What is Content Strategy?
Content strategy is a framework for producing and marketing content.
A content strategy details an organisation’s approach to
- subject selection
- content formats
- writing style
- design
- promotion.
Having a content strategy helps you plan your website’s content marketing. Without it, you will hop from one tactic to another, without real focus, objective or direction.
With a well thought-out strategy, everyone knows what they need to do, how they’re going to do it and what they hope to achieve in the process.
How to Set Up a Content Marketing Plan in Six Easy Steps
1. SET GOALS
Ask yourself why you are creating content. Is it to
- increase brand reach
- generate leads
- build followers
- attract previous customers
- improve search ranking results
- reach another specific objective.
2. DEFINE YOUR AUDIENCE
Your content strategy can only work if you know who your audience is;
- what sites are prospects already visiting?
- which kind of content do they engage with?
- which social media platforms do they use?
3. CREATE SPECIALIST CONTENT
Ask yourself if you are creating niche content to increase brand reach, generate leads, build followers, attract previous customers, improve search ranking results, or another specific objective.
4. PUBLISH YOUR CONTENT
A strong content strategy and content creation is just part of the formula. Amplify your content. Think about what might be the most effective content type for each post. Determine the online places your audience frequents, then publish to those channels.
5. LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS
Your customers like to know they have a voice and are being listened to on social media. Engaging with your customers and responding to their feedback enables you to gather valuable data and demonstrates that their opinions matter.
6. MEASURE YOUR RESULTS
Measuring the results of your content marketing is a crucial aspect of any strategy. You need to know what your audience liked, what they disliked and why in order to refine output and optimise engagement.