As you in all probability know, one in every of Rock Content material’s foremost objectives is to offer related content material for entrepreneurs and model house owners.
We’ve been doing this for over ten years via our weblog, social media, programs, and different content material codecs like Rock Content material Journal and Advertising and marketing Backstage.
Two years in the past, we determined to ship not solely high-quality content material concentrating on our persona’s foremost search intents but in addition weekly information in a advertising and marketing publication: The Beat.
This week, The Beat reaches its a centesimal version, and it’s secure to say we’ve discovered a factor or two alongside the way in which.
To have a good time this milestone, we’re pulling again the curtain on The Beat to disclose all the main points of our publication, from our manufacturing course of to the numbers we’ve achieved over time.
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One other advertising and marketing publication?
Advertising and marketing newsletters are usually not precisely a brand new idea. There are lots of out there, a lot of that are fairly good.
So, earlier than The Beat even thought of seeing the sunshine of day (or our readers’ inboxes), we needed to reply the query: how can we guarantee our publication stands out from the remaining?
We selected to make The Beat stand out from the group with two particular options:
- The Beat is an interactive publication (sure, Rock Content material is critical about content material expertise). Readers can work together with numerous parts and revel in an expertise that goes past written content material.
If you wish to know extra about The Beat’s interactive design course of, I extremely advocate you learn this text.
- It’s extra than simply “information for the sake of reports.” In addition to masking every part that occurred through the week, we talk about how every matter impacts your methods—with insights from our specialists on every topic.
Now that you simply and The Beat have been launched, let’s begin our behind-the-scenes tour.
An summary of The Beat in numbers
To kick off our tour, we’ve gathered a number of the most fascinating info from these 100 editions that will help you get conversant in our publication:
- 2 years of publication
- 100 editions in complete, all the time revealed on Fridays
- 10,836 subscribers, gained 100% organically
An summary of The Beat in matters
We additionally analyzed probably the most steadily lined matters in The Beat and created a phrase cloud. Right here’s the consequence:
The themes “Search engine marketing” and “Advertising and marketing” have been probably the most lined over these 100 editions, for apparent causes. However we’ve additionally talked loads about social media, knowledge, and, in fact, Synthetic Intelligence.
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💡 Enjoyable truth: Google updates have been talked about in 17 editions of the publication. That’s a variety of updates!
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Finest editions up to now, in keeping with our viewers
We could be biased as a result of we love each version of our publication, however our viewers has significantly loved three:
#1. Welcome to The Beat: The very first version at its official launch. We made a variety of noise concerning the challenge’s inauguration, leading to some of the accessed editions thus far.
#83. Influencer Advertising and marketing in 2024: This version featured a complete article with knowledge on Influencer Advertising and marketing in 2024, mentioned Google updates, and included a full interview with the VP of Advertising and marketing at Aircall.
#24. Natural cellular site visitors is dropping: This version was full of interactive parts like charts, quizzes, and response buttons.
Editor’s picks: Finest editions of The Beat for Rock Content material
I do know, I do know. In relation to outcomes, our opinion won’t matter a lot. However because the editor of The Beat, I do have my favourite editions. Listed below are a few of them:
#21. We examined the new Instagram feed prematurely: I’m biased not solely as a result of I’m the editor of The Beat but in addition as a result of I wrote the principle article of this version. It’s actually superb: interactive parts, a brand new podcast episode with the Senior Market Analysis Supervisor at SemRush, and unique interviews… it turned out glorious.
#28. TikTok now threatens Google: Keep in mind the controversy about Google’s personal knowledge displaying that Gen Z most popular looking on TikTok over Google? In fact, we lined it.
#50. Our first look into Google Analytics 4: One other version I tip my hat to. The duvet story reveals Rock Content material’s behind-the-scenes have a look at how we have been adapting to GA4, whereas the remainder of the version covers the launch of Bing Chat and the TikTok ban difficulty in the USA.
#68. 30+ questions, answered: How AI is altering Search engine marketing: Lastly, the version the place we introduced within the Head of Search engine marketing at Wix to speak with our VP of Advertising and marketing about the way forward for Search engine marketing with the AI growth, answering over 30 questions from our viewers. Tremendous informative.
It’s nice to look again and see how The Beat has served as an data channel for advertising and marketing professionals on key matters over the previous few years.
The Beat course of: step-by-step for creating an interactive publication
As we proceed our tour, let me stroll you thru the step-by-step technique of our routine with The Beat.
As we speak, the publication is created by two individuals on our staff: myself, liable for writing, modifying, and distributing the publication, and Inventive Designer Nayara Medeiros, who designs the publication and its visible supplies.
This was the preliminary course of we designed, and it has remained just about the identical till as we speak:
Step 1. Collect the content material for the version
Each Tuesday or Wednesday, I resolve which content material will likely be included within the version.
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💡 Essential: We even have a particular course of for creating content material masking sizzling matters and developments for the weblog (which follows a distinct rhythm than Search engine marketing-focused content material). With out any such content material, it will be inconceivable to maintain the publication operating because it does as we speak.
