Refreshing Your Content for the New Year

For the most part, 2020 is behind us. While we still might be struggling with the ramifications the pandemic brought us and as we continue to navigate what the future holds, it’s time to say goodbye to an unforgettable year.

This year, it’s all about a new outlook, fresh ideas, and a clean slate. Something we all could use, especially your readers. What am I getting at? It’s time for a content refresh!

Now is as good of a time as any to audit your affiliate links, deals, banners, and any other content you have posted throughout 2020. Your audience is still going to look to you for trusted recommendations and inside information on their favorite brands, so make sure you’re offering up-to-date material.

Hopefully, I haven’t scared you off yet with talks about a crazy audit. I know this can be a daunting task, so let me help break it down for you.

 

Why is auditing your affiliate content important?

Seasons, sales, products, and more change. Making sure your content is correct and current not only makes you a trusted go-to source, but it helps make sure you get your commission. A broken link can make a visitor bounce before converting faster than a toupee in a hurricane, and an incorrect sale posted can have your reader hopping over to a coupon site quicker than a hot knife through butter.

What to look for when auditing?

The easiest to take care of is your banners. Check the network(s) to see if any of the brand’s creatives have been updated. If not, reach out to the affiliate manager about getting new creatives. Banners are some of the first things people see, so keeping these looking good is a must.

Next up, links. 43% of people admit to skimming blog posts, so make it worth their click by making sure the links that catch their eye works appropriately. To cut down on time, pay attention to your most viewed (most popular) posts – check the links you have and look for other possible opportunities for new links.

Finally, images should be on your auditing list too. If you showcase any brand images, check to see that these also haven’t been updated; especially, if you give brands a specific page on your site. You can simply look at their website to see the current images they are showcasing to stay consistent with their branding.

How many times should you do a content audit?

Any content creator knows how time-consuming creating content can be, let alone auditing what you’ve done. A good rule of thumb is to at least do a full audit once a year, with a couple of smaller audits throughout the year. Ideally, a quarterly audit would be best, but a couple of times a year will have you on top of your game compared to most.

 

In the end, you know what works best for your site and partnerships. Just keep in mind that having old content on your site can make new visitors weary of reading and clicking. So, let’s freshen things up because we can all use a renewed 2021!

 

New opportunities are always a great thing to add to your yearly audit. Email your affiliate manager to see what’s new and don’t forget to check out all of our programs for new partnership opportunities.