After I used to work at a advertising and marketing company, I might learn knowledgeable trade blogs, similar to HubSpot, Advertising Brew, and Backlinko (to call a number of).
Certainly one of my predominant questions daily was, “How do these manufacturers do it? How do they always provide you with good weblog concepts?”
At the moment, I’m pulling the curtain again for you right here at HubSpot.
How the HubSpot Weblog Comes Up With Concepts
Earlier than we get began, it is necessary to know that when the HubSpot staff comes up with weblog concepts, a number of groups are concerned together with Search engine optimisation, Weblog, and Monetization.
Due to this, we divide our brainstorming course of into two elements: non-organic and trend-responsive analysis and Search engine optimisation subject analysis.
We then mix these efforts in our Insights Report on a month-to-month foundation (which you’ll be able to obtain a duplicate of under).
Featured Useful resource: Search Insights Report Template
Let’s dive into each these processes under.
How the HubSpot Weblog Generates Development-Responsive Weblog Publish Concepts
“Weblog matters that relate to developments, analysis, or thought management yield bursts in non-organic site visitors that may enable you acquire guests when you’re ready for Search engine optimisation-driven posts to rank,” says Pam Bump, the HubSpot Weblog’s Viewers Progress Supervisor.
“As a result of they usually embrace knowledge, quotes, or different unique data, these posts can even earn backlinks, which not directly enhance your search authority.”
She continues, “On prime of the potential referral advantages, non-organic content material additionally allows your weblog content material to be extra trend-responsive. By giving your insights on the most recent information, developments, and analysis in your trade, you place your weblog as a supply for thought management.”
“Relatively than being a weblog individuals simply discover when doing Google searches, you improve the probabilities of audiences following you, subscribing to you, or visiting your web site to search for the most recent trade data,” Bump provides.
Nonetheless, whereas non-organic content material offers many strong development alternatives, discovering stylish or research-driven submit matters for a selected viewers is not all the time easy.
In truth, it usually requires hours of brainstorming.
She says, “Whereas our Search engine optimisation staff makes use of specialised instruments to establish weblog posts that may pull in natural site visitors, I leverage a lot of development analysis ways to establish submit concepts that may pull in non-organic site visitors from sources like e-mail, social media, and referrals.”
Under is one brainstorming course of we’ve used right here at HubSpot.
1. Begin by focusing in your weblog classes.
Earlier than you get began, it is necessary to have some form of street map in thoughts.
Select an important clusters, or weblog classes, that you just wish to give attention to for the quarter and develop concepts round them.
Instantly, simply realizing the clusters you wish to give attention to might spark a number of concepts for thought-leadership or data-driven analysis posts.
Every month, our staff chooses a handful of clusters for every weblog property. For us, that is advertising and marketing, gross sales, service, and web site. Normally the clusters relate to issues like enterprise targets or trade developments.
Moreover, we embrace different classes moreover these clusters, similar to Viewers Progress, Lead Acquisition, and Person Acquisition to assist us brainstorm matters which might be associated to our lead era targets.
2. Evaluate the content material you have already written to encourage new matters.
Now that you just‘ve accomplished a fast brainstorm of some new concepts, let’s see what‘s already been written in every cluster that you just’re specializing in.
To do that, search your website for the cluster. We do website searches at HubSpot, by typing in “website:weblog.hubspot.com/service buyer expertise” in Google, for instance.
With this formatting, you may change the hyperlink and alter the key phrase to be no matter you are searching for. Then, Google will discover posts on that key phrase on that website particularly.
While you‘re arising with weblog concepts, looking the location to see if the subject has been coated is essential. The rationale you’ll wish to do that is that you’ll find high-performing posts that provide you with inspiration for brand new angles or you’ll find posts that you just wish to replace with extra quotes, knowledge, or new analysis.
This may also enable you keep away from key phrase cannibalization.
Caroline Forsey, Principal Advertising Supervisor and lead of our thought management weblog program, says. “Consider totally different angles for in style matters you‘ve already coated. As an example, let’s say you might have loads of content material concerning LinkedIn — however you might have none from a thought chief within the house.
Maybe you can conduct an interview with a LinkedIn worker for a thought management angle, like ‘Prime X Suggestions from a LinkedIn Marketer’.”
Forsey provides, “I additionally like to think about some subject angles that really feel like they’d hit on a reader‘s largest ache level. If you wish to write about TikTok, one of many largest challenges within the house is producing leads — so one thing like ’How These TK Manufacturers Generated Leads on TikTok‘ or ’Finest Practices for Lead Era on TikTok’ is a powerful contender.”
“You might additionally think about extra case-study-esque content material, like ‘This Model Generated 5,000 Leads on One Viral TikTok Video: Right here’s How’,” Forsey continues.
“When brainstorming, I like to think about a serious stressor for entrepreneurs first and work backwards from there.”
3. See what the competitors is doing.
Whilst you by no means wish to copy your opponents, it‘s necessary to see what matters they’re writing about. This can enable you fill in gaps that your opponents are lacking and maybe enhance on weblog matters they’re discussing.
This additionally lets you already know what‘s occurring in your trade. What’s the most recent information and do you have to be writing about it?
“A few of our highest performing weblog matters have come from aggressive analysis, or taking a look at newly revealed knowledge or research from credible magazines, web sites, or publications we like to observe,” says Bump.