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To create the publication content material, I contemplate a number of factors:
- What matters have we lined on the weblog this week?
- Do we have now any audiovisual materials value together with? For instance, podcasts, social media content material, or movies.
- Are there any further fascinating content material items for this version? For instance, interviews or case research.
- Is there any wealthy materials that might be featured on this version?
Step 2. Writing the content material for The Beat
With that in thoughts, on Wednesday, I begin creating the publication content material. The Beat has a hard and fast construction, so I all the time work inside that framework, dividing the content material into three components:
Interactive Expertise:
- Title
- Publication introduction
- Content material: title + writer + introductory paragraph
- Interactive parts
- Closing
The content material usually follows this sample:
E mail: In contrast to most newsletters, The Beat’s content material is just not introduced within the e-mail however inside the interactive expertise. So, the e-mail serves as an extra distribution level, inviting subscribers to learn the complete content material. It follows this construction:
- Title
- Introduction
- Abstract of what the subscriber will discover within the version
- CTA for the interactive expertise
We’ve performed many checks on how this e-mail ought to look and are all the time testing adjustments to extend open charges and, in fact, CTR. As we speak, this format works nicely.
Copies for distribution: Lastly, I additionally create the copies for selling The Beat on social media (Instagram, LinkedIn, and Telegram) and by way of push notifications, together with pointers for captions and creatives.
Step 3. Creating the interactive expertise
With the content material prepared, it’s now within the fingers of our Designer.
On Thursday, Nayara builds the complete interactive expertise for The Beat (she detailed the method right here) and likewise creates the playing cards we’ll use for selling the version. The consequence appears like this:
As soon as every part’s prepared, we overview each bit, check the hyperlinks, and I schedule the e-mail and social media posts.
And that’s it! By the primary hour of enterprise on Friday, The Beat is contemporary in our subscribers’ inboxes!
Company Publication: The methods which have labored greatest for The Beat
Final however not least, let’s discuss some methods we’ve examined over the previous two years which have delivered the most effective outcomes for us (in any case, I do know you may wish to replicate them in your organization, too).
Right here we go:
1. Have a couple of distribution level for the publication
This may shock you, however e-mail is just not the principle distribution channel for The Beat as we speak. As I discussed, each time a brand new version is launched, we distribute it throughout numerous Rock Content material channels.
One of many foremost ones is correct right here on our weblog: a micro-interactive expertise the place you may subscribe to the publication with out even leaving the web page. By the way in which, have you ever subscribed but?
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2. Create a particular month-to-month version for the overall leads base
To start with, for those who’re enthusiastic about creating a company publication to your model, don’t assume your leads base will routinely be your subscribers.
This error can significantly hurt your publication’s efficiency and even your e-mail area.
Subscribers must opt-in to obtain your publication and genuinely wish to obtain it. So, ship editions solely to those that have truly signed up to your content material, agreed?
Nevertheless, this doesn’t imply you may’t invite your leads base to take a look at your publication and, if they want, subscribe for extra content material. We did this for some time with “The Month-to-month Beat,” a particular month-to-month version of The Beat, summarizing an important occasions of the month.
The month-to-month publication was partially accessible (which means the reader might solely see the start of the content material. To learn the remaining, they needed to subscribe). This motion alone doubled our variety of new month-to-month subscribers.
3. Incorporate visible and interactive parts that complement the article
That is the principle motive why The Beat isn’t any abnormal publication, and I merely love the potential for creating content material that subscribers can work together with.
4. Particular editions
We’ve had a number of themed editions of The Beat, normally to advertise particular materials that Rock Content material was launching.
Two examples:
#30. Okay, variety sells. However how about altering the world? A whole version on Advertising and marketing, Variety & Inclusion, created to advertise the sixth version of Rock Content material Journal with the identical theme.
#94. AI Digital Influencers: We would have liked to advertise the State of Advertising and marketing Report, a partnership between Rock Content material, HubSpot, and different firms, so we created a particular version of The Beat with insights from the report.
In each instances, The Beat helped increase development advertising and marketing outcomes with out shedding its essence and goal of offering high quality content material to subscribers.
Which brings me to my ultimate level…
5. The principle and non-negotiable precept: Be related
No person needs a company publication that solely talks concerning the firm and its merchandise.
The Beat has by no means been, and by no means will likely be, about Rock Content material.
It’s about bringing the highest advertising and marketing and content material matters of the week, explaining how every matter immediately impacts the lives and methods of selling professionals and model house owners, from the attitude of our specialists as content material advertising and marketing leaders.
Sure, it speaks loads concerning the model. It brings consciousness, authority, and even development outcomes. However its content material won’t ever be about that. It’s about being actually related to our subscribers.
And that’s what makes The Beat so distinctive, for the previous 100 editions, and for a lot of extra to return.
And since we’re speaking about The Beat, how about subscribing now? There, you’ll discover all of the developments that matter within the digital advertising and marketing panorama. Take pleasure in!
