Congrats! You have officially made it halfway through the year!
With six months remaining, there’s one very important thing you should do if you want to make sure you reach your goals. Your content goals, that is.
And what is that thing, you ask? Well, you need to make sure you conduct a mid-year review. This is the perfect opportunity to see how you’ve progressed in terms of reaching the goals you’ve set for yourself. Are you actually seeing the traffic, engagement, and conversions you hoped for?
If you are, that’s fantastic! If not, you’ll be able to see where you can make improvements to turn things around. So, we’re teaching you how to conduct a mid-year review of your own in this #ContentWritingChat recap.
#ContentWritingChat Recap: Conducting a Mid-Year Review of Your Content Goals
Happy Tuesday and welcome to #ContentWritingChat!
Our topic for this month is: Conducting a Mid-Year Review of Your Content Goals. pic.twitter.com/C6dFJ5TfdS
— Express Writers | Your Content Writing Team (@ExpWriters) July 7, 2020
This month’s community chat was filled with some amazing, highly actionable tips that you’ll certainly be able to put to good use. Let’s dive in!
Q1: What are some common, big-picture content goals that creators are working towards?
As creators, we are often working towards some of the same goals when it comes to what we hope to achieve with our content. These are just some of the goals creators strive for:
A1: Publishing consistently is a goal I try to get my clients to work toward. Many are fairly willy-nilly about it. Tough to get them to adhere to a process/schedule/etc. #ContentWritingChat
— Michelle Garrett (@PRisUs) July 7, 2020
Consistency is definitely one of the most common goals creators set for themselves. Being consistent when it comes to publishing new work is important in building your brand and serving your audience.
A1: While it may not be the most illustrious of content goals, I would imagine learning to engage your audience all over again should be a priority. Social audiences have scattered and we need to learn how to get them back in this climate. #ContentWritingChat
— Shawn Paul Wood (@ShawnPaulWood) July 7, 2020
Learning how to better engage your target audience is something we should all be striving towards because those connections are crucial.
A1: I think it’s got to be driving trust and authenticity.
Especially with the way things are currently. It’s always been a key driver.
But if the pandemic has shown us anything it’s that survival is in trust. #ContentWritingChat
— JosefJames (@jjamesscribbler) July 7, 2020
Establishing trust and authenticity will always be important goals.
A1 I think it depends on the brand & industry, but I’d say
Consistency across channels
Creating & sharing quality content
Building brand authority through content
Engage your audience & build community (of loyal fans)
Always adapting #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/REgU9G8Jyh— Zala Bricelj – #edutech is my jam (@ZalkaB) July 7, 2020
Consistency, quality, building brand authority, engaging, and being willing to adapt are goals that are certainly worth setting for yourself.
Q2: Why is it important for creators to review their content goals once they’re halfway through the year?
The halfway mark gives you plenty of data to review in order to prepare for the remainder of the year. Here’s what some of our chat participants had to say about this:
A2: No matter how good you are at predicting or forecasting, sometimes the unforeseen makes it impossible to hit your goals (you know, like a pandemic). Reviewing halfway through the year gives you a better idea as to what is feasible. #ContentWritingChat
— mara (@mara_calv) July 7, 2020
You never know what could come up and change the course for you. That’s why taking time to review your goals and adjust your course is key to success.
A2: Things are changing SO fast (especially now). I’d say you probably need to revisit your goals even more often. #ContentWritingChat
— Michelle Garrett (@PRisUs) July 7, 2020
In fact, things change so quickly that doing just a mid-year review simply isn’t enough. Keep reading to see how frequently people are conducting their content reviews!
A2: It’s a good pulse check to make sure your content is still aligned with your overall goal. Of course tactics will change, but your North Star will remain. #contentwritingchat
— Maria Marchewka (@_MariaMarchewka) July 7, 2020
As Maria said, you need to make sure your content is still aligned with the overall goals you’ve set for yourself. If not, this gives you the opportunity to get back on track.
A2: The biggest reason is that priorities change. What was important to you in January might not be so important to you now. Giving yourself the grace of revision also relieves pressure to work for something you don’t actually want & change it to what you do. #ContentWritingChat
— Rachel Wendte (@rkwendte) July 7, 2020
Sometimes a change in priorities shifts things for you. Rachel knows it’s important that you give yourself grace to be flexible and make changes as needed.
A2: It’s important to evaluate your goals to help you reach your goals. What is working? What isn’t working? How can you do better to help you reach said goals? #ContentWritingChat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) July 7, 2020
By conducting a review, you can see what’s working for you and what’s not. This shows you what you should be doing more of and where you can make improvements moving forward.
