Content marketing is time-consuming. It requires planning, scheduling, interviewing, research, writing, approvals — and that’s all before an article is even published. Luckily, there are hundreds of online resources that can help a content marketing program be successful, from tutorials to reporting mechanisms. Following are a few of Gravity’s go-to tools that save time and hone our writing and search engine optimization (SEO) skills at once.
1. Coschedule Headline Analyzer — The headline analyzer scores your headline on a 100-point scale based on best practices backed by data. Headlines are reviewed for word balance of common, uncommon, emotional, and powerful words; how the headline presents the type of article; length; keywords; and sentiment. Use it for blog headlines, email subject lines, or social media messages — any copy that is used to get people’s attention.
2. Grammarly Editor — Don’t have a proofreader or copy editor at your disposal? Correct grammar and misspellings as you type! Grammarly Editor is an extension supported on Google Chrome 37+, Safari 8+, Firefox 38+, and Internet Explorer 11+ (including Microsoft Edge). It’s also available for Microsoft Word®, and Microsoft Outlook®. Grammarly outperforms standard spellcheck programs because it reviews errors in context, punctuation, and poor vocabulary usage, making you look better while also teaching you how to be a better writer.
3. Gravity Content Map Template — We create a Content Map for every client participating in the Gravity Content program. This template helps you set a strategic plan that solidifies your content program’s mission, audience, and topic schedule. Once in action, the Content Map serves as a resource to record published articles and dates, revisit brainstorm topics, and onboard new interview subjects.
4. Keyword Planner — In order for your article to be served up on Page 1 of search results, content needs to be credible, accessible, and relevant to the problem a user is trying to solve. So the keywords you choose for your metadata should be pulled directly from the valuable content you create for your audience. The Google AdWords Keyword Planner is a great way to learn more about how your audience is searching. Mine this tool to ensure you are using the same industry terms as your potential customers, or to get content ideas based on the most popular search terms in your industry.
5. Yoast — For WordPress websites, Yoast is a helpful plugin that rates the SEO quality of each page while providing you with pointers on what to do to improve it. Yoast also offers a wealth tips on its SEO blog to help you position your website better to your intended audience, like this recent post on Google Search Console and structured data.
The value of content marketing for business-to-business sales efforts is twofold. First, you can drive awareness about your company and its experts by providing information free of charge. This is measured in the clicks, likes, or shares. Second, and more importantly, it can help shed light on a problem your target audience is experiencing and your company is best positioned to solve. This is measured in downloads gained, phone calls received, meetings held, and ultimately, deals closed. Keep your content fresh, interesting, and effective with the help of free tools and resources.