Flagship content

What is flagship content?

In his excellent e-book, “Killer Flagship Content,”  pro blogger Chris Garrett describes flagship content as the overarching message of your blog, the core content around which your blog is built.  Flagship content is resource content, what people “go to” to find out what they really need to know about in your niche.  Over time, you continue to build it with fresh, original, niche-related resources that keep your blog relevant and valuable.

Thus, flagship content addresses the needs of your audience.  It focuses on your niche, and clearly provides real solutions to real problems.  It does this through posts that provide useful tips, lessons and tutorials, FAQs, research results, definitions, case studies, reviews, how-to skill lessons, and so on.  It avoids “hype” and focuses on real benefits for your audience.

Flagship content attracts:

Your flagship content is why people come to your blog, and then keep coming back.  It demonstrates your authority and your expertise in your niche area.  It also shows that you really know your audience, and that you continue to pay attention to their needs.  It shows that you pay attention to your readers’ comments and questions, where they come from, what they are looking at, and what they link to.

Your flagship content also attracts the attention of search engines, as they look for fresh, authoritative, valuable  information.  The keywords and key concepts for your blog are featured often in your flagship content, and that builds your blog’s SEO attraction, too.

Flagship content includes variety:

While your flagship content does of course feature useful “how-to” and “about” informational posts related to your niche, it should also include a variety of other materials.  These can include such things as samples of your work, information about your off-line activities such as conferences or media appearances, press releases, video or audio guides, and products or services such as seminars, ebooks, or other training materials.

Your flagship content is also linked to from the different ways you interact with your community:  comments, forums, social media like Twitter and Facebook, your Google + circles, your own input on other blogs in your niche, guest posts you write for other blogs, your email list, and of course real-world interactions.

Flagship content turns readers into customers:

Your flagship content should also help to convert your traffic  (readers) into customers.  Your core informational posts should direct your readers on how to take action: send them to a sales page, to RSS subscriptions, to email newsletter sign-up, to your workshops, and of course to other useful related content – content that they really need and are now willing to purchase because your flagship content has convinced them that you really do know what you are talking about!

Flagship content is easily accessed:

Your flagship content should be highlighted in such a way that when readers come to your front page, they are immediately informed about it and directed to it.  This means that you present it attractively and concisely, with “magnetic” headlines that grab your readers’ attention, with clear links.  You might provide a list at the top of your right-hand column, or a video, or a fixed information box directly under your banner.  You might link to it in your “page” links.  However you decide to “feature” your flagship content, make sure it gets your readers’ attention, and is easy for them to access and use.

Point to your flagship content from everywhere:

Since your flagship content is what your community really, really needs, make sure they know it is available!  Link to it from related posts on your blog.  Tell people about it on your social media pages.  Include links in your email signature.  When you’re going to put up new flagship content, tell your most faithful followers – your email newsletter readers and your customers – about it ahead of time; perhaps even give them the first opportunity to see and use it.  Share with “real world” people through press releases, at workshops, and of course in face-to-face conversations.  Ask for reviews and testimonials.

Questions of the Day:

Look through your blog.  What posts have received the most positive comments?  What questions do your readers most often ask?  Look through other blogs in your niche.  What niche topics create the most interest?  What posts or products do you already have that provide solutions and benefits for your readers?  Do you have posts in your archives that you could build upon and update to help your community?  What needs can you identify that you can provide help with through new flagship content?  How can you quickly and attractively point your readers to that content?

Tip of the Day:

When determining your flagship content, go back to and really focus on your initial plans for your blog niche.  Then organize the best, the most valuable, content, to provide instant help for your audience.

Put it into action:

Use the tips in this post to put your flagship content front and center for your readers!