maximising content marketing endeavours, while a similar number claim they are never involved in the process following creative development, which suggests departments are working against each other in terms of promoting and enhancing content in the right way.

Four in ten want their organisation to bring content creation and amplification together. They believe a combined effort would benefit the company and a sizeable two-thirds of respondents are currently relying on an ad hoc, piece-by-piece strategy. This short-sighted outlook is hampering distribution, reach and awareness, making it more difficult to achieve objectives and success.

Communicators appear to be happy with the content they are creating. Insightful blog posts (94%) topped the list of popular format types ahead of videos (70%) and infographics (62%), but high-quality creative content could be performing much better if it was matched with a long-term strategy and tighter integration with PR.

“There’s been a lot of talk about how content will change the PR industry, and this survey shows that there’s been less action when it comes to maximizing that opportunity,” Version 2.0 Communications Senior Vice President Katelyn Holbrook said. “And it’s unfortunate, because the data demonstrates just how effective content can be at achieving results where PR shines, such as raising brand awareness.”

Larger organisations are doing better overall, as 78% of enterprises with a marketing team exceeding 25 people said they regularly see value from content campaigns. However, this dips to 47% for medium-sized teams and to just 35% for teams with fewer than five people. Despite the challenges, respondents believe content is crucial for awareness and thought leadership. Holbrook urged PR to demand involvement, as there is vast potential for contributing more heavily to these aims.

She concluded: “PR pros need to demand a seat at the content table if they don’t already have one (our research suggests many don’t) and have an active voice in determining the themes and messaging of content, as well as how it gets promoted and amplified. If PR and content teams are operating in silos, neither will do their best work. This can be as simple as holding weekly, cross-departmental meetings to ensure both sides can weigh in on key campaigns, or as robust as creating metrics that monitor and reward collaboration and shared results.”

Annie

31/Oct/2016

Over the past few years, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) has come under fire and it now has some negative connotations associated with it. However, when used correctly it is still an important part of the content marketing process, helping strategists to not only formulate their advertising plan, but also to put content in the right places. Therefore, it remains as important as ever for guiding more eyes towards digital publications.

The past decade has seen the internet explode with various strategies to harness the power of content to drive website visits, leads and sales. SEO is used across many of these. This is the process of utilising keywords within content to gain the attention of search engines. Despite many people now disregarding the importance of SEO because it has so often been used badly, it is still an important tool.

Firstly, SEO provides a good basis for forming a strong content strategy. This is because when developing a keyword plan, brands have to ask important questions, the answers to which can be used to create the right content for the intended target audience. For example, SEO requires a business to establish who its target audience is, and what the brand needs to deliver to those potential customers. What’s the best material to create and how can this be enhanced to generate more interest?

Utilising SEO in content marketing can also help brands build trust and authority within their niche. Incorporating quality keyword terms into articles ensures that content has an extended digital lifespan. Over the months and years, any brand can build up its backlist of content in a particular market, thereby increasing its authority on the subject matter. In time, this will also increase consumer trust, helping companies attain long-term success in their content marketing strategies.

Finally, by using SEO practices within content marketing, firms are challenging their competitors. Within any field, it’s likely that companies are all striving towards producing high-quality, evergreen content to attract consumers. By using SEO, strategists can help a brand become a recognised authority within its field, thus putting pressure on competitors. Some of the best content includes podcasts, How-To articles, guides and videos. By providing these on a regular basis, adding keywords and building a reputation for expertise, even small companies in niche markets can gain dominance over bigger rivals.

The negativity surrounding SEO is unlikely to disappear. When it’s used badly, it’s all too obvious, with promotional keywords and phrases appearing inappropriately; however, when it’s used correctly, those targeted terms should fit seamlessly into content and be difficult to pinpoint. As such, content strategists should not immediately disregard the use of SEO. When used as part of a carefully considered marketing plan it can help a campaign realise resounding success.

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Content marketing and PR out of sync at most enterprises

SEO is still vital in content marketing