Imagine this: You‘re a content marketer who‘s feeling confident about your upcoming editorial plans. Your last few campaigns exceeded ROI expectations and projections for the next quarter look even more promising. You‘re in your groove and ready to take on the world!
But then, seemingly out of nowhere, something BIG happens that completely changes the game. Maybe it‘s a global crisis, a dramatic industry shift, or a new social platform that‘s taking your audience by storm. Whatever the catalyst, one thing is clear: your current content strategy will no longer cut it. You need to pivot, and fast.
If this situation sounds all too familiar, you‘re not alone. In fact, a whopping 70% of marketers have had to pivot their content plan in the last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic alone, according to HubSpot Blog Research.
But how can you skillfully shift your content direction without starting entirely from scratch or losing sight of your overarching goals? We asked HubSpot‘s own marketing masterminds to share their top tips.
Signs It‘s Time to Pivot Your Content Plan
First things first: how do you know when a content pivot is truly necessary vs. a knee-jerk reaction? While there‘s no cut-and-dry formula, there are some common signs that your current approach may be due for a shakeup:
1. Your content performance is consistently declining.
Are your traffic numbers trending downward? Are you seeing less engagement in terms of time on page, comments, shares, and conversions? These are strong indicators that your content is no longer resonating with your target audience.
HubSpot‘s Historical Optimization tool makes it easy to identify underperforming posts that could benefit from a revamp. If a high volume of your content falls into this bucket, a broader strategy pivot may be in order.
2. Your audience‘s needs & priorities have shifted significantly.
Keeping a pulse on your customer pain points and desires is a must for any marketer. But when major events happen, those needs can change rapidly and dramatically.
"The content HubSpot creates is intended to help businesses around the world grow better by addressing their current needs," says Emmy Jonassen, VP of Acquisition at HubSpot. "When we have to pivot our content plans quickly, it‘s because those needs have changed quickly."
3. A new channel or medium is suddenly surging in popularity.
To stay competitive, content marketers must continually evolve their strategies to align with changing consumer preferences. With new platforms and content formats emerging all the time, it‘s crucial to regularly reassess your distribution mix.
According to HubSpot research, 48% of marketers are currently leveraging TikTok, and another 28% plan to use it for the first time in 2022. If you‘re not already active on the platform, you may want to consider how it could fit into your revised content plan.
4. A competitor‘s campaign is outshining yours.
No one likes to play copycat, but if a rival brand‘s content is generating significant buzz, you‘d be wise to deconstruct what‘s working so well for them and find ways to adapt those elements to suit your own campaigns.
Tools like BuzzSumo and Sprout Social can help you keep tabs on competitors‘ top-performing content so you can stay ahead of the curve.
How to Successfully Execute a Content Pivot
Once you‘ve recognized the need for a pivot, what comes next? We‘ve broken down how to approach each step of the process.
Step 1: Reassess Your Audience‘s Current Challenges & Needs
Any effective content pivot must start with a deep understanding of your audience. What are they struggling with most right now? What kind of content would be genuinely useful to them in this moment?
There are a few key ways to gather these fresh insights:
- Web behavior analysis: Look for changes in top keywords, page traffic, popular content topics, and common search queries to get a sense of what‘s top of mind for your audience.
- Social listening: Monitor mentions, comments, and messages across your social channels to understand how sentiments are shifting and what questions keep popping up.
- Employee input: Tap colleagues in customer-facing roles like sales, support, and account management to learn what they‘re hearing in conversations with prospects and customers.
- Audience outreach: Go straight to the source and conduct surveys or interviews to crowdsource ideas for helpful new content directly from your target market.
For example, when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, HubSpot‘s Blog Team quickly recognized that "remote work" and "virtual events" were two of the biggest emerging keywords, so they prioritized content on those topics.
"We saw a lot of the conversations on social media shift to remote work and the struggles people were facing with that transition," recalls Karla Cook, Senior Manager of HubSpot‘s Blog Team. "Our editorial strategy became focused on providing genuinely helpful, empathetic content to address those challenges."
Step 2: Determine What Content Can Be Repurposed or Updated
Once you have a grasp on your audience‘s new context and needs, it‘s time to take stock of your existing content assets and see what can be salvaged.
Chances are, at least some of your past top-performers can be repurposed or refreshed to better align with the current climate. For instance, you might:
- Add new data or examples to make advice more timely and relevant
- Incorporate multimedia elements like videos or infographics
- Optimize titles, meta descriptions, and body text for trending keywords
- Create follow-up pieces that tackle lingering audience FAQs
Refreshing past content that already ranks well can increase traffic by as much as 106%. (Source: HubSpot Blog Research)
"The worst thing you can do is pivot so hard that you completely abandon the content that was working before," advises AJ Beltis, Senior Content & Acquisition Manager at HubSpot. "That‘s just creating extra work for yourself."
Look for opportunities to maintain your core topic pillars while making strategic updates. A full content audit can help pinpoint areas for improvement.
Step 3: Fill in the Gaps With New, Targeted Content
With a mix of updated evergreen content and net-new, hyper-relevant material, you‘ll be well on your way to executing an effective pivot. But don‘t stop there – continue to produce timely assets on a regular basis.
Some specific content plays to consider:
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Newsjacking: Craft content that puts a unique spin on buzzy industry developments or trending news topics. Tools like Google Trends and LinkedIn‘s Content Suggestions can help spark ideas.
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Thought leadership: Tap in-house subject matter experts for their analysis of how their area of expertise is evolving, and share recommendations for how others can adapt.
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Original research: Survey your audience or analyze proprietary data sets to uncover fresh insights and statistics. Original research is a powerful way to earn backlinks and position your brand as an authority.
