How I do content research: Steps to follow (with examples) With ChatGPT, anyone can create blog posts in seconds. But, just because you have copy doesn’t mean it's valuable. You need content research to make a post that’s actually valuable. That’s especially true with Google’s Helpful Content Update, a shift that placed even more emphasis on expertise, knowledge, and credibility. To stand out in today’s crowded landscape, teams need to craft content that’s not easily found elsewhere. Every paragraph needs to be rooted in deep research, diverse sources, and genuine insight that delivers meaningful value to the audience. In this article, I'll give a guide on content research by going through a detailed report I published. Let’s get started. Table of Contents What is content research? Why is content research important? How to Do Content Research Valuable Tips on Doing Content Research Content research involves understanding your target audience’s needs, pain points, and search behaviors. It means digging into relevant data, reviewing credible sources, identifying gaps in existing content, and spotting emerging trends in your industry. Done well, it involves a combination of: Keyword and SEO analysis. Competitor content reviews. Industry publications, academic studies, and expert interviews. Audience insights from social media, forums, or direct feedback. Strategic alignment with brand messaging and business objectives. Given the massive amount of AI-generated content out there, solid content research helps me create impactful, trustworthy content that...

Content pillars for social media: Reaching your audience with the content they need When I first started managing social media for my first brand, I felt like I was constantly throwing spaghetti at the wall. Every day was a scramble to come up with something — anything — to post. Some days it was a motivational quote; other days, it was a rushed product promo. Engagement was inconsistent, my team was frustrated, and honestly, so was I. It wasn't until a bit later down the line when I learned about content pillars for social media that things started to click. Instead of guessing what to post, I had a clear roadmap. My posts became more consistent, engagement rates improved, and planning for socials became a lot less stressful. So, if your social media planning feels a bit chaotic, you‘re definitely not alone. I’ve been there myself and I know just how overwhelming it can be. Content pillars helped me bring some much-needed structure and focus to the process, and they still do today. With that said, let's get into what content pillars actually are and how they can help you, too. Table of Contents What are content pillars? Why Content Pillars Matter Types of Content Pillars to Consider How to Identify Your Ideal Content Pillars How to Create Content Pillars for Social Media Content Pillars for Social Media Examples Without content pillars, posting can feel pretty random and...

The 6 Best Content Planning Software — Experts Explain Their Top Choice I’ve been in content marketing since early 2015. With almost a decade of experience, I’ve tested dozens of content planning software, spreadsheets, and calendars over the years. Collaborations with leading companies like HubSpot, Cognism, Userpilot, and small startups gave me the chance to work with tons of workflows and features. Some were love at first click, and some were meh. This article is a rundown of my six favorite content planning tools out there, complemented with insights from other content experts. Table of Contents What is content planning software? 4 Benefits of Using Content Planning Software What to Look for in Content Planning Software The 6 Best Content Planning Software What is content planning software? Content planning software is a tool that helps you organize, schedule, track progress and post-dues, and manage your content creation process with teammates in one place. It keeps your ideas, deadlines, briefs, publishing, and content distribution tasks on track, whether you’re working solo or as part of a team. A content marketing manager easily spots gaps in content planning one month's time ahead and gets their team to address the issues collaboratively. 4 Benefits of Using Content Planning Software Content planning software is so versatile that its benefits become a long list. Yet I’d group them together into four categories: 1. Keeps everything organized and...

What Is Digital Content? I Asked Experts What to Expect From It in 2025 — Here’s What They Said Ok, this has to be one of the most meta projects I’ve worked on: a piece of digital content about digital content — but, hey, it’s an important one. From toddlers to senior citizens, everyone today wields a mobile device. So much of our lives are spent staring at screens that very few can say they don’t consume digital content, whether they call it that or not. No one knows this better than modern marketers, but for those of you new to the field or looking for a refresher on what actually falls under the umbrella of digital content, I’m here to break it down. I’ll also share what some industry thought leaders predict digital content will look like next year. Table of Contents What is digital content? Types of Digital Content Importance of Digital Content How to Create Great Digital Content Examples of Great Digital Content What will digital content look like in 2025? (According to Experts) What is digital content? Simply put, digital content is any type of media used to reach and connect with an audience that is created, hosted, and distributed through the internet. Many people, like artists, digital creators, journalists, and media organizations, create digital content simply because it’s their offering; it’s a new medium for them to express themselves and communicate with others. However, businesses,...

Content Mills Don‘t Work — Here’s Why Content mills: the corner of the internet where everyone's promised the moon, but most people are left in the dark. Writers are offered an opportunity to be nurtured by editors, build their writing skills, and develop a professional portfolio. Companies are promised quality work that's delivered quickly for a minimal investment. I don't think anyone comes out a winner in 90% of these arrangements. I know I lost when I wrote for a content mill ten years ago. Now with a freelance writing career and a book deal to my name, I see my time writing for content mills as a hazing period meant to induct me into the industry. Do quality content mills exist? Theoretically, yes (though it‘s hard to find good reviews to back any single company up). Let’s examine content mills from the perspective of both the content mill writers and the companies looking to buy these articles. You'll probably be surprised at what you find. Table of Contents What are content mills? How Content Mills Work Content Mills You Might've Heard Of The Problem with Content Mills Content Mills: What to Do Instead What are content mills? Content mills, or content farms, are businesses that hire a large team of freelance writers and pay them generally low wages to produce an enormous amount of content for clients. Businesses sometimes order...

