Using Research, Amplification and Monitoring to gain shares and links in a world of content shock.

1. Steve Rayson
steve@buzzsumo.com
@steverayson
Susan Moeller
susan@buzzsumo.com
@susancmoeller

2. RAM: Research to the Rescue—Preventing Content
Fails Before They Start

3. Our Analysis of 1 Million Articles

4. Low Performing
Content
Average Performing
Content
High Performing
Content
Normal Distribution of Shares & Links

5. What we found

6. Most content gets few shares
and even fewer links
Content Sample Average Total
Shares
Median
Shares
Average
Referring
domain links
Median
Referring
domain links
Random sample
of posts (99,941)
257 8 0.75 0
50% of posts received 8 shares or less

7. Content:
Output up 78%
Shares down 60%
Source: Trackmaven
43% of professionally-marketed blog
posts receive fewer than 10 interactions

8. Joe Pulizzi
More content makes most people feel
empowered and enthusiastic
We are mainly consumers of niche content
“There will be no Content Shock. Here’s why:

10. Joe Pulizzi
More content makes most people feel
empowered and enthusiastic
We are mainly consumers of niche content
The filters are improving
“There will be no Content Shock. Here’s why:

11. Social becoming an important filter?
But shares don’t lead to links

12. Facebook now drives 25% of all traffic to websites

13. Joe Pulizzi
More content makes most people feel
empowered and enthusiastic
We are mainly consumers of niche content
The filters are improving
Great content rises to the top
“There will be no Content Shock. Here’s why:
We’re not done innovating eg native advertising”

14. “The idea that ‘great content
rises to the top’ is over.”
Mark Schaefer

15. Shares and social traffic harder to achieve

16. Shares Per Article Published
(Last 11 Months)

17. What Can We Do?

18. “Don't fear the glut.” Eric Enge

19. Content Marketing Strategy
Research
Your Audience
Questions being
asked
Content resonating
Current trends
Best formats
Popular authors
Competitors
Content
opportunities
Monitoring
Trending content
Current issues
Content
benchmarks
Use alerts to track
- New mentions
- New links
- Content published
Amplification
Links, shares & paid
Who is amplifying
content?
Influencers & outreach
Employee advocacy
Role of Facebook

20. RAM

21. The battle for content engagement can be won
or lost at the research stage, before any content
is even written.

22. Understand Your Audience
What questions are
they asking?
What content
resonates with them?
What do they share?

23. What to look for:
Headlines
Formats
Themes
Out-of-date
content
Content with no
visuals
Simple articles that
could be deepened
Overlap with your
expertise

24. Find the most shared content from your site:

25. What does your audience like to share?

26. What can you learn from competitors and
industry leaders?

27. Find the formats that work

28. Content Length Matters

29. Content length that works

30. Can you find a niche?
“There are still tons of markets
where no one has started to do a
really good job at it. Jump in now
and claim that early-mover
advantage.” Eric Enge

32. Uncover the questions

33. Be the best answer, Lee Odden

34. RAM

35. BEFORE YOU
CREATE YOUR
CONTENT YOU
NEED TO
UNDERSTAND
HOW IT WILL
BE AMPLIFIED.
WHO WILL
SHARE IT OR
LINK TO IT AND
WHY?

37. Amplification Matters

39. RAM

40. MONITORING FUELS THE PROCESS!

41. What content is engaging
your audience right now?

44. Thank You
@buzzsumo