Go for quality

This might seem obvious, but it applies just as much to your content narrative as the actual number of content pieces.

One consistent tone, look and feel to the different content your brand is producing will help this content stick in the minds of readers for far longer.

Keep it VIP

Using exclusive, in-depth content increases the value of what you create. As an added benefit to clicking on your content, offer a gated download such as a white paper or video.

Withholding the content means that there’s a conversation to be had post-purchase, and means that the customer engagement with your brand will last longer.

Invest in talent

Hire an editor that is as much a marketer as a writer. They should oversee everything from your editorial calendar, freelancers and editing to ensure that content fits your brands tone and voice.

A talented editor should be held accountable for hitting KPIs as much as the head of marketing should. Additionally, your editor must be armed with the software and tools to analyse their efforts.

That way, they can constantly iterate their strategy and measure ROI. 

Understand what works and do more of it

Every quarter you should try your marketing strategy on a new channel. This means you can understand what works for your audience, and keep doing it.

There’s plenty of new software out there to help you analyse and monitor the results of your content, and understanding what content was most successful (and for which audiences at what times).

This will keep your content focused and successful.

Go offline

You heard right, think about going offline to connect.

Some of the best content marketing campaigns have integrated real-world and online content, and with online content marketing reaching an all-time high next year, digital-only tactics might not always cut it. 

With the online market as busy as it is, content congestion is a challenge that all brands – big and small – will have to contend with. 

Here are some brands that have created great content and avoided congestion

McLaren has excelled at creating focused, relevant brand content with their TV series ‘Tooned’, a family friendly cartoon series about the most famous Formula1 drivers throughout history.

Utilising social media, from YouTube to Twitter, as well as Sky TV, Mclaren has combined online and real life experiences and has clearly made a huge effort to ensure the show is creative, funny and most importantly – ensuring that the consumer comes back to the brand again and again.

Ella’s Kitchen is a healthy kid’s food brand whose bright, fun packaging translates well into its digital offering.

The site targets tech savvy parents and is packed with engaging content – from try-at-home activities to a digital weaning guide.

The social media channels offer advice as well as giveaways, while the newsletter encourages parents to part with their email addresses by offering advice from a nutritionist as well as discounts. 

Colgate is a great example of a brand acting as a publisher. Colgate provides a dedicated online site (‘Oral and Dental Health Resource centre’) with videos, tips, interactive guides and over 400 articles related to oral health.

The brand is using its own expertise and depth of knowledge to provide valuable content that draws the customer in, rather than pushing it out to them directly.

The content that Colgate provides is something that can be scaled down so that even a smaller start-up company can pull from their experience and create blogs, newsletters and content that reflects the business.

If you get these points right, your brand will become one that is synonymous with valuable content that will have the consumer coming back for more  - and you’ll be much more likely to come out the other side of the fight against content congestion.