Successful Content is More Than a New Years Resolution

An estimated 41% of Americans make New Years Resolutions. But did you know that only 9% of those people actually achieve them?

Most people plan to lose weight, travel more, save money, or whatever comes to mind. These all revolve around the fact that everyone has somewhere to improve. Whether it is in your personal life or work life, it is always important to set goals to allow for continuous improvement.

Now I bet you think that I’m going to tell you to put creating successful content at the top of your New Years Resolution list. But, that could not be further from true.

Read more for some tough love on why successful content goes beyond a New Years Resolution.

The problem with the majority of these New Years Resolutions is that most people do not create a plan to support them.

I gave a colleague a piece of advice the other day. He asked if I thought that his idea could be successful and if it was even worth pursuing.  Without a second thought, I told him that anything can be successful as long as there is a solid strategy to support it.

Successful content needs to be more than a New Years Resolution for your website. It cannot be placed on the back burner, waiting for a mediocre blog post to magically go viral.

No. Instead, successful content requires a successful strategy.

I spend a couple hours a week focusing on keyword research and topic ideas just so I can organize a content calendar accordingly.  And this is just the base of a solid content creation plan.

TIPS for SUCCESS

1. Set a goal

Success looks different for each individual website. Whether you want the visitor to sign up for an email newsletter or you want them to buy a product or service, you need to craft content around this goal.

So first things first, set a solid goal.

2. Do an evaluation

Once you have this goal in mind, it is time for an evaluation. Ask yourself these questions:

• What past content was successful?
• What content failed to meet the goal above?
• What problem do you solve for your audience?
• What topics is your audience talking about?

These few questions allow for greater self-reflection and a better understanding of your audience.

(Normally, I would tell you to do more detailed keyword research, but this is just the basics for success)

3. Create a calendar

I have said it one too many times, you need a plan to be successful. And that starts with a content calendar.

Plan your blog posts at least a month in advance. This allows you to stay on top of the plan and always know what is ahead. If you don’t know where to start with creating a content calendar, head on over to my article where I cover How To Create and Maintain a Blogging Editorial Calendar! Seriously… This is extremely helpful for all levels for calendar planner. So go read that now!

4. Be realistic

This is extremely important! Be realistic when you set a goal, do an evaluation, and create a calendar. Don’t plan to do 3 blog posts a week if you aren’t going to be able to achieve it.

Instead, focus on creating 1 strong blog post a week, and write it a week in advance. This is important so you have a little wiggle room so you don’t feel overwhelmed.

Conclusion

This year, I challenge you to look beyond the ever popular New Years Resolution.

Don’t push your goals off, waiting for the perfect time to start. You don’t need the start of 2017 to make a change. Let today be your day to change.

Do something today that will help yourself and your career in the long run. Whatever you have in mind, create a plan that you know you can hold true to. Instead of just hoping for the best along the way.

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About the Author

Why, hello there! I’m Cathrin, the creator of The Content Bug. But since we are already virtual best friends, you can call me Cath. After working in the digital marketing industry, I decided it was time to share my love for online content creation, social media, and SEO with the everyday hustlers of the world… like YOU! You can almost always find me at a local coffee shop writing, reading and working on new things for The Content Bug. But when I have some free time, I love hanging out with my dog, going to a yoga class, and being outside. Stay connected with me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter to see what I’m up to!