So, you’ve set up your accountancy firm’s blog and are consistently getting content out there with fresh content to drive traffic – what else can you do?
Content doesn’t just mean blog posts. Though they’re important, and the cornerstone of most content strategies, content can also be in the form of social media posts, informative videos and even podcast discussions.
Not only does variety make creating content more fun but it’s also important in generating leads as part of a content marketing strategy. It helps you reach more people, builds your reputation as an expert and helps you repurpose content to get maximum value out of it.
In this blog, we look at what the numbers say about alternative content formats, have an in-depth look at some of the benefits of diversifying and look at some of the best topics for creators to think about.
Increasing leads and traffic through content
Alternative content formats, such as videos and podcasts, first and foremost offer a whole new marketing tool to bring in new traffic and keep your audience engaged.
The numbers speak for themselves.
For instance, an analysis into the impact of video marketing by London based video production company Social Films, found that video marketing increases qualified leads by 66%.
Explainer video company Wyzol, meanwhile, saw 84% of marketers report an increase in leads from video marketing.
Wyzol adds that 87% of marketers reported a significant ROI during their survey, tracking Social Films’ figure of 88%.
The impact of social media marketing is also well documented, with Social Media Examiner reporting that…
- 88% of marketers say social media increased exposure to their business
- 78% noticed an increase in organic traffic after using social media marketing
- 66% said the number of new leads had increased
- 52% of social media improved their sales figures.
Less documented is how podcasting affects traffic to a website. But what we do know is that podcasting is growing in popularity. Ofcom says the number of people listening has increased by 24% over the past year – and more than doubled in the last five years.
How video, podcasting and social can work for you
Different content media can be very good at building an authoritative presence, demonstrating your accountancy practice’s expertise in a particular field.
After all, blogs can be ghostwritten, or pondered over and corrected. Videos and podcasts are more raw – they show that you know your stuff and can talk about it without a script.
Similarly, social media is an opportunity to express an opinion and engage with commenters, demonstrating that your knowledge runs deep.
Videos are also perfect for tutorials and explainers, especially when you’re trying to communicate an idea, service or problem that is complex in nature.
Social media and podcasting are great ways to cultivate a core base of loyal clients who you can interact with, showing your firm’s softer, more human side.
And of course, you can use your social media platforms to share your videos, podcasts and blogs to reach as big an audience as you possibly can.
This is especially useful for social media sites like LinkedIn, where the focus isn’t necessarily on linking companies to clients but about putting business leaders in touch with their peers to cultivate an environment of teaching and learning. Podcasts and explainer videos are especially popular here.
Videos, podcasts, social media and blog posts also work perfectly together as they offer a great opportunity to repurpose the same content across multiple channels.
Not only is this time efficient, but it also offers your visitors greater choice on how they consume your content, promising to keep them on your website for longer.
Make the most with evergreen content
A great place to start with video and podcast content when you might be new to such channels is with so-called ‘evergreen content’.
Evergreen content is designed to remain relevant all year round, and year after year, with reference to trees that never lose their leaves.
It’s designed to drive traffic for months or even years at a time, allowing you to get a lot of juice out of a single blog post, video or podcast.
Some examples from our blog include:
- SEO basics: how to improve your EAT
- How to unlock the benefits of email marketing
- How do I price a new accountancy service?
These posts are always useful to clients and prospects and continue to drive traffic long after the buzz around publication day has died down.
Note that a lot of evergreen topics are guides and explainers, so think about what questions your clients might want the answers to no matter the time of year. Starting with ‘How’ is also a good trick.
Something like ‘Ten content ideas for accountants in 2021’ isn’t evergreen, however. Instead, this type of topic is what we call time-sensitive content because, as the title suggests, it’s only relevant to people reading in that year. Its shelf-life is limited.
Each has their benefits, but we’ll focus on evergreen content for now. First, it will improve your search engine rankings, given how search engines tend to recognise evergreen content as being more valuable.
Considering how evergreen content offers to draw in more traffic over a longer period of time, then one type of these blogs could also prove more lucrative than three, four, maybe even five time-sensitive posts.
Evergreen content can also boost your credibility as a professional in your field, given how most evergreen content is centred around tutorials, guides and explanations.
Just try to avoid dates and years – someone reading in two or three years time might assume the content is out of date and leave.
Or, alternatively, commit to reviewing and updating your evergreen content once a year to ensure it stays relevant. Then, republish it with today’s date.
If you’re thinking about getting some content onto your website, whether that’s a blog, videos or a podcast, have a think about what evergreen content might work for you.
Get in touch today to find out how we can help with your content marketing strategy, or provide tailored content for your firm
