Content Quality Vs. Content Quantity vs. Content Quality – The Great Content Debate

Content quality vs. content quantity. Is there enough content? How much content is enough? This post was written 7 years ago. Then, I was the closing keynote at a recent content marketing conference where I saw that the debate continues. Here's an update!

Every business has to wrestle with the issue of quality content vs. quantity. This has been a problem for marketers since the beginning. I've seen the arguments from ad executives and agencies about whether they should buy more reach, frequency, or media impressions.

This is something I've dealt with as both a salesperson and demand gen marketer, sending leads to sales. Are we sending enough leads to satisfy sales? Or do we send quality leads that they buy?

Content marketers from all industries are facing the same dilemma. How much content should they create, how frequently should we post, how long should it take, what should its cost, and how high should it be?

Let's get down to it and find out the answer once and for all.

Quick Takeaways

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  Research shows that web traffic growth is directly related to the content you publish. You will receive more traffic if you publish more content. However, quality must be maintained.
  
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  It doesn't have to be about content quantity and quality. You can get the best of both with a few adjustments to your content strategy.
  
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  Repurpose old content to build new perspectives in your industry.
  
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  Quality vs. quantity are not two sides of the same coin when it comes to content. You can have your cake, and eat it as well! There are no two options.
  

Is there a balance?

What is content quantity? It is the amount of content that you have published over a time period. A number that is measured over a period of time represents content quantity. Examples of content quantity are 2 articles per week and 1 article per day. Similar terms include content frequency and content cadence.

We need to balance the lines between creating enough content that increases your customer conversations and the need to present your unique viewpoint and distinguish yourself from your competition.

My friend Doug Kessler, Velocity Partners, said that we must “Stop Creating Crap.” However, this doesn't necessarily mean we should create less.

What does content quality mean? Content Quality is subjective. It is the quality of a piece or content that answers the search query of the reader. The quality of content is determined by factors such as word count, years of experience, and other accolades. However, these factors only assume that the content answers the question being asked. The individual reader is the best judge of quality.

It's easy to pick the side of quality when it comes to this debate. We must create useful, entertaining and engaging content. It must live up to your brand's standards.

Content marketers must produce content that is relevant to their target audience and that inspires them to take action.

We have to do this all at a level that is beneficial for the business. When content is only good for a few hours at most and short-lived in the real world, we can't produce one piece of great content per month.

So do we need more content or better content? We need more and better content.

My answer to the question of content quality vs. volume might surprise you. Since my first speech on this topic in 2013 at the 2nd Content Marketing World conference, I haven’t changed much.

This is because I have studied data on content quantity, and it shows a real correlation to traffic and leads. This theory was tested in my first content marketing program with SAP. Content Quantity is important, so I'm convinced. Don't take my word for this.

HubSpot, a marketing giant, agrees with my studies as well as many other researchers. As you can see in the graph, there is a sweet spot for blog posting.

The increase in traffic from companies that post HTML2_ to 4 times per week (eight-16 posts per month) is anywhere from 2 to nearly 4 times.

The traffic is high quality traffic. Hubspot also showed the exact same increase of leads. You can expect to see 2-4x the traffic if your blog publishes more than 2 posts per month. It can take up to a year for these results, according to our data.

You can have the best both of them.

Commitment to Quality Content Leads to Content Quantity

“Deadlines can be the greatest source for inspiration.” Mark Twain

Mark Twain is right. Having a publishing schedule can help us create better content. Start by setting a quantity goal. It is important to establish a publishing schedule that is dedicated and consistent. This will enable us to reduce the number of customer conversations online. You must think like a publisher to set deadlines.

Once we have chosen our publishing schedule, we demand that each piece we publish be of high quality.

Volume also has its advantages. There are many benefits to having more content. You get better insights into what works. Increased content means more social engagement opportunities. You have more chances to answer customers' top questions if you create more content.

To produce quality content at scale, you don't have to be a writer

It doesn't take much to live in the industry that you have chosen for your career. You don't need to exert much effort to express your passion.

You can create great content via video or audio posts even if you don't like writing. You could also write down your ideas and have a blog writing service such as ours edit them.

You could also just BE. LIKE. Gary Vee

Your field is your expertise. It is not “crap” to share your expertise with others who are in need. All you need is a masterpiece of grammar and search engine-friendly keywords. Empathetic language will win hearts as well as minds.

My friend Doug Kessler brought this paradox out in an interview with Ceralytics. He spoke about the challenges of creating quality content and maintaining consistency. He stated, “If your story isn't unique, it's not going to allow you to deliver consistent results over the course of time.”

His concept of a “differentiated story” was precisely what I try to convey to my clients. Content marketing success is all about standing out as a thought leader within your niche and creating content that reflects your expertise.

You do two things when you use your expertise to spark content ideas.

• This allows you to limit the content you provide and helps you rank higher in search results for products or services that you offer.
• By creating content that is familiar with your topic, you can simplify the content creation process.

You will rank higher in search results for the content you create. But, you can also produce more content, easily increasing your content production to two to four posts per day. This is not only for those who are good at writing.

We have worked with subject matter specialists, leaders in their fields. They were either not native English speakers or had difficulty writing. There are many ways to help industry leaders get their message across.

Recording a video or audio recording of your thoughts can help you express your thoughts clearly if it is difficult for you to write. Our blog writing service can even turn transcripts of executive ideas into high-quality articles.

To increase your posting frequency, you can reuse older content

To increase their reach, companies should not only focus on their expertise but also repurpose older content. There are many ways to reuse old content. Your imagination is the only limit. This content marketing strategy will allow you to quickly increase your production.

Make the channel change Not everyone enjoys reading. This includes your target customers. Turn your blog posts into videos, your videos into podcast episodes. Make infographics using the statistics you have so carefully researched for your blog post. To reach people with different learning styles, you can find the best content and distribute it in many forms.

Change perspectives: There's so much to a topic in your niche that one blog post, video or podcast cannot cover. Let's take this topic as an example. This topic is an example of the “why”. However, we haven't covered the “how” to create that amount of content in a week. The next post will cover time-saving writing strategies and tools that can help your team produce better quality content in a shorter time.

Read comments and questions from readers on previous posts to get ideas. Content marketing is all about answering customers' questions and solving their problems. They'll feel more comfortable with you addressing their concerns. For more ideas, you can also keep an eye on the comments of your followers on social media posts. A webinar might be a good idea if there are many people who have the same concern.

If you are able to pump the content pump, you will be able to publish at least 2 blog posts per week. This is your passion, your life's work. This is what you have.

As you get more comfortable sharing your expertise you will find that you publish more often. You'll soon be publishing four posts per week and gaining the kind of traffic that will boost your ROI to incredible heights.

Our Content Builder Service can help you get more visitors to your website by providing quality content that is consistently published – and often. Get in touch with me to schedule a consultation and receive a PDF copy of my books for free. Start today and start generating!

Comment below to let me know your thoughts.