How Content Monitoring Can Level Up Your Content Strategy I love content monitoring! Well, not as much as chocolate, or cake, or chocolate cake ... But when it comes to work-related processes, it's one of my favorite things. Why? Because it helps me analyze what is and isn't working. I can then use these actionable insights to create or improve upon any content strategy. Honestly, I love content monitoring so much that I want you to love it, too. And that‘s why I’ve included as much of my knowledge on the subject as possible in this article. I've also gathered more “must-know” insights from other content specialists. On the latter, I'd like to express my gratitude upfront to everyone who shared their insights below. Seriously, dear reader, please know that when it comes to content monitoring, you're in incredible hands. That said, let's get into it. Table of Contents What is content monitoring? The Benefits of Content Monitoring How to Monitor Content Best Practices for Content Monitoring. What is content monitoring? Content monitoring means benchmarking and tracking content performance over time to make sure it meets key performance indicators and objectives. You can apply a content monitoring process across digital platforms and content types. So, you might monitor how well your online content — i.e., blogs and landing pages — performs, for example. Equally, you might track your LinkedIn content's success or...

Building the Right Foundation for Cornerstone Content — Here's Everything I Know I remember exactly where I was when I stumbled upon the concept of cornerstone content for the first time. It was a fresh winter's morning in late December, and the sunshine glistened over the frosted ground … Okay, I kid, I kid. So, the cornerstone content model isn't exactly 'Moon Landing' material. But, it did completely revolutionize how I think about and implement content strategy. As a junior content marketer, it gave me my first logical framework for creating, organizing, and managing content production. Before then, it kinda felt like I was throwing content ideas at the wall until something, anything, stuck. There was nothing to “hang my hat on,” so to speak. Aside from a logical framework, cornerstone content also gave me a tried and tested method to increase search engine visibility for my clients. I also know for a fact that cornerstone content formed part of the SEO content strategy that still drives millions of visits to the HubSpot blog today. Interest piqued? Cool! Please keep reading to learn from me and some incredible leaders in the SEO industry. Table of Contents What is cornerstone content? Benefits of Cornerstone Content How to Make Cornerstone Content Tips for Creating Cornerstone Content from the Experts Cornerstone Content Examples What is cornerstone content? Cornerstone content is the most important content...

Content Marketing Team Dynamics That Deliver Results As a content professional with almost a decade in the game, I have been a part of several content marketing teams and projects. While each project came with its own objectives and obstacles, one thing remained constant: a consistent underestimation of what a content marketing team achieves for the organization at large. The natural assumption about content marketing teams is that we write a bunch of blogs with some SEO guidelines or create some witty social media posts, and voila, the job is done! As an insider, I have seen firsthand that a solid content marketing team does much more than this. Content is the driver of discoverability for a company, and a solid content marketing team will help you achieve that. The fact that 45% of marketing and media leaders plan to increase their content marketing budget over the next year is a testament to that. In this blog, I will take you through what a well-structured content department is made of and what it can do to boost your brand growth. Table of Contents What makes a high-performing content marketing team? Content Marketing Roles Benefits of a Content Department What makes a high-performing content marketing team? A high-performing content marketing team is a symphony of strategy, creativity, and execution. Every time I enter a content team discussion, the question at hand is almost always this: How...

How Content Gap Analysis Bolsters Your Marketing Strategy Over the past five years, I’ve been creating content for some of the most successful content-first brands. And if there's one thing that all their content marketing strategies have in common, it is a solid content gap analysis. Think about it. Every time you look up a topic, you will find hundreds of blogs that are just slight variations of each other. What really helped me and my clients win was this: focusing on what no one else was talking about. In this blog, I will walk you through the step-by-step process of doing content gap analysis and explore best practices to do it right. Table of Contents What is a content gap analysis? Why is content gap analysis important? How To Do a Content Gap Analysis Best Practices For Conducting a Content Gap Analysis A content gap analysis involves comparing your current content against your competitors‘ content, your audience’s search intent, different stages of your customer journey, and market trends and opportunities. In simpler terms: It's finding the “gaps” in your content strategy where you could provide more value that others aren't already providing. Why is content gap analysis important? There’s often a disconnect between what we think our audience needs and what our content actually talks about. As marketers, we may rely on assumptions about the challenges to address and topics to...

How to Humanize AI Content So It Will Rank, Engage, and Get Shared in 2025 I still remember my first taste of artificial intelligence (AI).It was “SmarterChild,” a chatbot available on AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) and Windows Live Messenger in the early 2000s that you could have a “conversation” with when your real friends weren’t online. But honestly, even as a preteen, I could see that it needed a lesson in humanizing AI content. While SmarterChild could ask how I was and tell jokes, the exchanges felt, well, robotic. It couldn’t learn or remember information over time, and it had trouble navigating human quirks like slang and shorthand. It also seemed to always throw out the same canned phrases, like it was the star in an ‘80s sitcom. Thankfully, much of this has improved today, but the challenges (and importance) of capturing human candor and understanding remain — especially for marketers. Let’s unpack how to maintain your human touch while still reaping the benefits of AI content as a marketer. Table of Contents The Rise of AI Content So, should you use AI content? Why does AI content need humanization? How to Humanize AI Content Free AI Content Humanization Tools The Rise of AI Content According to Pew Research, 55% of Americans use AI at least once a day. It’s running our wearable fitness trackers and curating our Daily Mixes on Spotify....