A time will come when you see that your marketing is stagnating and the usual topics and angles don’t do as well. Maybe you just can’t find ideas that stick. Your emails and posts are not getting the numbers you want, but you don’t know how to fix it or what you can do to improve.
This is where a content gap analysis comes in. Through this process, you can identify the topics your competitors are talking about and revamp your marketing strategy.
But how do you conduct this kind of analysis effectively? What resources should you look at? We’ll explore all these in this guide.
What is a Content Gap Analysis?
In your content lie holes that are not known to you. These topics are blind spots that are impeding your success. Your competitors are addressing these content gaps, but you are not or are not doing so thoroughly enough.
A content gap analysis is a method of identifying these content holes, evaluating how you can improve them, and addressing what content your target user wants to see from you.
Why is a Content Gap Analysis Important?
When you want to improve the caliber and depth of your content efforts, you should conduct a content gap analysis.
This process leads to more engaging articles, ads, newsletters, podcasts, and whatever content you have in your rotation. It allows you to start filling those gaps with your audience’s satisfaction in mind.
Ultimately, a content gap analysis helps you make smart decisions that are backed by the right insights, all while using fewer resources.
It keeps you competitive because you stay abreast of trends and opportunities. You are always ready for whatever offers or promotions your competitors have because you can anticipate them.
The knowledge you gain from the process can be used for your marketing objectives and for building a value-laden content calendar.
How to perform a content gap analysis
A Disclaimer
You will find that most guides about performing a content gap analysis will tackle SEO and uncover keywords that your competitor is ranking for and you aren’t.
This is a huge topic in itself and most SEO tools you know are well-equipped to do this content gap analysis for you.
You can use tools like:
- Semrush
- Ahrefs
However, as a disclaimer, this guide is not just about SEO. We’ll talk about content gaps as a whole and as they pertain to strategic planning for marketing.
We will answer the question: How does a content gap analysis work for marketing campaigns?
This includes answering the following:
- What topics are your competitors talking about?
- Where can you extend your marketing strategy?
- What content opportunities are there?
The Process
Identifying content gaps in your marketing is straightforward.
- Look at your competitors’ content (ads, emails, landing pages, content calendar).
- Compare your content with that of your competitors.
- Identify what’s missing in your current content in relation to your competitors, your audience’s needs, or your goals.
- Find these opportunities (content topics) and create the content.
In surveying an entire marketing strategy for gaps, you don’t just look for keywords.
You need to know the types of content gaps people usually come across in their competitors’ social media, websites, and newsletters.
Examples of Common Content Gaps
Seasonality
If your competitor is posting emails about spring, such as spring cleaning, and you’re not, then you have a gap in seasonal content.
It’s easy to spot because this type of content ramps up as the seasons change.
Hooks and Emotions
Hooks are engagement-baiting opening lines or images that aim to keep viewers watching or reading.
Your competitors are probably experimenting with several different hooks to captivate waning attention spans.
Aside from hooks, they’re also playing with different appeals to emotion such as the fear of missing out, fun, or curiosity. Observe which hooks and emotions they frequently use in their marketing and see if you are using those as well.
Value Proposition
Even the same product can have different value propositions. Identify each value proposition if you can and integrate those in your ads, emails, videos, and website.
For example, the supplement brand AG1 has a single product but they talk about it in different ways.
It becomes apparent that they’re targeting several audiences in their campaigns.
These audiences can be around:
- Gender
- Hobbies
- Lifestyle
- Occupation
Tailor your content to these audience segments as well so you have a bigger presence in the market.
Tone
Competitors also switch up their tones when they push a product or promotion. Observe which tones they use.
Even the same product can have different value propositions. Identify each value proposition if you can and integrate those in your ads, emails, videos, and website.
How to Spot Content Gaps
Check their content calendar
Spot the events your competitors are promoting across their entire marketing as well as the seasonal themes they’re addressing such as the start of colder weather, the summer heat, and milder temperatures in spring.
Pay attention to when they start talking about big sales events like Black Friday or Mother’s Day and how they present their offers.
Spy on their ads
Your competitors will highlight different value propositions for each target customer type.
They’ll also use gifting angles, presenting their product as a great gift for friends and loved ones.
This kind of technique is apparent in advertisements so check out their ads to see what hooks they’re using and the emotions they’re trying to trigger.
Integrate these hooks into your ads too, whether it be cultivating a sense of FOMO, adding humor, or triggering curiosity.
Then, you can test different ad hooks and see which one performs the best.
Monitor their email newsletters
Email newsletters will complete the puzzle. Look at the kinds of emails your competitors send, whether they be relational, promotional, or product-focused.
Are they posting educational content such as guides? Are they pushing offers through urgency tactics? Or are their offers personalized to the individual recipient?
Best Practices for Content Gap Analysis
Performing a content gap analysis is overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Conducting any competitor analysis takes time, resources, and most of all organization.
And it doesn’t end with tracking either. You need to make sense of all the emails, ads, and creatives you come across. Ask yourself:
- Is it working?
- Will this last?
- Is it important?
To use your time efficiently, focus only on your competitors' most important changes and analyze which ones are working well and what their goals are for each piece of content.
Next, track your competitors regularly to see if the content type they’re introducing runs for a long time. If they stop a certain ad after only a few days or weeks, that could mean it’s not effective.
Start small. Look at your competitors’ content calendar for the previous week. Have an in-depth look at what they’ve been posting online. It will give you a lot of food for thought.
Lastly, if you can automate a part of or even your entire content gap analysis, you will save so much time and energy.
Panoramata: Content Gap Analysis Tool
Good news: There’s a platform to help you spot content gaps automatically and effortlessly.
Introducing Panoramata, an all-in-one competitor tracking platform that allows you to better manage your content calendar and conduct a content gap analysis in one place.
These are just a few of the features you can use for content gap analysis through Panoramata.
Content Calendar with Summaries
The calendar lets you know when a competitor starts talking about key events like summer or Black Friday across all their marketing materials, whether it’s ads or emails.
It also gives you a look at how long they publish content around that event or topic. This helps you look at yearly trends and how they prioritize promoting a certain holiday over others.
You can also do this for specific keywords you want to track so it’s not limited to just marketing events, sales, or holidays.
For example, you can monitor when the word “glow” is being used throughout the year. The calendar tells you how often the post about this keyword with just one search.
Customized Insights
Panoramata can perform a content gap analysis for you on autopilot every week. The platform can even anticipate a competitor’s campaigns and offers, so you can prepare ahead.
You can also benchmark your content against your competitors and get a more personalized report to fit your use case.
Ready to start your own competitive analysis? Grab your free competitive analysis template below.
If you’d like to learn more about Panoramata, book a demo with us or take it out for a spin by signing up here.
FAQs
What is the main purpose of a content gap analysis?
The main purpose is to identify areas where your content is lacking compared to competitors and what your audience wants to see, ultimately improving your marketing efforts.
Does content gap analysis only focus on SEO?
No, while SEO is a part of it, content gap analysis also includes examining various aspects like emotions, tone, and seasonality in your marketing strategy.
How often should you conduct a content gap analysis?
It's suggested to track competitors regularly and start small, perhaps by reviewing their content from the previous week, to stay updated and efficient.
