[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Ready or not, the new year’s in full swing. Maybe you achieved all your content marketing dreams in 2017 — or maybe you fell short in a few areas. Either way, now is the perfect time to jump start your content marketing in 2018.  Try any of these four ideas to start off the year with a bang.

1. Dive in to Your Content Metrics

You’re likely already reviewing your content metrics on a weekly or monthly basis. But now is a great time to take a high-level look at how your content performed over the year. Review your website and social media metrics for the past 12 months to determine the year’s:

• Most popular topics
• Top content types — article, video, infographic, etc.
• Most effective traffic sources

This information can be key as you determine what to prioritize this year.

2. Send a Best of 2017 Email

Your year-end content metrics can be put to action right away by giving you an opportunity to reach out to your audience. Compile your most popular and best performing content from 2017 and create a “Best of 2017” email and landing page. It’s also a chance to tell your audience thank you for a great year. You’ll leave them with some positive reinforcement about your brand heading into the new year.

3. Make Plans for Content Promotion

The beginning of the year is also a fantastic time to begin researching new ways to promote your content in 2018:

• Plan ways to build an email list, or grow your existing list, to promote content via email.
• Consider paid promotion via a pay-per-click campaign.
• Think of ways to extend your reach on social media — either to new audience or on new channels.

4. Conduct a Competitive Audit

Take time to look outside your own organization and its content marketing, and conduct a competitive audit. Consider both direct competitors and indirect competitors. Who are the standouts from a content marketing perspective? What were the truly innovative content campaigns this year? Did any newcomers pop up as standouts?

Get a head start on the new year by checking out the top content marketing trends for 2018.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]