Over the last year, we've seen a lot of algorithm updates from Google that emphasized the importance of having unique content on a website. Being able to create quality content is often a problem many businesses face. The following is a list of ways that I’ve seen companies use to get others to create great content for them.

#1 Allow Guest Posts

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A popular way to get content for your site is to hire a content writer or freelancer to write the content for you. Another option is to use websites like Blogger Link Up and My Blog Guest to connect with writers seeking opportunities to write guest posts at no cost to you. For a larger list of places to find writers, check out the post The Ultimate Guide To Guest Blogging.

If your website has some decent domain authority, you should have no problem finding writers ready, willing, and able to provide content for your website. Simply place an ad describing the content you are looking for, your guidelines, and then sit back and wait for the writers’ emails to start rolling in. A high DA can make for an attractive win-win scenario for both your website and the writer: The writer gains exposure and a quality piece for their portfolio on a noteworthy site, and the site owner gets great content at low or no cost.

Pro Tip: Establish clear guest post guidelines for your site that outline what you are looking for in a post and what you will not allow. Ask the writers to submit topics for approval first and commit to the guidelines before sending their post.

#2 Conduct a Survey

Source: http://www.aweber.com/blog/email-marketing/teens-communicate-infographic.htm

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Great content can come from analyzing data gathered from surveys. Conducting a survey used to be expensive, but free services like Survey Monkey or Facebook polls allow you to quickly and easily survey your fans to collect data. After the survey results have been collected, you can evaluate the data, determine trends, and finally find a way to best communicate the results to readers. This can best be accomplished by putting the data into a visual chart that makes the data much easier to understand.

Example

A good example of a business that had success with this sort of strategy is Aweber, who conducted a recent survey which discovered just how much teenagers use Facebook to communicate. This earned them links on major publications such as Social Media Today, Jezebel, and Marketing Pilgrim.

Pro Tip: Learn how to write effective survey questions. Here is a good place to start.

#3 Hold Content Contests

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Companies will often run contests where they give away an iPad or a trip to Disneyland for links. Why not leverage these opportunities to gain free content for the site as well? Content doesn’t always have to be written, either. It can also be photos or videos.

Example

A great example of a site that has leveraged contests for content in this way has been SEOmoz. Their MozCation contest received thousands of tweets and Facebook updates, and even spawned dozens of websites created by people striving to be chosen as winners.

Another example is the SEOmoz Youtube Video Contest, which encouraged the SEOmoz community to submit videos that SEOmoz, in turn, posted on their YouTube channel. Again, this a great way to encourage others to create quality content for you.

#4 Scholarship

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Similar to holding a contest to encourage others to create content for you, the same can be done by holding a scholarships to help eager college-bound students to create amazing content. When given the opportunity, and a little bit of motivation, students can do amazing things that they then can cite on their resumes or portfolios in the future. This approach can be more expensive, but it is a great way to help give back and reward up-and-coming talent for fresh ideas.

Example

Probably the most popular scholarship that I know of is the Stuck at Prom Scholarship. In case you are not familiar with the contest, Duck Brand duct tape offers a $10,000 scholarship to the couple that created and wore the best prom outfits made completely of Duck Tape.

I’ve been following it for years and am still amazed at what can be done with Duck Tape! Besides Duck Tape receiving a ton of exposure every year, they also get great content sent to them -- which now has its own section on the site. In this section, the top couples get their own gallery page with photos and an explanation of how they did it.

#5 Interview Experts

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Interviewing experts is one of my personal favorite ways to get high quality content that people want to read. Experts are recognized, respected, experienced and they have knowledge that others want to learn more about. So why not talk to them and give their audience what they want?

Example

I have had the privilege of interviewing industry leaders such as CRO Nick Eubanks, SEO John Doherty, and social media strategist Jesse Stay. It's important to do your homework and prepare good questions for your interviewee to answer. An interview also is a great excuse to break the ice and connect with amazing people in your industry.

Pro Tip: If the interviewee doesn’t have much time or doesn’t want to write answers to questions, offer to do the interview over the phone and then transcribe the conversation. (Hat tip to Wil Reynolds.)

#6 Testimonials & Reviews

I assume that you are marketing an amazing product or quality service to people. So, why not ask them for a testimonial or review? Customers enjoy being heard and with easy access to platforms like YouTube and Facebook, you can easily create this type of content from customers. Displaying these testimonials not only provides fresh content for your site, but also shows your visitors that you are offering something of value.

a.) Brand Advocate Testimonials

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Let your customers do the bragging for you.

Example

An example of a well-made testimonial page is the one done over at Clover sites. They have the usual customers’ quotes and logos of publications in which the brand has been featured, but where they really stepped it up is by showcasing videos of clients who love the product.

Pro Tip: Have customers who would appreciate the exposure? Create a video of what they like about your service. Then, make sure to include a link or contact information next to the testimonial.

b.) Expert Endorsed Reviews

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Again, if you are involved with something worth talking about, why not let leaders in your industry try out and review what you have to offer? Identify influencers in your space and investigate to see what type of products they enjoy reviewing. Most of these sites have contact pages that outline the steps to get your product or service reviewed.

Example

If I had a tech gadget, I would try to get my product on the Before You Buy Show from Twit.tv where they test out and review products in the tech industry. This industry leader review approach gains exposure for your product and lends credibility to their followers, hopefully resulting in links, traffic, and sales from their site.

c.) Empower Users to Write Reviews

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A more scalable approach to the review strategy is to make reviews a part of your website. Empowering your customers to write reviews on products is a great way to gain fresh content on those pages and improve the customer’s buying experience.

Example

Online retailers such as NutraPlanet have been able to leverage customer reviews on their supplement products. Having feedback from lots of actual users of the product will make the content unique, fresh, and helpful to those looking to purchase.

Conclusion

These are some of the tactics that I’ve seen companies use to have others create great content for them. With the creative powers here in SEOmoz, I’m sure there are more!

What other strategies have you seen that allowed others to create quality content for you?

Also, if you have other examples of any of these content-producing strategies being done, please share! I know that more examples will benefit the community as a whole.