What are Compounding Blog Posts?

Have you ever created the perfect blog post, polished it to perfection, watched eagerly as it was viewed and shared by hundreds or thousands of readers, only to witness as it reaches fewer and fewer people every day? You're not alone. According to HubSpot, that is exactly the reception 90 percent of blog posts achieve. So, what about the other 10 percent?

Why Compounding Posts Important?

The remaining 10%percent are called compounding blog posts. These blog posts are designed to generate a steady flow of traffic over time. They generate 38 percent of overall traffic, and they cost no more to create. This makes them more impactful regarding ROI than the other systems combined. In today's competitive business environment, you need every advantage you can get. 

What do Compounding Blog Posts look Like

Compounding posts have several characteristics. First, they are informational and address a pain point felt by many. They are broad and tactical, instead of narrowly focused and topical. The most successful compounding blog posts not only directly answer a question but they also provide a clear solution. They feature a headline that indicates the goal and a content piece that delivers. This makes them the go-to source for search engines. One compounding post will create as much traffic over its lifetime (period of relevance) as six traditional or decaying posts.

1. Create tactical content that aims to help a broad audience. Even if you run a niche business, seek to address holistic concerns, instead of specific ones or specific concerns that affect others outside your market. The goal of inbound marketing, after all, is to bring people "in" to you. 
2. Use the language of the searcher. Once you have settled on a topic, consider the words your buyer persona, prospects, and other information seekers will use to search for this information. 
3. HubSpot research has found that certain words are common in the titles of blog posts that successfully compounds. When creating a headline use these common terms: 
4. Consult with your sales team and customer service to find out the most common questions they are asked about your business, products, and services. Write content that addresses those issues. 
5. Anticipate questions that your reader may have while reading the blog post; answer them within the content. 
6. Take a look at old content or blog posts that have performed well for you and revise it with a compounding post strategy in mind. Regularly review your compounding content as well. Searchers will often look for the most current information published.
7. Create content that simplifies a complex topic. The "XYZ for Dummies" series of books are best sellers for a reason. Don't talk down to your readers but avoid the use of jargon and technical language when creating this type of content. 

Compounding blog posts should be long enough to satisfy your readers' question without overwhelming them. Keep the blog post readable and exciting by using appropriate images, bullet points, high-quality links, short paragraphs, and bolded subheadings. 

The concept of using content to build authority is not new. Unfortunately, most of the content produced and published today is failing to hit the mark. Compounding blog posts are simple, easy to use, and powerful strategies that you can use today.