A2: It’s a good time to look at performance (Have you been hitting your goals?) and see if adjustments are needed (Are these goals still realistic? Do you need to rethink your goals or set new ones?) #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/q4vWwfyOTY
— Jennifer L. Dawson (@JLDContentQueen) July 7, 2020
Always check in to see if your goals are realistic and still aligned with your bigger vision.
A2 —
This is because you need to sure whether you’ve picked the right destination or not.
If you do anything wrong, it’ll be easy to switch tactics halfway.
Make sure your process & goal justifies you that way you’ll be witnessing more growth.#ContentWritingChat
— SEO Charge (@seocharge_) July 7, 2020
By conducting a mid-year review, you’ll have plenty of time to correct your course if things aren’t progressing the way you’d hoped.
Q3: When reflecting on the past six months, which metrics are worth tracking to see how you’ve progressed?
Analytics can often be overwhelming, leaving us wondering what we should pay special attention to. These are the analytics you should keep your eye on:
A3: The answer depends on the goals of the content. Some content is meant to drive sales, while other content is meant to drive engagement. #ContentWritingChat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) July 7, 2020
The metrics you track will always depend on the goals you’ve set.
A3: For us, a big goal for the year was engagement. So, I’ve been tracking that when it comes to social for the past six months. Are we getting people to engage? #ContentWritingChat
— Service Caster (@SERVICECASTER) July 7, 2020
Engagement is definitely a metric that’s worth tracking.
A3: I’ve been paying closest attention to private communications that comment or reflect on the things my clients post. That’s where the customer relationship can really be taken to the next level. #ContentWritingChat
— Rachel Wendte (@rkwendte) July 7, 2020
Building off the previous response, not only do you want to look at engagement in general, but also the quality of the conversations you’re having with others.
A3: WOWZA hard one there—it depends on goals.
It’s so easy to get tangled in vanity metrics.
I think:
contact forms
service/product click-through
scroll depth
page timeBut if we’re talking social media content here, I’d change them again!#ContentWritingChat
— JosefJames (@jjamesscribbler) July 7, 2020
You may also want to check in and see if people are using your contact forms, if they’re clicking through to certain pages, and how long they’re staying on your site.
A3:
It might sound a bit weird but I think during these times a metric not even seen on a dashboard is:
‘Whether you have enjoyed yourself or not?’
Content writers have had to adapt quickly to changing in demands and social ideologies that now exist!#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/JVOhrrBgId
— Research Geek (@Jake_pryszlak) July 7, 2020
And it’s also crucial that you check in with yourself… Are you enjoying the work you’re doing? If not, something needs to change.
Q4: If you discover that you’re not on track to hit your goals, how can you tweak your strategy moving forward to see success?
Remember, you don’t want to freak out if you see that you haven’t hit your goals yet. And don’t give up either! This is what your should be doing instead:
A4. I would say the first step in that case is to understand exactly what it is that you’re doing wrong. Then sketch a plan moving forward. #ContentWritingChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) July 7, 2020
Once you know where things are going wrong, then you can take action accordingly to turn it all around.
A4:
Reflect on the situation to understand why its not on track.
Sometimes you have to be frank and honest with yourself.
Put actions in place to make small tweaks that can help you win the long game. Also ask for advise and help like the #ContentWritingChat community https://t.co/gGVpy6BfT8
— Research Geek (@Jake_pryszlak) July 7, 2020
Remember to be honest with yourself during this process. This is an opportunity to learn and grow, so don’t beat yourself up if things haven’t gone to plan.
A4 Take a look and see what’s not working / performing and start tweaking step-by-step. Social media is a great outlet to ask your audience and monitor what’s resonating or not. Then define areas / ways to update, tweak and refresh #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/5lE1TCMHKn
— Zala Bricelj – #edutech is my jam (@ZalkaB) July 7, 2020
Zala suggests reaching out to your social media community for feedback. You can learn a lot if you just ask.
Q5: What can you do to boost metrics such as traffic, engagement, conversions, etc.?
If your content isn’t performing as you’d hoped, you can’t just sit back. You need to take action. Here are some things you can do to boost your results:
A5: Be consistent. When you are consistent, people know that you will be around and take interest. Also deliver value. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/c5tyTbf2jE
— Carlarjenkins (@carlarjenkins) July 7, 2020
If you want to amplify your results, you should be consistent with showing up and delivering value to your target audience.
