By Amine Rahal, tech entrepreneur and writer. He is currently CEO of IronMonk Solutions.
In 2023, the web is cluttered with more content than ever. So it’s no surprise that it’s important to prioritize quality over quantity in content production.
However, since the ChatGPT revolution, we have seen an explosion in the amount of AI-generated content polluting the internet (paywall). Therefore, to stay competitive in an increasingly saturated web environment, you need to improve the quality of your content while increasing the quantity.
This year, I managed to increase my content production by about 50% per hour worked compared to last year’s benchmark, while maintaining or even improving its quality. Here are some of my top tips to help entrepreneurs do it too.
1. Skip graphic design tools (if possible) and use Image AI
Listen, I don’t think AI is a panacea when it comes to content. There’s a lot of misuse of AI floating around the internet, and it’s bogging down the web with repetitive, low-value content. But when used correctly, I think generative AI solutions can add a ton of value to your content. And speed up its production.
This is especially true for image generation. Previously, I used graphic design and editing tools for probably 80% or 90% of the images featured in my blog posts. These days I use these paid platforms for maybe 10% or 20%. For most blog posts, I just use detailed and very specific AI-generated images.
Obviously, detailed charts and infographics are still the domain of paid graphic design tools. But I just prefer to display a nice image using AI if I just need a thumbnail for an article or even a YouTube video.
2. Do Batch Keyword Research
Even in 2023, SEO is important for the success of a content marketing campaign. The downside is that using platforms to do keyword research can take hours, especially if you’re browsing highly competitive pages or search terms.
This is why I always insist on bulk keyword research. I used to research keywords one at a time following a process where I would find the keyword I wanted, write an article based on the selected keyword, and then repeat the process searching for a new keyword. . However, these days, I will select at least 30 viable keywords before starting the content of the month.
Compiling large batches of keywords allows you to craft a full month’s content strategy and stay focused throughout the month on content creation versus planning. This can save you a considerable amount of time since you won’t need to switch between tasks as often.
3. Keep it short and to the point
Shakespeare said that “brevity is the soul of wit”, and, honestly, he wasn’t wrong. To make your content stand out, remember to keep your articles, captions, and content short and clear.
I used to insist that all my articles be at least 1,000 words. This is no longer the case. Today, I sometimes dive as low as 500 words if I can get the point across enough in an article of that length.
4. Reuse Old Content
If an old article is still relevant but needs updating, consider pulling it out and rewriting it with new information included. For example, you can update an old WordPress plugins guide to include new plugins recently listed on WordPress. In my opinion, a full refresh every two or three years is usually ideal.
5. Create multi-channel content
Often, you can repackage content from a blog post into quiet tweets, Instagram posts, and Facebook posts. I like to take screenshots of highlights in a blog post and upload them as social media posts with unique captions that ultimately link back to the original blog post. You can stagger social media posts so that each content platform shares the same content on different dates. This has the effect of stretching a single content item into multiple ones.
The same principle applies to audiovisual content. Whenever you create a short YouTube or Facebook video, you can repackage it into a condensed vertical format for TikTok. This way you can get more content out of the same amount of work.
Create a winning content strategy with AI, cross-channel output and efficiency
Ultimately, if you want to see real results in content marketing, you need to focus on creating value for your reader or customer. If you don’t, it doesn’t matter how efficiently you are able to produce article after article. Unless you have a qualitative advantage over your competitors, you can say goodbye to your ranking dreams.
But the are legitimate strategies to gain that elusive advantage. In this article, I have shared some of my top recommendations that have led me to success in 2023. They are to use emerging technologies appropriately, to work efficiently, to reuse them when necessary, and to use brevity and brevity to your advantage.