“The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals.” – Melody Beattie
Happy New Year! Resolutions don’t have to stop with gym memberships and meal prepping plans. This is the perfect time to roll out new initiatives, set annual goals, and examine all the strategies that have – and haven’t – been working for your brand over the last year. The Neon Canvas team is here to help you harness all the energy and excitement that comes with new beginnings to shake up your marketing and make 2019 your most engaged year yet!
Make SEO a priority
Achieving good search engine optimization for your site and posts is a huge part of successful marketing, but it can be overwhelming and more than a little frustrating if it’s new to you. Writing about topics that are informative and relevant to your target audience is the first step, but using landing page keywords should be a big part of your content planning, too. Tools like Google’s Keyword Planner can help you identify the best keywords for your top converting landing pages. You can use that information to establish strategic link backs through both your own website and other high-quality sites that have the potential to benefit your followers. Inbound and outbound linking strategies are something we’d love to help you create and implement!
Switch things up
Variety really is the spice of life, especially when it comes to creating content. But when you find something that works for you, it’s easy to stick to it and stop branching out. If you found yourself using the same content format over and over in 2018, why not look into integrating something new? Packaging your content in new ways that still appeal to your target audience can be a great way to freshen up your brand and increase engagement.
This doesn’t have to mean creating all new content across all your platforms. Something as simple as repurposing a highly- trafficked blog post into a video or creating an eye-catching infographic for content that’s heavy on statistics can breathe new life into something that’s already proven successful. You can also include links to podcasts, webinars, and other media that expands on subjects you’ve covered if you feel they would be beneficial to your followers.
Walk through your website
Every website benefits from regular checkups to ensure everything is working as it should be. Do a walk through of each page on your site with the following checklist in mind.
- Are all navigation buttons functioning properly?
- Are there any broken or 404 error pages?
- Is there an accessible starting point?
- Are your most popular pages and posts prominently featured somewhere on the site?
- Are there any broken or outdated plugins?
- Is your menu or sidebar cluttered, or does it provide clear navigation?
- Are your categories and tags at their most effective?
You should also plan to clear out any outdated or redundant information, and ensure each page is accurately categorized in the front-end and tagged in the back-end.
Optimize your content calendar
Being spontaneous can be rewarding, but when it comes to content, it’s well worth your time and effort to plan topics and themes now to roll out through the rest of the year. Use the content calendar provided by Neon Canvas, or create your own by thinking about the top questions or needs your followers have, and how you can touch on those topics in an entertaining way. You should also look into the most effective publishing frequency and post hierarchy in order to keep your readership continuously engaged.
Share the reins
When you’re considering how to expand the reach of your site and social media content, consider bringing each member of your team onboard. Not only will this give you some fresh perspective and original ideas, it also builds trust and cooperation among staff. Many brands have “guest bloggers” or “guest posts” that are popular with followers. You can try something similar by having various team members “take over” social media for the day, sharing pre-written posts but adding their own (approved!) twist. This keeps your content on-brand but gives it new and interesting voices to engage your audience and have them coming back for more.
Are you ready to tackle the year ahead? Do you still feel like you’re lacking a little inspiration? Whatever you need to start 2019 with confidence, excitement, and enthusiasm, we’re here to help. From copywriting to marketing, site building to SEO, our team can do it all. As always, we’re here to answer any questions, address any concerns, and listen to any suggestions you may have. We appreciate you and your business, and look forward to continuing building your brand in the coming year. We’re excited to see what 2019 has in store for you!
Kyle Fagala, DDS, MDS
Co-Founder, Neon Canvas