As you look forward to your 2021 content strategy, look back at the roller coaster of 2020. This year—make no mistake—it was a pandemic that altered consumer behavior, forcing marketing teams to pivot their content plans. #BlackLivesMatter put the focus on minority businesses and diversity. Our focus was on helping businesses stay relevant while maximizing their online presence.
Take a walk down memory lane to see what tips, techniques, and ideas we had about content strategy this year. Many of these can help drive your 2021 content marketing goals.
January
What Humans Want
- Google constantly updates its SEO algorithm to make sure users get the information they want. Don’t chase Google. Instead, go after your audience. If you write for the living, they will let you live! Read more
13 Essential SEO Writing Hacks for 2020 and Beyond
- SEO has many facets, but the basics are keywords, quality content and best practices. Develop good SEO habits to keep your content fresh and relevant. Read more
SEO is Complex - TRUE. Writing SEO-Friendly Content is Simple - Also TRUE!
- SEO has many elements, some of which are out of your control. Focus on the key points that encourage greater readership and engagement instead of obsessing over every little technical detail. Read more
February
The Numbers Don’t Lie
- Knowing online marketing statistics can help you focus your content strategy to keep your material fresh and relevant to your audience. Stay up to date with trends to connect with readers. Read more
Understand the Dynamics and Cultivate a Strong Content Team
- A copywriter writes the content, but there are many other roles involved in developing an online presence through content. Know the different roles and responsibilities to cover your bases. Read more
Want the Best Online Rankings? Hire the Best SEO Writers!
- Excellent SEO writers know how to combine storytelling with technical SEO to engage your readers and meet search engine criteria. Read more
Even the Best SEO Writers Need a Clear Content Strategy
- A content marketing strategy focuses your efforts on your marketing goals. SEO writers need meaningful guidelines when producing content. Read more
March
Create Lasting Wins with Pillar Pages
- Pillar pages group your content into easily searchable information to reduce clutter and give users a way to read through your content. Read more
Why A Content Audit is NOT a Bonus; It's Absolutely Essential!
- Review your content to see if it’s working to meet your marketing goals and your customer’s needs. Read more
How to Make Your Content More Memorable
- Creating longer content isn’t the magic bullet to getting readers. High quality content, whether it is long or short, is remembered and shared. Read more
Keeping Content Alive During a Crisis
- In March, the pandemic was new. Everything was uncertain. We wanted to assure our customers that we would keep working hard to produce high quality content, regardless of what was happening. Read more
April
How Many Words? Depends on How Many Readers You Want!
- Ignore the hype about long form content and focus on user intent instead of word count. Users who want short answers won’t read a long article. Read more
Refresh Old Content and Re-energize Your Content Marketing Strategy
- You don’t need to keep reinventing the wheel. Take your older content that performed well and update it to make it more relevant. Read more
COVID-19 Has Disrupted the World...AND Your Content Calendar
- Be a content quarterback by having a backup play and adapting your plan to local, national, or even international events. Read more
People Have Questions During COVID-19
- Set yourself up as an authority in your industry by tackling the questions people want answered. Read more
Don’t Hold Back on Gratitude
- You don’t have to wait for a pandemic to use your content to show appreciation to the heroes in your community. Take the opportunity to thank those who are doing more. Read more
May
Content Guidelines During COVID-19
- COVID-19 changed consumer behavior. Marketing had to adjust. Here are our tips for adapting to regulations during the pandemic. Read more
Is Your Content Plagued by the TLDR Syndrome?
- Today’s consumer skims content before fully reading it. When you have long-form content that fails to engage, it will be ignored. We have tips for keeping your customer engaged. Read more
The Essential Ingredient in Email Marketing During COVID-19?
- Businesses that adapt to consumer behavior are the most successful. Your email campaign needs to address sensitivity and positivity during times of crisis. Read more
Getting Ready to Reopen Your Business?
- Email can be one way to connect with customers when your store is closed, whether from a pandemic or a vacation. Learn to effectively communicate through email. Read more
June
Moving Your Brick-and-Mortar Business Online?
- Your online store needs to be SEO ready for customers and search engines to find your products. Professional copy reaches your audience and makes sure your e-commerce store can be ranked. Read more
8 Steps to Creating Cornerstone Content
- Cornerstone content is foundational to your online presence. It’s content that resonates with your customer time and time again. Read more
It's Time to Stand Together Against Racism
- Content should reflect diversity and inclusion to promote equity. We have some tips on creating content that is multicultural and bias-free. Read more
"How's It Going?"
