Marketers often turn to guest blogging to build brand authority and to secure backlinks to help their content’s Google ranking.

But do guest posts work? As far back as 2014, then-head of Google’s web spam team Matt Cutts said, “(S)tick a fork in it: Guest blogging is done; it’s just gotten too spammy.”

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Editor’s note: We updated this previously published article to help you get more from livestreams. 

Over 80% of people say they prefer to watch a live video than read social media posts, and four in five say they prefer to view a video from a brand than to read a blog, according to a survey from Livestream and New York Magazine.

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The most straightforward way of revitalizing your content marketing is to jettison some content pieces that just aren’t working for your brand. Here are six options you should consider first. Then you can focus on producing content that your audience (as well as search engines) will love.

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Without a documented workflow, how do you create, distribute, and promote content consistently?

Without a documented workflow, how can you avoid disruption to your content marketing when a team member leaves?

Without a documented workflow, how can your whole team be on the same page?

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Planning your annual content audit is something most marketers are hard pushed to get excited about. Audits take time, they’re tedious and, frankly, they’re dull as ditchwater.

They’re also extremely important. Given how integral content is to the health of your brand, your visibility online. and your overall sales and marketing, you owe it to your business to keep your content in good working order.

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If you don’t distribute your content smartly, you’ll never achieve your brand’s content marketing goals.

But how do you know what are the best channels? This succinct guide outlines which distribution options work well based on your goals and audience.

First, though, you must know two things – who the content is for and what it’s intended to achieve. Knowing your audience members’ intent allows you to craft content that will resonate with them. Knowing the goals of the content lets you identify the purpose of the content (i.e., call to action) for your company as well as for the audience. Both are essential to selecting an appropriate distribution method.

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In July 2017, I wrote Hacking Your Buyer Personas: The Only 3 Questions You Need to Ask. In it, I shared a stat from IBM’s THINK Marketing blog – “63% of consumers say they would think more positively about a brand if it gave them content that was more valuable, interesting, or relevant.” I think that thinking still stands strong.

Persona-based marketing is key to success in many industries.

What was most interesting about that 2017 post were the comments.

I still believe the original article is valid and useful, but it isn’t appropriate for all audiences or situations. One size does not fit all.
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There’s a crisis in consumer trust. At least that’s the word in the research.

The 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer revealed that only 48% of the U.S. population trusts business as an institution (a 10-point drop from 2017).

Yet, brand trust is one of the biggest factors in consumers’ purchasing decisions.

According to PwC’s Consumer Insights Survey (2018), 14% of respondents put trust as their No. 1 reason for choosing a retailer. “Trust in brand” was the second most frequently cited reason for purchase decision-making.

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