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Community-driven content: Source ideas from your social media followers, email subscribers, or customer advisory board. People love seeing their own voices and experiences reflected in your content!
Step 4: Adapt Your Messaging & Tone
Adjusting what you say is only half the battle. To really hit home, you also need to perfect how you say it.
"Companies and customers are operating in different ways – we can‘t assume that the same old marketing will resonate," notes Alicia Collins, Brand Campaign Manager at HubSpot. "We need content that shows empathy and understanding."
Even if your brand voice guidelines stay the same, the way you express that voice should adapt to the moment. In sensitive situations, that may mean striking a more serious, sympathetic tone, while lighter topics can shine with a bit of humor.
The key is to read the room and ensure your language fits the context. If you‘re ever unsure, err on the side of being human above all else.
Step 5: Choose the Right Channels & Formats
An effective content pivot isn‘t just about the message itself – it‘s also about delivering that message where, when, and how your audience wants to receive it.
With today‘s wealth of content distribution channels, it‘s critical to tailor your format strategy accordingly. What works for a meaty blog post may not translate to a punchy tweet or a visually-driven Instagram story.
As you hone your revised content mix, ask yourself:
- Where is my audience spending their time? What platforms are they most active on?
- What content types do they prefer? Do they gravitate toward videos, podcasts, infographics, or something else entirely?
- How has their media consumption changed recently, and how can I adapt?
For instance, with the rise of remote work in 2020, HubSpot saw a major uptick in people tuning into webinars and virtual events. In response, they ramped up production of online courses, live videos, and other digital learning content.
"Video has been incredibly effective for us this year," says Justin Champion, Principal Inbound Professor at HubSpot Academy. "We‘ve found that people crave interactive, multimedia experiences when they‘re stuck at home all day."
Step 6: Measure & Iterate
Of course, no content pivot can be deemed a winner without the data to back it up. As you roll out new assets and tactics, be sure to monitor performance closely and look for opportunities to optimize on the fly.
Some key metrics to track:
- Traffic: Watch for spikes or dips in visitors, page views, and unique users. Use tools like Google Analytics and HubSpot‘s Traffic Analytics Dashboard.
- Engagement: Keep an eye on time on page, bounce rate, and scroll depth to gauge how thoroughly people are consuming your content. Heat mapping tools like Hotjar can provide visual insights.
- SEO impact: Notice any positive or negative movement in search rankings, featured snippets, or inbound links. Ahrefs, SEMRush, and Moz can help you stay on top of SEO health.
- Leads & sales: Ultimately, the end goal is to drive conversions, so track content-influenced leads and revenue using your CRM and marketing automation software.
Just remember that content pivots are rarely a "one-and-done" deal. Don‘t be afraid to test, tweak, and experiment until you find the right rhythm.
According to HubSpot research, 90% of marketers concur that agility helped their team produce higher-quality content over the past year.
Real-World Content Pivot Examples
Need some inspiration for your own content pivot? Let‘s take a look at how a few well-known brands adapted their approaches in the face of unforeseen circumstances.
Lululemon‘s COVID-19 Response
With the temporary closure of retail stores and suspension of in-person workout classes during the pandemic, activewear giant Lululemon had to think fast to maintain relevance.
They quickly shifted their content strategy to focus on at-home wellness resources, including:
- A centralized content hub with online workout videos, guided meditations, and self-care articles
- Social media challenges inviting followers to share how they‘re staying active using the #thesweatlife hashtag
- Virtual community events like a live-streamed "Sweatstock" concert in partnership with electronic music artist Diplo
By pivoting to prioritize digital community experiences, Lululemon was able to stay connected to their loyal fans and attract new audiences.
Microsoft‘s Inclusive Remote Work Guides
As remote work suddenly became the norm for companies worldwide, Microsoft recognized an opportunity to position itself as a trusted resource.
The tech titan published a comprehensive series of guides on topics like managing remote teams, facilitating virtual meetings, and maintaining work-life balance.
But rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, they made a point to address the unique needs and challenges of different groups, such as:
- Remote work tips for parents
- Accessibility resources for workers with disabilities
- Strategies for combatting remote work burnout
By creating content with a targeted, empathetic lens, Microsoft was able to provide genuine value to a diverse range of professionals.
Airbnb‘s #OnlineExperiences Pivot
With travel plans halted and in-person activities on hold, Airbnb needed a way to stay relevant while its core business was compromised.
Enter: Online Experiences, a new category of virtual activities hosted by Airbnb hosts around the world. From cooking classes to magic shows to guided meditations, the offerings spanned a wide gamut of interests.
To promote the launch, Airbnb went all-in on social media content, including:
- Instagram and Facebook ads featuring enticing visuals and experience previews
- Sponsored influencer posts and vlogs showcasing popular Online Experiences
- User-generated content encouraging customers to share their own experiences using the #OnlineExperiences hashtag
| Content Type | # of Posts | Total Engagements | Avg. Engagements per Post |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram grid posts | 10 | 152,487 | 15,249 |
| Instagram Stories | 20 | 98,256 | 4,913 |
| Facebook posts | 15 | 87,463 | 5,831 |
| YouTube videos | 5 | 436,890 | 87,378 |
Online Experiences launch content performance on Airbnb‘s owned social channels.
By making a splash on the platforms where their audience was already scrolling, Airbnb was able to drum up excitement and drive bookings for their new virtual venture.
Start Pivoting With Confidence
There you have it – your ultimate guide to acing a content pivot, straight from the experts at HubSpot (and the brilliant marketers we‘re lucky to work with).
No matter what situation arises, remember that change can be an incredible catalyst for creativity and innovation.
By keeping your audience at the heart of everything you do, collaborating closely with your team, and staying agile every step of the way, you can transform any content challenge into your best campaign yet.
Now, go get pivoting!
