6 New Year’s Resolutions to Get Your Content Marketing Back on Track in 2021

There was a lot going on in 2020 — especially for business owners.

Many of us had to pivot our focus, or even shift our business models completely — and there was very little time (or clarity) to plan ahead. So, content marketing may have fallen a few places on your list of priorities.

We totally get it. 

But as we step (or jump!) into the new year, now is the perfect opportunity to refocus your efforts on content marketing as a way to regain traction and grow your business.

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Setting some content-focused New Year's resolutions is a great way to kick-start your content marketing strategy for this year. So, in this blog we’ll look at six resolutions that will help you fire up your content marketing in 2021!

Let’s dive in:

6 New Year's resolutions to get your content marketing back on track in 2021

Analyze your content data from 2020 

Analyzing how your content performed over the last year is an important first step in moving forward in 2021. When you do this, remember that 2020 wasn’t a regular year — so it’ll be important to keep an open mind.

Start to gather some numbers on the following metrics:

• Audience growth
• Audience engagement
• Types of content that performed best on each channel (video, blogs, webinars, etc.)
• Types of content that performed worst on each channel
• Leads generated from content
• Sales generated from content

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These insights will give you a good high-level overview of what resonates with your audience, what’s working so far in your content strategy, and what’s not working as well.

What’s more, understanding these things will help you when it comes to your next goal...

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Create a content plan for the upcoming year

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You’ve probably heard the saying ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’. 

This could not be more true for content marketing! Content that is produced without proper planning is almost never effective — which can mean a big waste of time and resources.

For your content strategy to truly make an impact, you’ll need to put some thought into what type of content you want to create, what purpose you’d like it to serve, and how it will be delivered to your audience. 

And it’s easier than you think.

Your company probably already has some plans in place for what 2021 will look like — whether that’s new releases, new product lines, or new promotions. And the good news is, this means that half the work that goes into content planning is already done for you!

All that’s left to do is to set aside a day or a few hours to look at your upcoming year — and plan different types of content to support your efforts.

For example, if you’re going to be launching a new product in Q3, plan some content that can tease the release in Q1 and Q2. Or, if you’re going to be running a new holiday promotion in Q4, look at what types of content you can create throughout the year to make the most out of that campaign.

Take some time over the next month to plan a solid content strategy for 2021. It will pay off in dividends throughout your business year, and make sure that nothing falls through the cracks — regardless of what 2021 throws at you!

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Dedicate time each week to content creation

So, you’ve got your content plan ready for 2021, but you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by the thought of actually putting it in place.

Lots of business owners feel like this — but there’s an easy solution!

If you don’t have a full-time content team at your disposal, make a goal for yourself to dedicate a few hours each week to content creation.

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We understand that this may mean taking another look at your schedule and rethinking some priorities. However, making time for a strategy that can increase your leads by more than 72% is a worthy investment of your time!

Make sure to always keep that content creation block in your schedule free, and try not to use it for anything else. If you finish a piece of content with time to spare, dedicate the rest of the time to researching current trends, or gathering data for upcoming pieces. 

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Commit to posting a set number of times each week

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Content creation is only the first step in implementing a successful content strategy.

You also have to make sure that you’re sharing, amplifying, and promoting that content as much as possible.

Again, it makes sense to set some attainable goals here, and make sure they really work for you and your business. Perhaps you can only realistically commit to posting one quality blog per month and one social media post per week. And that’s absolutely fine! But make this a non-negotiable.

Hopefully, with the time you’re setting aside each week for content creation, you’ll be able to do more than ever. However, quality over quantity is always a good rule to have when it comes to content marketing.

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So, commit to a set number of times that you’ll post every single week — and stick to it. You’ll be amazed at how much your consistency will pay off in growing your audience. 

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Grow your social community with paid ads

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Another great way to jump-start your content marketing in 2021? Start investing in some paid social ads to grow your online communities.

Consider these stats:

• Facebook ads reach 1.95 billion of the platform’s 2.5 billion monthly users
• 928.5 million people can be reached by ads on Instagram
• 52% of all online brand discovery happens in public social feeds
• 27% of internet users say they find new products and brands through paid social ads

Convincing, isn’t it? It’s clear that paid social ads are a great way to expand the reach of your content, and grow your own audience and following.

But lots of companies will have a tight content marketing budget for 2021 — especially after such a tough year.

So, if you’re in the same position, how do you justify paid ad campaigns? 

Well, you’ll have to dive into ROI. For example, the average conversion rate across Facebook Ads is an impressive 9.21%— and in some industries this jumps to as high as 14%! 

Do some research into your own industry and get a feel for how ads perform for your target audience. Most of the time, they’ll be worth your money!

Consider outsourcing

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As you’ve probably realized by now, effective content marketing takes up both time and resources. If you don’t have an in-house content team (and especially if you’re a solo business owner), achieving all of the goals above might seem overwhelming.

Luckily, you don’t need to hire someone full-time to implement a great content marketing strategy.

If you’re ready to really invest in your content marketing — without hiring more in-house staff — consider outsourcing!

Bringing on a trusted, professional content marketing partner can be key to helping you achieve your goals.

Why? Well...

• It frees up your time to focus on other business priorities
• It gives you access to highly-seasoned professionals who can guarantee results
• It saves you from a lengthy and involved hiring process
• You’ll only pay for the services you want (or need)

Outsourcing is the best way to experience all the benefits of a great content marketing strategy for your company, without any of the risk. 

So, here’s to your content marketing success in 2021 — hopefully with a great partner behind you! 

Looking to bring on a content marketing partner to help you make 2021 a blazing success? Our team at Scribly would love to chat.