Did you know that only 43% of businesses have a written content marketing plan, but that those with a written plan see 27% better results? You know you need a content strategy, but you’re not sure what it entails or how to create one.
If this is you, don’t worry, because you’re in the right place. We’ve got everything you need to get started creating a winning content marketing plan.
Read on for more!
What is a Content Strategy?
Your content strategy is a written plan for creating, publishing, and managing your digital content. It is how you’ll market your products or services to your target audience. Your strategy gives your team a blueprint to follow each time they create new content for your brand.
Before you begin creating your content strategy, take the time to determine what types of content you’ll create. To do that, first look at the type of content your ideal audience consumes. This will determine the type of content you need to create; for example, if your ideal audience is C-suite executives, then likely you don’t need to add TikTok videos as a potential digital channel.
Once you know what channels you’re going to create content for, you can begin to map out your overall strategy. Remember, your strategy must represent each of your digital channels. It is also important to remember that your content strategy is a living plan that will evolve over time, including the channels on which you distribute your content.
Why You Need a Content Strategy
In today’s digital landscape, content marketing offers you a direct relationship with your potential, current, and previous customers. Also, digital marketing offers many different avenues to reach your consumers, including:
- Social media
- Blog
- Video content
- Emails
- White papers
Each type of content serves a purpose and works together to create a cohesive brand for your company. Your content provides a way for you to build your authority through educational and informative content.
As your team grows and creates more content, you’ll need a road map to follow. This road map provides guidance for what types of content you’ll create, how your brand voice will sound, and what your overall goals are for your content. This is why you need a written strategy.
Steps to Develop an Ideal Content Strategy
Now that you know what a content strategy is and why it’s so important for your brand, let’s dive into the steps you’ll want to follow to create your written plan.
1. Determine Your Target Audience
The first step is to look at the end goal and who you can help. This step includes creating your target audience by looking at your current customer base. What do they have in common, and who else fits in with this group?
If you’re a plumber, your audience includes homeowners and renters alike. You’ll want to create content revolving around fixing plumbing problems but also helping your audience determine if they have a problem. You will likely want to create a series helping the audience identify sounds and smells coming from their pipes and fixtures as well as video content for fixing the problem.
If you’re a real estate agent, your audience is home buyers and sellers, so you’ll need to create two audience personas. This will help you in future steps so you know what content is directed toward those selling their homes versus those looking for their next home purchase.
2. What Does Your Audience Need?
Once you’ve mapped out your detailed target audience, take some time to brainstorm what they need. Another way to determine what your audience needs is to ask yourself: what would make their lives easier?
A great place to start is by talking to your customer service department. What questions do they get asked the most? Once you know this, you can create content that answers those questions.
Take some time to think about what your target audience is searching for online. Then map out how your content can answer their problems with solutions and educational, helpful content.
3. Map Your Buyer Journey
Your readers are on a journey. Some have only recently heard of your company, while others have been following you for a while but haven’t purchased from you. The stages of the buyer journey include:
- Awareness
- Consideration
- Decision
- Purchase
- Loyal customer
Each company and each product within your product line will have different journeys and timelines. A lower-priced item will take less time to move from the consideration and decision phase to purchasing. Some of your readers might move through all these steps within one email, while others will take months.
Depending on where each reader is in their journey, they will look for and consume different types of content. Each different type of content will serve a purpose and move your reader further along in their journey. The end goal is for each reader to become a loyal, lifelong customer.
4. Create Your Campaigns
Now that you know who your content is serving and how it will move your reader from casual consumer to active buyer, it’s time to create the content.
Too many marketers jump to this last step without first working through the previous steps. When you make that mistake, your content will be disjointed and not move your audience toward your goals. However, if you work the steps in order and create a solid foundation, this step will be cohesive, streamlined, and successful.
Scale Your Growth with Content
As you can see, your content strategy is an important and useful tool in your marketing toolbox. This is a step you can’t afford to miss or get wrong if you want to grow and scale your company.
However, you may not have time to map out each piece of your content strategy, and you find that your content marketing isn’t bringing in the results you want. If that’s the case, then you need to work with an expert.
At Red Stone Studios, we have experience working with all sizes and types of companies, from small startups to larger enterprises. When we partner with you, we will create personalized and effective content strategies to help you reach your goals. So, if you’re ready to create a winning content strategy, then reach out to us today!