“Whereas we do not attempt to repeat precisely what opponents or different publications are doing, we do ask ourselves, ‘How can we cowl this development higher, give stronger insights on it, or in any other case put our personal spin on it.’”
Forsey provides, “I like seeing what’s being written about, after which considering of an alternate angle. For instance, if publications are always writing about how AI might take our jobs, I wish to spin my very own angle on the highest-paying jobs ensuing from AI.
Lean into matters different publications are writing about, however take an opposing or distinctive twist when doable.”
Moreover, you may browse social media because of this as nicely. Social media can let you already know the ache factors of your viewers and check-in with what is going on on along with your target market.
Staying up on trade information is without doubt one of the finest methods to brainstorm weblog concepts.
Forsey provides, “When new options turn out to be obtainable for a social media platform or device, there’s usually loads of alternatives to discover new angles there, as nicely.
Like when LinkedIn launched its personal model of Tales, that was a chance to brainstorm a subject like ‘X Finest LinkedIn Tales We‘ve Seen’, or ‘LinkedIn, Instagram, or Fb Tales: Which is Finest?'”
4. Have a guidelines of weblog subject concept standards.
As soon as you have created some weblog concepts, you need to examine and ensure every weblog submit subject is aligned along with your total weblog standards.
In the event you don‘t have weblog standards but, perhaps it’s time to set some requirements round what every weblog subject ought to cowl.
For instance, with the guidelines of standards Bump’s created, all our weblog submit concepts want to offer worth to our weblog viewers.
They need to additionally both align with a cluster or lead-gen objective, embrace non-organic components similar to knowledge or authentic quotes, be both trend-responsive or evergreen, and have some key phrase alternatives.
5. Keep organized.
It is best to monitor your weblog concepts in an organized trend. At HubSpot, we use an concept era spreadsheet the place writers and editors can brainstorm concepts for quarterly clusters, or simply write down ongoing concepts.
In the end, this course of helps maintain us organized on the subject of producing constant weblog submit concepts.
Jay Fuchs, Gross sales Weblog Editor at HubSpot, describes his course of.
He says, “I attempt to discover matters that reconcile partaking subject material with practicality when arising with analysis or trend-based weblog matters.
Which means discovering buzzy, intriguing subject material that lends itself to an article with a compelling title, attention-grabbing supporting supplies, and — maybe most significantly — actionable recommendation.”
Fuchs explains, “That might imply a bit about one thing like avoiding frequent pricing errors or gross sales methods that may turn out to be distinguished within the close to future.
A method or one other, you could choose matters that hook and assist — ones that command your reader‘s consideration and allow you to take advantage of it with perception that they’ll be capable to apply, going ahead.”
Now that you already know the HubSpot course of on the subject of producing non-organic weblog concepts, let’s dive into the Search engine optimisation facet.
Brainstorming Search engine optimisation-Optimized Concepts
Whereas Bump and the weblog writers brainstorm non-organic concepts, our Search engine optimisation staff is difficult at work creating weblog matters which have an natural objective in thoughts. That is their course of:
1. Have a look at your organization’s merchandise, targets, and buyer base.
To begin, HubSpot’s Search engine optimisation staff will evaluate our merchandise, targets, and buyer base.
Amanda Kopen, an Search engine optimisation Strategist at HubSpot, says, “When arising with weblog submit concepts, first you could take a look at your organization’s merchandise, targets, and buyer base.
At HubSpot, we brainstorm weblog posts as they relate to our totally different merchandise (advertising and marketing, gross sales, service, and so on.). Then, we slender it right down to matters the place we’ve experience however are potential ache factors for our prospects (social media advertising and marketing),” Kopen provides.
Throughout this part, our Search engine optimisation staff is reviewing our personas, prioritizing weblog clusters (determined by Search engine optimisation and monetization groups), and brainstorming what could be useful to our viewers.
Moreover, the Search engine optimisation staff will establish massive matters, underperforming matters, and previous however high-performing matters.
2. Conduct key phrase analysis and run a content material hole evaluation.
After the preliminary brainstorm, it is time to do your key phrase analysis and content material hole evaluation.
Kopen explains, “As soon as we’ve a possible ache level in thoughts, we use Search engine optimisation finest practices — like conducting key phrase analysis and working content material hole analyses — to see precisely what individuals wish to study (how usually ought to I submit on LinkedIn), and we begin writing from there.”
Throughout this a part of the method, our Search engine optimisation staff will collect domains with comparable audiences and conduct a content material hole evaluation (discover out what these websites are rating for that HubSpot is not).
We‘ll additionally take a look at associated searches on Google to see what individuals are trying to find. Then, we’ll establish alternatives the place we will replace previous weblog posts or recycle the URL (so we do not lose the Search engine optimisation juice, however have up to date content material for that subject).
3. See if there are any linking alternatives.
Lastly, the Search engine optimisation staff may also talk with HubSpot’s product and academy groups to see if there are linking alternatives similar to any programs or merchandise of ours we needs to be linking to.
Creating Site visitors-Producing Concepts
And that is how the HubSpot weblog comes up with high-performing weblog submit concepts constantly.
By taking the time to do strong analysis and concept brainstorming, you may provide you with weblog matters that drive hundreds of readers in, like me, whereas boosting site visitors, authority, and credibility.
