All You Need to Know About Content Saturation (and How to Tackle It)

Intro

Content saturation: it’s a challenge that no content creator wants to face but eventually, you’ve got to bite the bullet.

Content forms the bane of a digital marketer’s SEO existence. But content saturation could evolve into a potential thorn in your content marketing efforts if you don’t address it head-on.

Did you know that only 19% of companies believed that their online content marketing efforts were successful in 2021? What’s more alarming is over 90% of content goes unread on the internet.

So what can you do to make YOUR content stand out amongst the masses?

As you design, navigate and grow your content marketing strategy, here’s everything you need to know about content saturation and the proven methods to combat this rising challenge so that YOU can be among the 10% who are seen.

What is Content Saturation?

It's common knowledge that we're living in an age where people can get just about any information they need with a few taps of their thumbs, making businesses compete even more constantly for attention. One such challenge is content saturation.

_Simply put, content saturation refers to the over-abundance of content on the internet for users' attention. _

When people have too many options of where to click, they will find it harder to connect with something that speaks to them and delivers your brand message.

It's not just competing for consumer attention either. In order to get your business or service in front of potential clients and boost your CRM, you have to make sure that your website or digital profile has been optimized for search engine results (SERPs).

Matt Janaway, CEO of MarketingLabs, puts this brilliantly.

“Even though there's saturation in terms of volume, there isn't always saturation in terms of quality.”

That means coming up with new and interesting ways to keep your content relevant and valuable to your readers.

“It could be an infographic, a video, a podcast, data, or a downloadable template. Adding that one thing to improve the post for visitors can make all the difference.”

The Key to Tackling Content Saturation

In this over-saturated online environment, how do you make sure your content gets noticed?

Here are four strategies to avoid the pitfalls of content saturation and get yours in front of the right audience.

1. Keep an eye on the trends

Making sure your content doesn't end up swimming in an ocean of ignored efforts is not only a matter of avoiding replicating what's already there. It’s also important to keep an eye on the trends and make sure your online presence is keeping pace with the changes around you.

This is what Brian Dean’s Explodingtopics is set out to do! Catch trends while the flames are still young. (more from him later :3)

Observing the trends and hotspots in your niche will help you get a sense of what's working currently and what's not. Read actionable, high-quality pieces and stay current with what people are interested in so that when you post something yourself, your content stands out from what’s already there.

Even better – write something new and original.

“Try to always have a unique angle or say on the matter so you don’t drown in the noise,” recommends Limor, SEO Director at SimilarWeb. “At SimilarWeb, we try to use our experience to add more depth and expertise to the content.”

By doing this, you’ll not only gain more readers who will appreciate your point of view, but you'll also add value to your own work by getting traffic from other websites that cite yours as a source.

2. Create evolving, research-based content

If you want people to notice your work in a world where they're constantly inundated with competing content, you have to be willing to put in the time and effort needed to create original content that's relevant and valuable today.

One tactic is focusing on providing insights into existing topics through primary research and analysis.

You can collect primary data through your own studies and interviews or by using existing research from trusted sources to provide a new perspective or interpretation. This allows you to present data in a different way than has been done before and offers your audience new information they can use.

“Integrating information from diverse sources is an integral part of in-depth research.” says Viktoria, founder of GetMentioned. “The use of different formats helps authors shape the same information in different ways, and promote critical thinking.”

Once you have this data, it's important to make it accessible in some way: be it via visualizations, infographics or other digestible formats that make your findings easier for people to understand and share.

By researching, interviewing and providing new insights into existing topics, you can ensure that you're presenting unique content in order to keep your audience engaged in topics you know they’re already interested in.

3. Go beyond SEO

One common mistake online marketers make is assuming that SEO is the be-all and end-all of content marketing. However, SEO is only the tip of the iceberg.

The secret to standing out isn’t simply getting all those long-tail keywords stuffed in there.

“You can avoid making this mistake by ensuring the long-tail keyword appears no more than 3% of the total word count,” suggests Viktoria.

But it’s also important to go beyond the text, be creative, be personal, and be unafraid to innovate.

A great example of this is visual storytelling. Take a look at how Privyr (a mobile-based CRM) visually imparts the process of switching to their product.

(Source)

As brands consistently churn out new material, they must ensure that every piece of content they produce is engaging and informative—and that means using high-quality images and visuals.

This doesn’t mean pretty pictures curated on your brand’s Instagram or Pinterest. Rather, we're referring to well-curated images that enhance your brand's message visually directly in the pieces.

Brian Dean also speaks of the importance of using visuals to the reader’s benefit. “Reader fatigue comes from reading without a break. Visuals give your readers a natural mental break.”

Marketers should be thinking about how graphics can add an extra layer of context to the words they're writing. This also doesn’t have to be limited to the use of images but can involve elements of your website design too.

“Highlighting how long the post takes to read at the top of the page can help reduce reader fatigue,” suggests Matt Janaway. “The one thing that seems to work best is having a progress bar to let readers know their progression.”

(Source)

4. Know your audience inside-out

Your readers may not necessarily be able to articulate what they want or what they're looking for in their content searches. That’s why they're coming to you in the first place after all but you should still have a sense of what makes them tick.

Using a targeted approach to your content strategy can make a huge difference in getting your content recognized by the right audience, at the right time.

First things first: start with the end in mind. The best way to avoid being overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information out there is to narrow down your focus as much as possible.

Begin by segmenting your audience, really knowing who they are, how they behave, and what they're looking for.

Then, when you put out new content or updates on older posts, you'll know before anyone else how your audience is going to react—and this will help you tailor your content accordingly.

The only way to know what makes your voice unique is by listening to your audience and learning what they want from you and what they respond to well. Ask yourself what you want your readers to take away from each nugget of information you have to share.

Defeat the Saturation

The weight of the digital marketing world is in content. Everywhere you look, there’s more and more information being thrown at you from all angles. It can be a tricky field to navigate and even easier to get lost.

You're not doomed to content saturation, however. By following the advice in this article, you can keep your content fresh without being repetitive. And don't stop; continue to evolve your strategy in line with the developments in the world of marketing.

If you're proactive from the start, treat each obstacle as something unique and avoid putting off your marketing/PR/social media, you'll be much more likely to succeed in getting your name out there and building an audience for yourself.

Good luck!