Don’t worry if you haven’t heard of the term “pillar blog post”. Chances are you’re more familiar with the outdated terminology for the concept, which is also referred to as evergreen content. A pillar blog post is one that that features content of lasting value – content that you can re-post or repackage over and over again and that your audience will continue to benefit from. It serves as a pillar for building trust and patronage in your brand, hence the name.
Creating a pillar blog post isn’t necessarily difficult. However, crafting a post that generates a wealth of organic traffic via sharing is a bit trickier. How can you and your Asheville digital marketing partner create the perfect pillar blog post in order to ensure desired results?
Generate Suitable Topics
A pillar blog post must include certain elements. First, the topic should be something that speaks to a large portion of your audience. For example, if you sell gardening tools, a pillar blog post might pertain to a topic like seasonal planting schedules for different planting zones or the basic tools needed for different types of gardens (flower, succulent, vegetable, etc.).
Anyone interested in gardening tools can gain valuable knowledge from such topics, and they give you the opportunity to highlight your products in the process. As a bonus, the content can not only speak to a new audience but serve as a reason for previous readers to return.
However, these posts must be more than just useful. They must also be engaging and compelling. They have to present information in a way that grabs attention, speaks to your target audience, and urges action if you want to stand out and make a lasting impression. Posts that are engaging, informative, and entertaining have a much better chance of generating organic sharing and traffic.
A good place to start is by working with your social media management agency in Asheville to figure out what your audience wants. What are they searching for? What problem are they grappling with that you can solve with your post? Pillar blog posts should answer a question that is on the minds of your target audience, with clever and engaging content.
Coordinate with your Asheville Digital Marketing Partner on Format
There are endless ways to format pillar blog posts, but the two most popular are listicles and how-to articles. Listicles are great for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, they give you the opportunity to present complex information in concise, bite-size portions. Readers can quickly scan listicles and pick out the information that best pertains to their particular situation.
Listicles are quickly and easily consumed, which also makes them a popular choice for sharing, helping to spread your message organically. In addition, listicles are commonly featured at the top of Google listings for relevant searches, so if you create the definitive post on a specific topic, you could end up with top billing for related searches, further expanding your reach without having to pay for ad placement.
How-to articles, which could include video how-tos, provide step-by-step instructions. A gardening website could, for example, tell or show the audience how to create the perfect planter for spring, complete with tips about soil, fertilizer, plants, and tools needed. This foolproof means of taking the audience through a multi-step process can earn you a lot of sharing, linking, and organic traffic when done right.
Strategize a Creative Approach with Digital Marketing in Asheville, NC
The only real problem with pillar blog posts is saturation. Chances are, you’re not the first to come up with a topic that appeals to your audience – your competitors have probably done it, as well. This means you need to do it better by strategizing an innovative angle to catch audience attention and encourage sharing. How can you and your Asheville social media services partner present the topic in a way that feels fresh, represents your brand identity, and sets you apart from competitors?
Work with Asheville Social Media Services to Publicize Posts
Organic traffic is the result of linking and sharing, to a degree, but you also need to make target audience members aware of posts so they have the opportunity to share and link. Your partner in social media management in Asheville can do a lot to help you capitalize on the appeal of well-crafted pillar blog posts, starting with publicizing through SEO, advertising, and more. You’ll need to start spreading the word about pillar blog posts to get the momentum going so buzz can grow organically.
With help from your partner in digital marketing in Asheville, NC, you can generate organic traffic with pillar blog posts that grab attention and invite sharing. Contact the experts at Barking Dog now at 828-450-2551 or online to get started.