{"id":41944,"date":"2020-03-17T10:00:06","date_gmt":"2020-03-17T17:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/resources\/what-is-a-content-hub\/"},"modified":"2024-10-08T09:02:59","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T16:02:59","slug":"what-is-a-content-hub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/resources\/what-is-a-content-hub\/","title":{"rendered":"Content Marketing Hierarchy: Building Your Main Content Hub"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is a content hub? <\/strong>A content hub is an organized collection of content. This content repository is deeply rooted in brand experience and user experience. Content hubs are a resource destination for your audience, a place where they land and navigate to easily locate valuable information.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Congratulations, you\u2019re producing tons of amazing content \u2014 but so are many marketers.\u00a0How you organize and present your amazing content is a brand differentiator. Expectations are at an all-time high, and attention spans are at an all-time low for today\u2019s content consumers.<\/p>\n

In total, there are 11 content levels that symbolize a degree of connectedness to your brand experience.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Core<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Vertical<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Hub<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Franchise<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Campaign<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Pillar<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. Ladder<\/a><\/li>\n
  8. Skyscraper<\/a><\/li>\n
  9. Foundational<\/a><\/li>\n
  10. Asset<\/a><\/li>\n
  11. Element<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Before you proceed with the third content level in our brand hierarchy, we invite you to read up on\u00a0core content (#1)\u00a0and\u00a0vertical content (#2). Then, you\u2019re ready to explore content hubs, the powerful intersection of brand and user experience.<\/p>\n

    \"What<\/h2>\n

    What is a content hub?<\/h2>\n

    A content hub is an organized collection of content. This content repository is deeply rooted in brand experience and user experience<\/a>. Content hubs are a resource destination for your audience, a place where they land and navigate to easily locate valuable information.<\/p>\n

    Content hubs are the third level in the top tier of a content hierarchy, following behind\u00a0vertical content (#2)\u00a0and\u00a0core content (#1). Your brand might have one or several content hubs, so it\u2019s important to clarify the definition of your content hub and prioritize so\u00a0strategists and creators are fully focused and aligned.<\/p>\n

    What a content hub is not<\/h2>\n

    As content marketers, we have to keep up with so much jargon as it is. To understand content hubs, let\u2019s quickly cover what a content hub is not. A pillar, ladder, or skyscraper \u2014 which are all lower content levels that play a supporting role.<\/p>\n

    A content hub (#3) is much higher on the totem pole when you are looking at the content marketing paradigm. Here\u2019s an easy way to think about it. Is a three-hour Netflix documentary film about pandas a content hub? No. Is Netflix a hub? Absolutely.<\/p>\n

    Why a content hub matters<\/h2>\n

    How many times have you visited a common content hub or a blog and felt frustrated by the user experience? You can\u2019t find what you\u2019re looking for because you only have recent posts and nonsensical categories for navigation. What do you do next? You leave… and perhaps, you never return.<\/p>\n

    Your content hub\u00a0is very likely the nucleus of your brand. Many brands are entirely dependent on content hubs for revenue generation. Your content hub might draw qualified leads<\/a> and eventually convert them. If your content hub involves a paid subscription or courses, then your repository is centered around a monetization strategy.<\/p>\n

    Content hubs cannot be an afterthought. These repositories must be highly organized to encourage efficiency and provide immediate value.<\/p>\n

    \"How<\/h2>\n

    How to create a content hub strategically<\/h2>\n

    Creating a content hub takes a strategic mindset and time. You already have messaging foundations, analytics, and insights to lean on. Now you need to pull everything together, explore potential avenues, and decide on the best content hub for your audience.<\/p>\n

    1. Understand what your audience needs.<\/h3>\n

    When you\u2019re building a content hub, refer back to\u00a0core content (#1), which sits at the top of the content hierarchy, and your\u00a0vertical content (#2). Reference brand foundations like your positioning statement and personas, then explore analytics and customer feedback. How will your content hub become the resource destination for your intended audience?<\/p>\n

    2. Decide on a content hub type.<\/h3>\n

    Your analytics and customer feedback will tell you a lot about where your content hub should be located. Is your Instagram channel more popular and engaging than your blog? Make Instagram your content hub. Resources play a big role. If your team isn\u2019t able to produce high-quality videos<\/a>, but you can write like the wind, choose written guides over a YouTube channel.<\/p>\n

    3. Audit and organize content.<\/h3>\n

    You\u2019re already familiar with\u00a0content audits,\u00a0and there are many ways to learn actionable insights during this process. When masterminding a content hub, your content audit will reveal common themes that might be used in the navigational menu. Or you might find opportunities to package up existing content in fresh ways<\/a> on your new content hub.<\/p>\n

    4. Prioritize user experience.<\/h3>\n

    User experience is critical for your content hub. Remember, this is supposed to be a streamlined home for your content. Don\u2019t rely on some default \u201crecent posts\u201d situation here. Be thoughtful about categorization and the ability for the user to sort your content with features like search functionality and straightforward filters.<\/p>\n

    5. Analyze and refine.<\/h3>\n

    Continually analyze and refine your content efforts. Your content hub is a living organism, and it is far from static. It must be managed, updated, and renewed. Because this content level is higher up on the content marketing hierarchy, it deserves your attention. Revisit the design and navigation consistently.<\/p>\n

    \"Content<\/h2>\n

    Content hub examples from savvy brands<\/h2>\n

    Lucky you. Since everyone is creating content, that also means everyone is organizing their content in a variety of fashions. These content hub examples serve up several possibilities for your repository to help you decide on the best direction for your brand.<\/p>\n

    Blog by ClearVoice<\/h3>\n

    You\u2019re on a content hub right now… the ClearVoice Blog<\/a>. Since ClearVoice is a content marketing platform, you can guess how important having a rich repository of resources is for this audience of freelancers, brands, and agencies.<\/p>\n

    There are many ways to organize a blog content hub. In this case, content types (articles, ebooks, case studies, webinars, and guides) are in the resource navigational menu. You have the option to use the search bar or explore featured tags.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Online learning by Khan Academy<\/h3>\n

    Speaking of organizing your content hub,\u00a0Khan Academy<\/a>\u00a0demonstrates an epic mega menu for their online courses. When you land on this nonprofit\u2019s home page, select whether you are a learner, teacher, district, or parent and head to a personalized sign-on page.<\/p>\n

    You can also navigate through the mega menu course offerings. If you want to learn about grammar<\/a>, select that course and see a clear rundown of the course offerings.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Resource center by MarketingProfs<\/h3>\n

    In marketing, resource centers are one of the most popular applications of content hubs.\u00a0MarketingProfs<\/a>\u00a0is a mecca for marketers looking for a substantial variety of resource formats to support their continued education.<\/p>\n

    The navigational sidebar alludes to the impressive amount of marketing resources offered by MarektingProfs. Filter by:<\/p>\n