COVID-19 has unfortunately brought many industries to a screeching halt – and the impacts of the pandemic on business could, unfortunately, last for years to come. Thankfully, content marketing is not only continuing on but thriving more than ever.
Since many people are ordered to stay at home as much as possible, they are spending more time online. This is why digital marketing is one of the best ways for nearly every brand to connect with people during these uncertain times.
However, many content creators are left wondering how they should approach this with COVID-19 in mind. The pandemic is certainly a topic that seems to be everywhere.
So, how can content marketers find the balance and help businesses grow through digital content?
Here are some tips to help you navigate through content creation in COVID-19.
Adjust to current online behavioral trends
Yes, people are spending more time online – but they are not necessarily looking for products or services in the same way as before.
Obviously, many have lost their jobs or have had their hours or income reduced, so they may not have much extra spending money. Furthermore, many industries like travel, transportation, real estate, and manufacturing have experienced a decline in traffic because of COVID-19.
However, this does not mean brands should just give up altogether. Instead, it is up to marketers to find ways to produce the kind of content people are looking for.
For instance, DIY projects and educational content have been quite popular now that people are spending more time at home and looking for ways to be entertained.
If you look at Google Trends, you will see there was a significant uptake in searches containing the phrase “how to” that began in March of this year – which was the same time that COVID-19 precautions started to be put in place.
Keep this in mind when creating content and look for ways to share educational, inspirational, or entertaining content that is still relevant to your brand. For instance, many restaurants are now sharing recipes so people can create their food at home.
This isn’t pushing for conversions. Instead, it is offering highly useful content to keep people engaged with the brand.
Now might not necessarily be the time to convince customers to make a purchase – especially if you offer more expensive services.
Instead, focus on creating content that gives people something to connect with and make an impression. This will help them to remember you once they are in a place to buy from you.
Consider trending mediums
Video streaming has certainly increased.
Now could be a good time to work on YouTube content. One study has found that people are now spending 20% more time on non-gaming and some gaming apps. This is the perfect time to really amp up your social advertising and content creation.
TikTok has also seen massive growth in downloads and viewership.
It is currently the most downloaded app, and it has a high number of active users and consumer spending. If you have been putting off creating a TikTok account for your brand, now could be a good time to explore it. There are even some useful TikTok bots to help you create good content!
Podcast downloads have also started to increase, particularly on topics like current events. Now is a great time to launch a podcast or reach out to other podcasts in your industry to collaborate with.
Do an SEO deep cleaning
A lot of us are doing some cleaning with all of the extra time we are now spending at home – so why not give your website and content a deep cleaning, too?
Go through your content and see where you can include new keywords or remove irrelevant ones that are not performing.
As mentioned before, there are some new keyword trends that you can take advantage of. There may also be some entirely new trending phrases that you can work into your content as well to relate to COVID-19. Google Trends is even offering daily search insights for coronavirus-related searches.
You can re-arrange some content to create more snippet-bait paragraphs or update it with more recent data. As you know, Google always loves fresh content, so refreshing older pieces with new information or statistics can give it a slight boost in the SERPs.
Be sure to update schema markup and information that may have changed because of COVID-19, such as office hours or contact information. This is super important so that you do not miss out on any lead opportunities!
Make relevancy your top priority
Finally, don’t get too wrapped up in trying to create content around COVID-19 if it is simply irrelevant.
Yes, it does impact every business, and there is pressure to incorporate coronavirus-related keywords – but it is not necessarily your place to write about it just because everyone else is doing it.
Content relevancy is much more important than forcing keywords in an attempt to attract organic traffic. Plus, it could ultimately just lead to high bounce rates, which could end up hurting your site in the long run.
Be sure that your content is relevant to the current situation AND to your brand. Now probably isn’t the time to write about traveling or large gatherings, but you could offer ideas to help people stay productive, start an online at-home business, or save money.
Think a bit outside of the box – but don’t worry if COVID-19 doesn’t seem super relevant to your content.
Conclusion
Content marketers have the ability to offer businesses a lifeline during these uncertain times. Digital marketing could be what keeps many companies afloat while others struggle. However, there are ways to make your services and skills even more valuable given the circumstances.
Adjust where you can in light of emerging trends. Consider ways that you can offer your audience information they are actively seeking out or provide them entertainment or educational content. Now is not the time to step back into the shadows. Content marketing is more important than ever – so be sure you are staying relevant and keeping the ball moving.
The post How Content Marketers Can Stay Relevant During COVID-19 appeared first on Jeffbullas's Blog.
source https://www.jeffbullas.com/stay-relevant-during-covid-19/
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