Strategizing for 2023: Tools and Content Clusters
Kelsey Ray
Copywriter in Finance, Fintech, Climatech, and SaaS | Blogs, Case Studies, Whitepapers, SEO
It’s Q4, so I’m refining my tech stack and strategies for 2023.
I even took the weekend to reorganize my laptop files.??
So, today, I’m going to share some of that strategy headspace with you all.
In the roster, we’ve got:
? Publishing digitally with Issuu
? Creating a content cluster
? How not to conduct a study with our book of the month
Digital publication has been on my radar since I can remember. When we got our first personal computer (a Compaq running Windows 98, I think), I used to create “magazines” on MS Word. Then I upgraded to free websites, blogs, and coding customized Myspace themes (nerd).
More recently, I’ve gotten started with Issuu , a digital publishing software that lets you upload anything from PDFs to decks and create beautiful publications. You can include videos, interactive links, and other fun stuff in your publication. Even better, you can give users the ability to download it, you can embed it on your website, or even sell specific issues. ?
Which means I could write a stellar, SEO-optimized blog post and embed a downloadable, non-gated extra, like a checklist.
Another aspect that I really love is that you can repurpose your publication into social posts and stories.
You can upload your own graphics or pull images and text directly from your publication to create a social post graphic. This I particularly like because creating social content regularly is exhausting. It’s a never-ending process.
The biggest downside?
I did all the designs myself—I wanted proof of concept before asking my design partner to join in. And I realized how minimal the content should be when creating a readable publication.
I noticed this, too, in other publications. They were written like traditional magazines, with multiple text-heavy columns. But I’m still reading on a screen, right?
The most important aspect of design for this program and similar content types is writing less per page. Font sizes should be big. And there should be much free space to ensure it’s easy to read. ?
And wiht design not being my strong suit.that's something I'll delegate in the future. ??
That said, Issuu’s not for every business. But I think it could be helpful for many content-focused businesses that want to:
In November, I focused on creating a strategy.
So far, I have been using my side blog as a soundboard, posting whatever idea sounded exciting and seeing what sticks. Now it’s time to expand.
My blog is language-focused. It’s a small niche, but it offers much potential. Because within each language, I can extend into topics like travel, culture, and entertainment without sacrificing focus. And my goal is for the information to appeal to heritage learners (people with family ties to the language), expats, and motivated learners.
So, the audience isn’t a 11th-grade Spanish student googling their homework.
But the problem with writing something as extensive as a general language blog is that it’s easy to get overwhelmed by various options. Mapping a structure becomes everything.
I took the strategy template I used for clients and began building.
领英推荐
In 2023, I plan to have six pillar content topics:
For each language, I generated 3 ideas for lead magnets and about 6-10 low-competition, decent-volume keywords. Volume could be as low as 20 views per month, but I tried to collect ones that were about 300-1000, too.
While search volume is important, I added quite a few topics that were more based on my knowledge of the niche and the audience. Of course, niche-based knowledge tends to come out more when writing the articles more than in the initial research. It's much easier to spot what competitors miss on an article-by-article basis.
Some keyword samples for Greek:
Let's take the fashion keyword as an example. I'm a nerd and read a ton of history. I could talk about the history of modern Greek fashion, which is mired in politics and a desire to escape the memory of Ottoman rule. But I could also touch on current trends in Greece, designers, sustainable initiatives, etc. Regional traditional dress and meanings could also be fun to explore.
Outside of the lead magnet, I’m focusing on awareness and boosting traffic to tack on an ad network to generate more revenue. By the end of 2023, I hope to have a decent number of related posts per language. I can then pick another 3-4 languages for 2024 while periodically adding a new article or two for the earlier languages.
I already have a full roster of ideas, enough for at least one blog post a week or more, depending on my work schedule. For December, I’m focusing on knocking out refreshes of my older posts and knocking out some easier topics.
Testosterone: An Unauthorized Biography by Rebecca M. Jordan-Young and Katerina Karkazis wasn’t the book I expected it to be. I’ve been on a health and science kick recently, and I’ve been doing some deep dives into genetics and gender.
But this book was more about how not to conduct a study.
In fact, so many key studies cited to discuss the nature of this hormone are built on flimsy and often manipulated research.
I love doing research. I especially love citing studies and statistics. But this book was a fantastic reminder that even “legitimate” sources could be wrong. And how incredibly pleasing it is to see studies done correctly.
Honestly, I’ve read several books on dealing with data over the past year. Testosterone, interestingly enough, was the one that made me think about data and the way it's used.
And you’ll learn some fascinating facts about how steroid hormones actually work, too.
Coming Up
I’m hoping to hit the ground running in January. So, what can you expect next month?
? AI content—limitations and use cases
? How to effectively refresh a blog post
? A book all about creating the best offer
Looking forward to writing to you again.
And if you want to talk sooner, just book a call with me on Calendly .?