A5:
• Traffic ↪️ Make sure you’re optimized and easy to find. Tie your social channels in & showcase the pieces you want seen.
• Engagement ↪️ Ask for input. Engage w/ followers so they know they CAN engage w/ you.
• Conversions ↪️ Simple sales pages. #ContentWritingChat— Rachel Wendte (@rkwendte) July 7, 2020
Not seeing enough traffic? Make sure you’re optimizing your work effectively. Need more engagement? Encourage people to respond and connect with them first. And if you need to boost conversions? Create a simple sales page that communicates the benefits your client/customer will receive.
A6
Is your content optimized?
Can your content be found (for relevant KW ans topics)?
Are you using all the possible channels for distribution?
Are you promoting it?
Are you speaking to the right audience?
Readability & accessibility#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/JgJpQOE59G— Zala Bricelj – #edutech is my jam (@ZalkaB) July 7, 2020
Always ask yourself the above questions to ensure you’re on the right track with your content.
A5: Promotion, promotion, promotion. The content journey doesn’t stop when it goes live on your site.#contentwritingchat
— Danielle Bullen Love (@daniellewriter) July 7, 2020
Don’t be shy when it comes to actually promoting your work. You have to put it out there for the world to see.
A5: The best way I’ve found to boost engagement is to engage. 🙂 #ContentWritingChat
— Service Caster (@SERVICECASTER) July 7, 2020
Make sure you’re actually engaging yourself!
A5. Right now, I’m finding that relationship/community building is working. This way you can all support each other and get each other’s content more eyeballs. Also, social media engagement can help drive traffic and conversions. #ContentWritingChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) July 7, 2020
Prioritize building relationships and supporting one another. Those relationships will really go a long way.
Q6: Are there any tools that can help when conducting a mid-year review?
Conducting a mid-year review will be so much easier with with a toolbox like this:
A6 —
You can use Google Anaytics (@googleanalytics) as its a complete tool where you can track almost everything.
For topic and competitor analysis use SEMrush (@semrush)#ContentWritingChat
— SEO Charge (@seocharge_) July 7, 2020
Google Analytics and SEMrush are definitely essentials for any mid-year review.
A6: Google Search Console is interesting to look at. I like to see how people are finding the content in ways I didn’t expect. #ContentWritingChat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) July 7, 2020
Lexie turns to Google Search Console to see how people are discovering the content she and the team create.
Q7: From this point forward, how frequently should you measure your progress toward your goals?
Now that you know the value of a mid-year review for your content, make sure you’re doing this regularly. Here’s how often you should consider doing this:
A7: I do monthly reports, so I look (high-level) every month and then do a deeper dive quarterly. #contentwritingchat
— Service Caster (@SERVICECASTER) July 7, 2020
Monthly and quarterly reviews are definitely a smart way to do things!
A7: We measure goals for our clients monthly—at least.
Keep that strategy on track! #ContentWritingChat
— JosefJames (@jjamesscribbler) July 7, 2020
Checking in every month gives you plenty of data to track.
A7. I’d say every 3 months for myself. #ContentWritingChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) July 7, 2020
For some, every three months is the golden ticket.
A7: Create a roadmap plan. Then make sure you are checking off your mini-goals every month. I’d say plan out week by week and check in every month to make your you are on track or how you need to pivot to engage your audience better. #ContentWritingChat
— Got Writer’s Block (@writersblock_CA) July 7, 2020
You can even set mini goals to check in with each month to plan out on a weekly basis.
A7.
Depends on the brand & the goal
However, C O N S I S T E N C Y = key_
Systematically track your efforts –
whether that’s on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly basisConsistency allows you to compare data
to find patterns, gaps, opportunities, etc#contentwritingchat https://t.co/9DtDfk1TVq pic.twitter.com/rAKIhEuWUV— Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) July 7, 2020
No matter how often you choose to check in, just make sure you’re doing it consistently.
Q8: What’s one step you’ll take after today to ensure you’ll hit your content goals?
Our chat participants shared some action steps they’ll be taking. Which of these suggestions will you be tackling as well?
A8: Take what I have learned from this #ContentWritingChat and apply it towards my #contentcreation process. https://t.co/siIMuQ7Zpa
— Carlarjenkins (@carlarjenkins) July 7, 2020
Carla said she’ll be implementing the tips she learned during the chat for her next content review.
Hope you can join us for the next #ContentWritingChat! Mark your calendars for the first Tuesday of every month at 10 AM Central. And be sure to follow @ExpWriters and @writingchat for the latest!