{"id":14893,"date":"2023-07-18T14:22:23","date_gmt":"2023-07-18T21:22:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/showit.com\/?p=14893"},"modified":"2024-03-18T15:32:21","modified_gmt":"2024-03-18T22:32:21","slug":"everything-you-need-to-know-about-content-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/showit.com\/business-growth\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-content-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything You Need To Know About Content Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We\u2019ve made it, friend! This is officially the last<\/em> post in our 10-part series all about the health of your website. You now know how to create the best possible website for your brand! And<\/em> how to take that interest from your website and translate it into something lasting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And for our final post, that idea of lasting<\/em> is exactly what we want to chat with you about. Because while this may be the end of the series, <\/em>the topic of this post is actually the beginning<\/em> of building an online presence that will withstand the test of time. Finally, you have the knowledge to build a solid content strategy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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By now, you know how important having an awesome<\/em> website is. And you learned how to keep your readers\u2019 interest long after they\u2019ve X-ed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what we haven\u2019t talked about yet is what to do with that interest<\/em>. Once you\u2019ve figured out a way to get your readers to take the leap from website visitor<\/em> to regular client!  <\/em>That's where a plan comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here's where your content strategy\u2014and content repurposing\u2014comes in.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Content strategy is the process of planning, creating, and managing content to meet the needs of your target audience while also achieving your business goals. It\u2019s a crucial part of any brand\u2019s successful marketing strategy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A well-defined content strategy helps you to create and distribute valuable, relevant content that attracts and retains a clearly defined audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The content strategy process ensures that every piece of content you create serves a specific purpose. Whether it is to educate, entertain, or persuade your target audience into taking your desired action, you have near-endless possibilites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4 Benefits of a Solid Content Strategy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udc49 It helps you understand your audience better.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By identifying their needs, preferences, and pain points<\/em>, you can create content that is tailored to them. This then helps you build trust and credibility with your audience, which can lead to increased engagement and conversions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The more specific your content is to your ideal clients\u2019 questions, interests, and needs, the more they\u2019ll trust you, engage with you, and ultimately buy from you. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udc49 It helps you maintain a consistent brand voice.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By spending the time to create a consistent strategy, <\/em>you\u2019ll be able to maintain a consistent voice and tone that resonates with your target audience across all of your brand\u2019s marketing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having a consistent voice in all of your content is so<\/em> important for brand awareness and recognition because it\u2019s one of the main things that sets you apart from your competitors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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People prefer to work with brands that feel human, <\/em>and one of the best ways to help your audience make real<\/em> connections with you is by making yourself recognizable and relatable with a brand voice they can count on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udc49 It keeps your content aligned with your business goals.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

