This Simple But Brilliant Strategy Hooks Targeted Audiences Every Time

Having a hard time getting enough eyes on your content?

Sometimes this is a matter of how you're promoting it. Even a masterpiece may never be seen unless it's actively shared with the right people.

But with that said, it's also a distinct possibility that the problem is with the content itself.

This doesn't necessarily mean your content is bad, per se. But it might not be what your audience is after.

Sometimes, the best way to figure out what went wrong, is to look at what went right instead.

To improve existing content that's underperforming, and to create future content that's more likely to take off, it's a good idea to assess what kind of content is doing the best with your audience.

Which blog posts got the most reads and shares? Which ones have maintained the most long-term popularity? Which ones does your audience really seem to love?

In a recent article from Social Media Examiner, the author explains how you can use easy-to-find data from Google Analytics, and use it to find the common denominators that mark your most successful content.

Google Analytics generates a simple report that shows your 10 most-visited pages for the last 7 days. In the upper-right corner, set your date range for about 12 months.

Below the graph, you’ll see a list that includes your 10 most-viewed posts for that time period. These are the content pieces that deliver the highest traffic, making them well worth analyzing (if increasing traffic is your goal).

The next bit of work comes in analyzing your top posts.

Read and study each post to find out what made it so successful.

To guide your research, ask yourself these questions about each blog post:

What type of post is it (how-to, list post, noteworthy news)?

Does it include free resources for download (content upgrades, lead magnets, checklists, worksheets, templates)?

What is the word count (>2,000 words, <1,000 words)?

Does it include additional content types (audio, video, ebook)?

What kind of value does it deliver to readers that they can’t get anywhere else (comprehensive coverage of the topic, novel insights, unique data analysis)?

Obviously, you can ask an endless number of questions. The point is to deeply understand the common threads of value woven through your top content over the last year.

When you do this analysis, you’re uncovering the facets to include on your content scorecard. Your scorecard will look different from everyone else’s, and that’s the point. But the very fact that you have a documented standard of excellence will help you consistently replicate your best content.

You can read more about how to double down on what works with your audience, while trimming off tactics that don't take, in the full post from Social Media Examiner.