When creating financial content, it’s easy to get into a mindset of “set it and forget it.” You fall into a routine of making so many blog posts per month and keep submitting them. They must be doing something, right?
While each post certainly adds value, you can deliver more results with fewer resources by being more strategic. That’s why I ask a few questions before any new financial content project to ensure we get the most out of what’s written.
1. What core problem are you trying to solve?
Why are you creating financial content? Is it to generate and nurture more leads? To create a sales pipeline for a new product? To attract more media attention? To build the brand of your experts through thought leadership?
Keep this problem in your mind as you brainstorm topics and set your content calendar. Without a clear driving purpose, it’s easy to fill up your website with generic educational content that doesn’t address your core problem, even if readers find everything interesting.
2. Do you have systems and procedures for creating content?
Financial content creation is a process. You’ll get results by publishing regularly, but that’s easier said than done. The phases of content marketing include:
- Ideation: The process of coming up with topics and organizing them. This also includes any relevant SEO keyword research.
- How will you write the content? By yourself, through staff writers, with freelancers, or a combination?
- Publication: When will you publish your financial content? Do you have a schedule to maximize the timing of each release?
- Promotion: How do you get the word out about your pieces: social media, SEO, paid backlinks, etc.?
Think of how effectively you’re moving through each step and if any could be improved.
3. How do you measure the success of your content?
Consider what would make each piece of content a home run for your marketing goals. Setting goals allows you to track your progress over time while comparing new strategies. Some metrics you may want to track then based on your goals include:
- Web traffic
- User behavior such as time on page, bounce rate, and new/returning visitors
- Content shares and backlinks
- Lead generation, such as new subscribers for your mailing list/news list
4. What could get in the way of success?
If something could go wrong during your content creation process, at some point, it will. Think of how production has been delayed in the past. Did you have trouble finding time to complete the work? Were there too many people involved in the review/approval process? Were you counting on internal experts for interviews and had trouble scheduling? Did a competitor scoop you on what you thought was a unique topic?
Write out all the possible problem scenarios and come up with backup plans for each one. That way, you’ll be ready to adjust and stay on schedule.
5. How does your content compare against your competitors?
Who are your top three competitors? And what have they published recently? Your customers are also checking out their materials, so make sure you know how you measure up. You could also find holes in their content libraries where your organization could stand out. For example, perhaps all your competitors focus on short-form blog posts, so creating a long-form guide or videos can fill an unmet need.
6. When did you last review your existing content?
Think of your past results. Are there any pieces that stood out in terms of delivering quality results? Why do you think those pieces delivered above the rest? You should also see whether there were any issues from past content so you can improve your process.
Remember, your old content still has value. If you haven’t reviewed it lately, consider going through a content audit to find ways to refresh and repurpose existing materials.
You’re already doing the hard work by creating quality financial content, so make the most of it. Thinking through these questions will put your content in an even better position to succeed.
