{"id":20376,"date":"2022-07-07T08:00:52","date_gmt":"2022-07-07T15:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outsourcemarketing.com\/?p=20376"},"modified":"2022-07-21T11:31:05","modified_gmt":"2022-07-21T18:31:05","slug":"how-to-leverage-and-understand-the-content-ecosystem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outsourcemarketing.com\/blog\/how-to-leverage-and-understand-the-content-ecosystem\/","title":{"rendered":"How to leverage and understand the content ecosystem"},"content":{"rendered":"

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What is a content ecosystem?<\/span><\/h1>\n

Welcome to the jungle. In today’s digital metropolis, a never-ending content stream is flooding the internet. How much content are we talking about? Well, in 2021, <\/span>74 zettabytes of data<\/span><\/a> were created. For context on how much data that is, one zettabyte is equal to 2 to the 70th power, also known as one sextillion bytes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

With so much content constantly being uploaded online, you may wonder, how can your business’s content stand out from the crowd? Well, that’s the beauty of a content ecosystem. A content ecosystem is organized content that works together to form a strategic network of assets to promote and support a customer’s journey. A content safari to the final destination to hit download, subscribe, add to cart, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n

The elements of a content ecosystem<\/span><\/h2>\n

Just as every habitat requires several resources to thrive, five elements work together to form an effective content strategy. Let’s break down each one. <\/span><\/p>\n

Content streams<\/span><\/h3>\n

A content stream is a collection of content that supports a particular stage of the buyer’s journey. When you build out an ecosystem, content streams are all linked together to create a unified experience for the customer. <\/span><\/p>\n

Asset mixes<\/span><\/h3>\n

Asset mixes will inform the types of content you’ll group into your content streams. For example, your content stream could be on the benefits of buying sustainably-made shoes. Then, your asset mix would be Instagram ads, Google Search ads, a YouTube video, and a promoted blog. Like a jungle tree, you’ll want to branch out and craft <\/span>content optimized for multiple platforms<\/span><\/a> and situations to reach more potential customers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Topic pillars\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

So how do you navigate through pages of content to organize your beautiful mess into mini-ecosystems of their own? That’s where topic pillars come in, swinging on a vine to save the day. Topic pillars are broad categories that can help your brand establish itself in the digital marketplace.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To play off of our sustainable footwear example, a topic pillar for that brand may be bamboo shoes. Then, this topic breaks into subtopics to support and align with everything under that brand’s umbrella regarding bamboo shoes. It could look something like this:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Main topic: Bamboo shoes<\/span><\/p>\n