Ever wondered if producing quality content for your audience could be easier?
Producing quality content isn’t easy. The process starts with research into your audience. The process continues with production – working with writers, designers, and other professionals. Finally, you have editing, production, and promotion. There is a solution: content automation.
What Is Content Automation?
Content automation is a set of software, tools, and methods to automate aspects of content marketing. While it is not possible to automate all of your content, a lot can be done to make it easier. For example, you can use tools to automate the following tasks:
- Proofreading. There are some tools on the market that help improve the grammar and clarity of your content. For example, apps like Hemingway and Grammarly help writers improve their writing.
- Search Engine Optimization. Several SEO software tools can help to improve content so that you get more search traffic.
- Content Distribution. Use email marketing and social media scheduling apps to distribute your content on a schedule you determine.
- Content Curation. Gathering content from many different sources, filtering it, and organizing it is a long-established type of content curation.
- Content Management and Planning. Managers can use tools to stay organized with a team of creatives, agencies, and editors worldwide.
Most people tend to focus on content automation in terms of software. However, that is only part of the equation. You also need to change your workflow, habits and learn new skills to make content automation work for your situation. Think of content automation as a dedicated assistant that stands by to help you. These tools can only boost your engagement if you guide them effectively with a well-developed strategy and understanding what your audience wants.
Now that you know about the wide range of content automation options, let’s look at the business benefits.
How Content Automation Benefits Your Business
Every year, the Internet gets more and more crowded with content. Consider the following statistics for context.
- Videos. In May 2013, there were 100 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute. By May 2019, that figure climbed to 500 hours of video every minute (source: Statista). In less than a decade, YouTube has become a much more competitive environment.
- Blog Posts. While estimates vary, there are millions of new blog posts published each day. In Q1 2021, approximately five million WordPress blog posts were published every day, according to TechJury.
When you add in the millions of text messages, emails, and social media posts, it is clear that the online world is getting more crowded every day.
In light of these trends, keeping the attention of your audience is getting more and more difficult. To stay competitive, content automation helps in a few ways. First, content automation reduces errors, omissions, and mistakes. Second, content automation increases the productivity of marketing and editorial staff to create even more content for your audience. Third, content automation frees up your time to focus on strategic efforts like creating unique content that cannot be found anywhere else.
For example, let’s say that you save 2 two hours per week by using content automation. There are several ways you can use that extra time to make your content better. You could spend an hour a week building relationships with influencers. You might spend the time digging through your website analytics further to find out what topics your audience is interested in. These efforts will all play a role in boosting the quality of your content and audience engagement for the long term.
By gradually adding more content automation tools and methods to your workflow, you can boost engagement. For example, you might start creating a workflow for content promotion (e.g., every Thursday, we send out an email newsletter and promote our new content on three social platforms). Next, you might move up to using tools to enhance live events, such as a live blog.
Content Automation In Action: Rogers Media Grows Engagement With Sports Fans
Rogers Media, one of Canada’s largest communications and media brands, has achieved impressive gains by using content automation. The company wanted to grow audience engagement for Sportsnet. Founded in 1998, Sportsnet is a major sports brand offering coverage of hockey, baseball, basketball, and other major sports events.
The company used two content automation tools to increase its engagement: Arena Live Chat and Arena Live Blog. By using these tools, Rogers Sportsnet achieved the following results during coverage of live games
- 64% increase in user engagement
- 28% increase in user retention
- Grew time on-site to 27.25 minutes
Achieving these results did not require months of testing either. The company installed Arena in less than 24 hours. In a day, the company was ready to bring their fifty-person team to the total.
By increasing engagement, Sportsnet has already increased ad revenue, app downloads, and subscriptions. As the company continues to use Arena, they are likely to keep growing.
Tip: Not sure how to create an engaging real-time event with live chat and live blog tools? Start by brainstorming engagement ideas ahead of the game. Make a list of experts and fans you will call on for additional insight. For additional tips on creating a successful livestreamed sports event, read our post How to Create The Best Live Sports Streaming Events.
How To Plan Your Next Live Event
There is an art and science to creating successful events. That’s why there are more than 100,000 event planners in the US alone. However, relatively few event professionals have mastered the nuances of creating engaging digital events. A successful digital event requires a careful selection of technology, content planning, and an interested audience. Fortunately, you’re not on your own.
To help you plan your next event, download Arena’s ebook Virtual Events Power Scripts . You’ll learn the fundamentals of preparing your event and researching your audience’s interests. You will also learn tips and techniques to make sure you come across loud and clear.
