B2B companies everywhere are being impacted as the economy has taken a hit because of COVID-19. We are in the midst of a pandemic and people are looking for answers. That means content creators have big shoes to fill during this time. But, do the answers lie in blogs you’ve already published?

When content becomes outdated, it is less relevant and therefore won’t rank as high in search engines. If no one or very few of your target audience is seeing it, you’re not only wasting your time and money, but you won’t get results and achieve your content marketing objectives. Although COVID-19 may be disrupting business as usual, don’t let it rattle your marketing strategy.

Have you considered newsjacking as a way to inject your ideas into breaking news to generate traffic to your blogs? Update previously posted blogs so they are relevant to what’s happening now. Or resurface some of your high-performing evergreen posts to preserve business continuity.

As remote working expands as a way to practice social distancing, it’s key that you stick to your deliverables, generating and updating content to engage users. Have you considered reworking blog content for a different medium? Think about using it for an infographic, webinar or social media post.

Tailor your blogs to cover the topics people want to read about now. This strategy has the potential to generate more traffic and leads than the original post by extending the life of popular, high-performing content.

Many companies are experiencing disruptions to their business-as-usual operations due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Here are five proven ways to pivot your blog strategy:

Tip #1: Conduct Keyword Research

Keyword research is vital to how your blogs will rank. Begin by identifying top keywords and then create content around those terms. Use Google to search for phrases that rank highly on the search engine results page—“keyword-optimized” content.

For example, when researching three key words: “coronavirus,” “COVID-19,” and “pandemic,” the term “coronavirus” performs significantly higher than the other two searches. Choosing trending keywords is the most important element of a search, which will trigger your content to appear higher in the search results. Be careful to avoid “keyword-stuffing,” which could be penalized by Google.

Here’s an example of search results related to the keyword “coronavirus”:

the corona virus
corona virus symptoms
coronavirus updates
coronavirus cases
coronavirus us
coronavirus news
coronavirus tips

There also are keyword tools that can assist you with this process including:

• Google Keyword Planner– Although it’s geared toward advertising, marketers also can use it to search for words or phrases related to products or services.
• SEMRush– Helps to find the right keywords for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, as well as gathers phrase matches and related keywords and long tail keywords, which are two or more words that contain specific keyword phrases.

Tip #2: Deliver High-Quality Content

Fifty-five percent of marketers say blog content creation is their top inbound marketing priority. Every blog you publish must consist of high-quality content to improve your blog traffic strategy. Blogs also need a strong call-to-action to generate leads. The reward is an increase in organic traffic, which is the opposite of paid traffic.

Moreover, you can repurpose blogs to expand your reach to a wider audience, increase your online presence and diversify your content.

One of the ways you can create high-quality content is to think like your customers. Monitor social media and see what they are saying, keep an eye on what your competitors are doing and write about the topics your customers are searching for. Right now, that may mean adjusting blog topics to relate to the impact of the coronavirus—feel good stories of society coming together and companies helping the people they serve.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• How can I answer a question that my target audience is asking about coronavirus precautions?
• How can I show my target audience that I am a community player?
• What changes in coronavirus-related business operations is your target audience curious about?
• What topic does your target audience want to read about right now?

CMA used this approach for a content marketing campaign it built for Amerlux, a B2B LED lighting manufacturer, to generate more sales leads for its interior and exterior product lines.

Through a lead-generation program with content in a variety of formats, including blogs, CMA created a path to drive prospects down the sales funnel. Because this campaign was focused on moving prospects down the funnel, compared to general brand awareness campaigns, CMA developed a content creation plan that would frame portions of the content in a manner that would mimic a buyer’s journey and executed it.

Topline results included driving 14,508 unique visitors to Amerlux.com, as well as 9,838 individuals to the “Locate Your Sales Rep” page on the Amerlux site. Additionally, 348 people provided their email address as part of the lead generation campaign.

Tip #3: Build Relationships

In an effort to increase referral traffic and generate more leads, add influencer marketing to the mix by building relationships with top influencers in your industry. Cite them in your blogs and reach out to them after your blog is published to build a rapport and encourage social shares.

Influencer marketing can be incredibly impactful, especially during times of a crisis like the coronavirus outbreak. As consumers find themselves in a new stay-at-home economy, influencers have the unique power to reach audiences on the very devices and platforms they are turning to for news, entertainment and social connection.

Smartly and genuinely weaving your brand into the conversation by commenting on other blogs and sharing resources is another way to build recognition. Also, look for guest post opportunities on sites that are relevant to your industry, especially ones that have a large and engaged audience. When you submit a guest blog, the rules are the same as your own blog posts—it needs to consist of high-quality content, have no grammatical errors and include links to credible sources.

These all are effective ways to increase traffic to your blog and stay in the conversation, especially during the coronavirus outbreak as digital media consumption increases.

Tip #4: Share Your Post on Social Media

Social media is one of most common ways people are communicating and receiving updates about COVID-19. There are now 3.484 billion worldwide social media users. This equates to 45% of the world’s population being on social media—consuming and sharing information about the coronavirus, among other topics.

Speaking of social shares, another way to take advantage of this strategy and drive traffic to your blog is to share your blog posts on your own social media channels. This is one of the best ways to get traffic to your blog because you control what is being posted, to whom, when and how often.

During the coronavirus pandemic, people are seeking answers, reassurance and an escape from social isolation. That also means adhering to your overall business strategy and only sharing information from credible sources.

Tip #5: Send Personalized Emails

Email marketing is one of the best ways to communicate with your target audience. The same is true for helping to boost blog traffic. This tactic also increases the probability of a blog article being clicked on.

Email marketing is a cost-effective and efficient way to communicate with your audience, especially during times of uncertainty like the COVID-19 outbreak.

Throughout any emergency, businesses are a pillar of strength for the community. Sending an inspirational email message can go a long way by adding an element of human touch and showing your customers you are there for them. Reach out as news develops, send a message of thanks or appreciation or offer a discount.

Start with a targeted and current email list. When you build an email list, you have control over who will get which blogs and can segment it based on interest and industry. You also have the opportunity to personalize the email, which accompanies a blog article, using names and words like “me” and “you.” In addition, include a short, personal message and mention why you believe the blog would be of interest. When emails are personalized, the average click-through rate is 2.5 times higher. 

As with any campaign, it’s key to analyze results and measure marketing ROI. A good way to track blog traffic is through the free web tool, Google Analytics.

Your content marketing plan needs to include how to get traffic to your blog and generate leads. In addition to increased sales and awareness, blogs are a gift that keeps on giving. Years after you’ve put time and money into writing a specific blog, you’ll have new traffic coming to your site from that same “evergreen” blog. To improve the chances of your blog posts ranking higher in search engines, write more “evergreen” content that holds its value for years to come, according to Constant Contact.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, do you need tips for repurposing content to gain an SEO boost, ideas for reaching a new audience or advice for using your blog to build authority through content marketing? Millions of blogs are written each day, but many are never even read. Time is a priceless Internet resource. Contact us today, to get the conversation started and get more traffic to your blog.