Content Promotion Plan (+ FREE competitive analysis template)

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Post updated October 2019.

I’ve been dabbling in the web since 2009. I wrote this little lifestyle blog which did surprisingly well despite having absolutely zero content promotion plan at the beginning.

In fact, I had no idea what content promotion even was!

I thought blogging was simply writing an article in Word, publishing it in WordPress, and finding some images to go with it. Boy was I wrong.

Since then I’ve learned quite a lot about writing content, ranking content, and promoting content.

Much I’ve learned through trial and error, and the rest through reading a few quality bloggers, then, more importantly, taking action on what they taught me.

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS SPREADSHEET

In this article I learn the simple #2 phase content promotion plan I’m using to increase email sign ups by over 330%, nearly double blog traffic.

But here’s the thing, a successful content promotion plan is based on knowing who you’re up against (your competition) so you can plan, create, and promote your content in a way to designed to attract their audience.

That’s why I also want to share my competitive analysis template workbook.

This workbook will help you stay focused on exactly what to look for when researching your competitors, help you keep track of what’s working, and help you plan your own content promotion plan.

But before we dive deep, I want to make sure we’re all on the same page.

So if you’re asking yourself: What is content promotion? I’d encourage you to read this article first.

For everyone else, class is in session.

How to create a content promotion plan that actually works – Phase #1

Create the very best content you can (seriously, bring that good ish!)

Even if this means you create less of it, one of the smartest things you can do if you want your content promotion plan to work is to spend the time creating the very best content you can.

And I’m going to let you into a little secret, don’t be surprised to find that can easily take 6-8hrs.

Yeah, most people won’t tell you that!

But researching, writing, editing, graphic creation and formatting takes time. That’s why planning what your content publishing schedule will look like so you can decide on how much time you will need is always a good idea.

Think about the shelf life of your content (before you write it)

There will always been the need to create time sensitive content, but when you’re creating content for your online boutique for long-term traffic you need to consider the shelf life of the product.

Ask yourself? How relevant will this blog post be in two years time? Can I refresh these links so I can still benefit from this content?

Let me give you an example. Check out this post below:

Holiday outfit ideas.

A post like this is timeless. So long as your brand intends to sell items that could be considered holiday outfits. Each year, you can make small edits to the content and images, while allowing the post to grow in search engine rankings.

This is the type of content to invest time and effort in.

3. Create content which makes other people look good

It took me longer than I’m proud of to work this out, but the content I create which puts others in a good light and promotes them seems to do better than content all about me and my products.

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS SPREADSHEET

Want to dive deeper into creating quality content with a long shelf life, that makes other people look good? Check out these posts.

All caught up? Perfect. It’s time to move on to Phase #2

How to create a content promotion plan that actually works – Phase #2

Create several variations of your blog post graphic (with your post headline)

A solid content promotion plan is built on sharing your content consistently, in the right places, for weeks and months after it has been published.

At this point, quality content often can pick up steam on its own – and will continue to drive traffic (especially on Pinterest).

By having at least 4-5 variations of your promotional graphic (yes, images optimised for each social platform) you’ll be able to repeatedly share your content without boring people senseless with an image they’ve already seen.

Focus on improving your copywriting.

Think about how you can write statuses and captions that inspire curiosity so your reader wants to click your link and read your article to find out more.

Copywriting is a crucial skill to continuously work on improving as it will help you write better product descriptions, better articles and better emails.

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS SPREADSHEET

Below I’ve included some of my favourite resources to help you write better copy, improve your SEO copywriting, and create stunning images to support your great content.

Join content promotion communities (and become active)

One of the oldest I know of is Triberr, but there are so many content sharing communities out there now I’ve lost count.

The secret is not to join as many as you can, but to select 2-3 that have a great community of bloggers (with an audience you want to reach) then to really get your feet under the table and become a member of that community.

One of the newest sharing communities I’ve heard of is Pinterest Tribes. Apparently still in Beta it’s growing in momentum and people are reporting great results.

First join a few tribes, find out how they work and how they contribute to your content promotion plan, then create your own tribe. That’s what I’m currently doing.

Here are a few posts I love on how to leverage content promotion communities.

Automate, but regulate like a boss.

Automation is your friend, but when you include it as part of your content promotion plan remember that it also requires you to regulate.

I encourage using a tools like Hootsuite or Tailwind for external automation as they help you stay focused on the the task at hand, while giving you an overview of all your metrics.

Get 30-days of Tailwind Free here.

Personally I keep my automation pretty streamlined, and I’ve actually detailed my favourite Ecommerce marketing tools in this post so you should check it out.

But you’ll also find some of my favourite articles on using automation to promote your content listed down below.

Reach out to influencers and follow-up (even when they don’t)

Like Zig Ziglar said: closed mouths don’t get fed.

So when you write truly great content, make sure it gets the attention it deserves by reaching out to those (with an audience) who would find it interesting.

A link building strategy that has deliver results for me, is reaching out to influencers who have already shared content like I’ve created on social media or, better still, written about that same topic.

When you reach out to these influencers your goal is to get them to read your content, share it, and if they think it’s great, link to it within their content.

Oh! And don’t forget about all those other brands you linked to in your posts?

That’s the first place to start when it comes to reaching out, especially as they have the audience you want.

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS SPREADSHEET

I’d be lying if I said influencer outreach was quick or easy. It’s not.

It can be time consuming and laborious, but there are ways you can streamline and focus your efforts so you’re more successful. You’ll find a few of my fave posts on this below.

And don’t forget to follow up. Seriously, I wish I didn’t need to say this but I know I do.

Don’t get in your feelings when someone you reached out to the first time doesn’t respond immediately.

In my experience the money is in the follow up, and so few people do, you’ll stand out. If your first email doesn’t get a response within 3-4 days, get back in touch.

Pay for traffic (yes, I said it, pay!)

I’m all for free traffic, but likewise have absolutely no qualms with paying for traffic to web pages that I know are valuable and will generate revenue.

Did you know that you can create content for your online boutique that becomes equally, if not more valuable, than the actual product page within your Ecommerce store?

Check out this great article from plus-size brand Monroe and Main, which executes this perfectly.

When you create content like this, now you’ve created a resource that allows you to educate your reader, build a bond with them, and present your products in a way that answers their questions.

So long as there are clickable/buying links – you’ll probably find a well written blog post like this will sell more dresses than your product page.

These are the sort of growth hacking strategies I share with my clients are part of my Authority ecommerce coaching programme.

Want to learn more about how to use paid traffic as part of your content promotion plan? Check out these great posts below.

Okay, we’re on the home run let’s summarise your content promotion plan in a nutshell.

Create content worthy of your brand
Create content with a long shelf life
Create content that makes other people look good
Create a wide range of images for repeat sharing
Create relationships within sharing communities
Create time by scheduling repeat sharing automatically
Create even more traffic by promoting your content

And don’t forget, if you haven’t already you really should download the free competitive analysis spreadsheet. You’ll find a link to it below.

When you click the link you’ll receive an email which has a free copy of my competitive analysis spreadsheet.

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS SPREADSHEET

You can use this spreadsheet to help you snoop on your competitors so you can see what’s working (and incorporate that yourself).

From their top Pins, to their most commented on blogs – you’ll have a record of what they’re doing so you can plan your own brand domination plan.

Okay, that’s all for today folks!

But listen, if you found this article valuable and if it taught you something new, please take a minute to Pin it or share the article link on social media.