- This blog post shares an interesting story about how a private email about #BlackLivesMatter went viral, garnering an audience for the brand. Read more
Proud of Your Diverse Workforce?
- Employee generated content can be part of your online marketing strategy by getting people talking about your brand. Read more
July
Can You Feel the Love?
- Good content that is engaging is storytelling at its best. Your brand has a story. Share it to gain an audience. Read more
How to Make Your “How-To” Content Perform Better
- How-to content continues to be popular with customers who want to solve problems. Let your content drive sales by creating how-to articles that set your brand up as an authority. Read more
How to Write Content for Google Power Users
- Harness the full power of Google search by creating content that is searchable and engaging. Read more
Publish Customer-Specific Content that Converts
- Case studies are real stories about customers who engaged with your brand and reaped the benefits. Use this content idea to reach new customers. Read more
August
Increase Views for Your Online Videos with Engaging Descriptions
- Video is a powerful medium. To get your audience to click on the link, you need to describe the video. Search engines need good descriptions. Read more
Your In-House Assets are a Goldmine!
- Creating new content isn’t always the answer. You have a treasure trove of ideas in your business that can be repurposed into new content. Read more
Content Marketing Best Practices
- Take your content marketing up a step by learning how the pros do it. Even implementing one new strategy can help you be more successful. Read more
The Mighty Google Can't Read—It's An Engine, a.k.a. A Machine!
- To create high quality content that engages your audience, you need to write for people, not for Google alone. Read more
September
Hire a Content Agency or an In-House Copywriter?
- Decide whether you need a content agency to produce content for your online presence or if you want to hire your own in-house copywriter. Read more
Essential Steps to Develop Your Content Strategy
- Create a content strategy to drive your approach to content instead of just throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks. We’ll show you how. Read more
Writing for Your Customer is Easy - Make them Write for You!
- Create content that your audience wants to read by using their questions and information to write for them. Read more
October
Turn Negative Reviews into Marketing Gold
- Don’t be afraid of negative reviews from your customers. Use them to build a relationship with current and new customers. Read more
The Rules of Traditional PR Still Work for Content Marketing
- Media coverage may not be directly tied to SEO, but it can be part of your brand strategy to get more readership and gain rankings. Read more
Quality Content is an Investment that Needs Quality Writers
- Quality content takes time and effort, but it pays off by keeping your customers engaged with your brand. Read more
Top 7 Content Marketing Challenges Facing B2B Tech Companies
- B2B companies need high quality content that resonates with their audience. Produce content that meets your customer’s unique needs. Read more
9 Content Marketing Tips for B2B Tech Companies
- Follow best practices in content marketing to reach and engage your B2B customers. Read more.
November
Creating Website Content for a New Business Startup
- Don’t think you need a full-scale website with tons of web pages when you’re a start up. Create a solid plan to build your content as you grow your business. Read more
Update Outdated Copy with FAQs to Enrich Search
- Old content can be repurposed with FAQs to boost your organic search and meet user’s needs. Read more
The All-Important Email Subject Line—the 'New' Essentials
- Adapt to new trends in email marketing to connect with your readers. A subject line can be the difference between a customer reading your email and trashing it. Read more
Let's Chat About Your Chat - Content Marketing Opportunities You May be Missing
- Content isn’t limited to your website. Use chat as part of your content marketing plan to engage with users who are reaching out to you. Read more
December
Humans First, Spiders Next! Write Content for REAL Users
- Focus on creating connections with your audience. The search engines will follow. Read more
Your Start-Up's Small Content Marketing Team has HUGE Potential
- You don’t need a huge team to create content, but you do need a strategy to give your content writers a focus. Read more
Okay, You Have In-House Writers. You Still Need an Editor
- An editor helps you maintain consistency to retain your brand’s image in the details. High-quality content matters to readers. Read more
Plan Your 2021 Content Marketing Strategy Now
Discuss your content strategy for 2021 with the MintCopy team. Our experienced SEO writers can help you maximize engagement with your audience to build your online presence. Use our online form to get in touch. You can also follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to stay up-to-date with the latest content marketing trends.
Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!