No matter what your goal is\u2014increase brand awareness, generate leads, drive sales, gain subscribers, get new podcast listeners, encourage people to sign up for your course\u2014all of your content should be designed to support your specific objectives. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you have a strategy in place, content creation that actually<\/em> gets you results is so much easier.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of creating posts on the fly, writing blogs at random, and sending newsletters about any old topic, a solid content strategy built with your brand\u2019s goals in mind supports your efforts by informing what you create\u2014and removing the stress of the \u201cwhat should I post?\u201d<\/em> guessing game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armed with a content strategy in your brand\u2019s back pocket, you can ensure that your content is not only engaging and informative but also contributes to your bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udc49 It provides you with a clear roadmap for your content creation efforts.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By identifying the types of content that are most effective in achieving your goals, you\u2019re able to determine which types of content to prioritize, then create. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this series, you have already outlined your objectives<\/a>, defined your target audience<\/a>, and <\/span>got clever on your messaging<\/span>.<\/a> <\/em>You probably already have even decided which content marketing channels you\u2019ll use to share your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that you have all of those elements in place, the only thing left to do is create<\/em>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Create a Content Strategy That Actually Works<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Creating a content strategy is nowhere near as difficult as it sounds. In fact, there are only a few steps you need to take in order to create an awesome content strategy that\u2019ll work for you. You won't have to think about content creation for months<\/em>! Woohoo!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step #1 – Who i<\/strong>s your content for? Why do they need it<\/strong>?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Content creation is an audience-first task. If you don\u2019t know who you\u2019re creating for\u2014what they want from you, why they need it, what will make them care\u2014you\u2019re not setting yourself up for success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before making your content strategy, spend some time inside your community\u2019s head; whether that means dreaming up your dream<\/em> projects, chatting with some past clients who you loved<\/em> working with, or researching details about your target audience online. You can revisit Part 2 of the series to refresh your brand strategy plan.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Step #2 – Get familiar with your goals <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Think specifically, what are you marketing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is there a desired action you\u2019re hoping your reader will take?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the solution you\u2019re providing your audience?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding WHY you\u2019re posting, WHAT you want to promote, and WHO needs your message the most is vital in creating a solid content strategy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before sitting down to plan out your content, think about what you do, why you do it, who you do it for, and how<\/em> you plan on spreading the word about the ways you\u2019re able to solve your audience\u2019s problems \/ meet their needs \/ provide value to them. Remember! You already did this in Part 2 with your Brand Strategy<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step #3 – Conduct your keyword research<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s impossible to talk about content creation and not<\/em> mention SEO, because half the reason you\u2019re even creating<\/em> content in the first place is likely so more<\/em> of your people can find you organically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this reason, incorporating relevant keywords into your content\u2014especially your long-form content\u2014is essential, if you\u2019re hoping to be more discoverable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RELATED<\/strong>: Check out our article about conducting keyword research here<\/em><\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step #4 – Create content that moves the needle<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Every piece of content you create should either trigger an action, inspire a next step, or move the needle forward for your reader\u2014even if it\u2019s only a little push in the right direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our favorite way to do this is by thinking about what the call to action is (and who we\u2019re hoping will take<\/em> said action) before<\/em> creating a certain element of content, so we can make sure we\u2019re not getting off track or making something that doesn\u2019t align with our goals or our audience\u2019s needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pssst. More on this in Part 5 of the series.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Step #5 – Think about what fuels your fire (and what fuels <\/strong>their<\/em><\/strong> fire) <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to create content that feels authentic to you AND relevant to your audience<\/em>. When making your content strategy, you\u2019ll want to find a happy medium between the topics you\u2019re passionate about, and the topics your audience<\/em> can benefit from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step #6 – Decide what your posting schedule will be<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s easy to get overwhelmed with content creation, especially<\/em> with SO many platforms and types of content you can create, so deciding on a posting schedule will prove to be extremely helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, when you know you need to post 3 times on Instagram, send one weekly newsletter, and publish twice a month on your blog, content creation becomes much more manageable than when you\u2019re looking at an overflowing list of ideas that have no timeline attached. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without a posting schedule, everything<\/em> will feel urgent, and you\u2019ll become frustrated with consistent content creation before you even get started. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A regular posting schedule also helps your audience become much more familiar with you, increasing engagement thanks to the reliability of your posting\/sending\/publishing\/uploading. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your numbers low? Check out: 5 Reasons You Have Low Engagement on Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Figure Out Which Elements of Your Content Strategy to Prioritize Most<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even though you may try to be, you can\u2019t be everywhere, all at once, all the time. <\/em>It\u2019s impossible to give your best on every <\/em>platform\u2014but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s impossible to build a content strategy that allows you to take advantage of all of the marketing channels available to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The key to a successful (and sustainable!<\/em>) content strategy is choosing 1-3 platforms that you feel like you can comfortably maintain putting effort into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, if you determine you\u2019d like to show up on other social media platforms or create other forms of marketing content, you can do so by repurposing the content you made for your \u201cmain\u201d outlets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

HERE\u2019S HOW TO CHOOSE WHICH PLATFORM IS GOING TO BE YOUR #1 FOCUS:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2192 Determine which content is the easiest for you to create.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Love<\/em> filming quick, short-form video content – focus on TikTok or Reels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enjoy<\/em> writing long-form content – focus on your blog or newsletter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dream<\/em> about creating graphics and writing captions – focus on Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You see where we\u2019re going with this? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing what you genuinely LIKE doing is just as important as doing the strategic<\/em> thing\u2014because if you don\u2019t actually enjoy<\/em> it (or at least enjoy it more than the other social media and content marketing channels available to you), then it won\u2019t be as easy for you to maintain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, followers, subscribers, readers, & viewers can ALWAYS tell when content feels forced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you spend your time creating content that you don\u2019t like,<\/em> just for the sake of being on a platform because you think you have<\/em> to be there, your community won\u2019t respond as well to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Engaging with your community is the whole *point* of creating content in the first place!)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pick a format of content you like, and run with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2192  Determine what makes sense for your goals. <\/strong>Which action do you want your community to take?<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When considering which platform to focus on, you\u2019ll first need to decide what your goals are, and which platform makes the most sense for you to reach them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example No. 1:<\/strong> Photographers and videographers may want to prioritize photo- and video-based apps, like Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok, so their ideal clients can see their work and get a feel for their style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example No. 2:<\/strong> Online service providers, like copywriters or virtual assistants, may want to prioritize content marketing channels that let them provide educational value and create long-form content to help their audience, like their blog or their email list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about WHY you\u2019re creating this content in the first place\u2014which action you\u2019re hoping your community will take\u2014and then decide which content marketing tool would be best suited for that.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2192  Determine which type of person is active on that specific platform. Is your ideal client likely to see your content there? <\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Once you know WHY you\u2019re posting and WHAT you want to post to help you further your goals, you\u2019ll need to make sure that your ideal client is actually <\/em>hanging out in that corner of the Internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve decided that you\u2019re going to start putting all of your energy into Facebook, but your audience is full of trendy Gen Z-ers, you\u2019re probably not going to be able to attract the clientele you\u2019re hoping for\u2014because they\u2019re not hanging out on Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll need to find a balance between what you<\/em> want to create, and what your audience<\/em> likes to consume. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While we\u2019re on the subject\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2192 Determine how your ideal client likes to consume content. <\/strong>Are you creating what they want from you? <\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The last step in deciding which content marketing tool to prioritize is figuring out which type of content best resonates with your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do they appreciate funny, relevant gifs (like ours does)?<\/p>\n\n\n\t

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