‘What is content strategy?’
It’s a question we frequently hear at MM Towers, so we’ve penned a quick post to provide a few answers.
Content strategy refers to the discipline responsible for the creation and distribution of images, words, graphics, and videos in order to meet business objectives.
In other words, an effective content strategy defines how you’re going to meet your business’s objectives through the creation and deployment of content.
It does not deal with tactics, such as types of content or channels, but the overall direction. It defines the market segment your activity will target and how that content is used to achieve your goals. For instance, is the content going to drive brand awareness, conversions or loyalty by demonstrating that your organisation is a leading authority?
Bear in mind that your key stakeholders may need to take a step back from day-to-day activities in order to identify what needs to be created and why.
The main purpose of a content strategy is to create relevant, cohesive, sustainable and engaging content that can attract target customers or audiences to your business.
Content strategy is important because:
Getting an accurate message to the right audience at the right time is vital in today’s digital environment. To reach all these essential touchpoints, you need to have a solid content marketing strategy and tactical plan.
A content marketing plan is more tactical because it defines ways to implement your strategy. It should include details such as the type of content you want to create, the topics you’ll cover, how you’ll create it, when to share it and how you’ll measure your impact.
For instance, you may include social media, blogs, surveys, and podcasts in your plan. A clear understanding of your audience can help you define which channels will be most appropriate.
While there is no single way to get it right, there are some pointers that can guide the development of your content strategy. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
You must understand your buyer persona to successfully develop a content strategy. This helps you to create valuable and meaningful content they will want to consume.
Before you begin planning your tactics, you must set clear goals. What do you want to achieve in the short, middle and long term? Which metrics are going to be used to measure performance?
SEO research can help you get started by defining the keywords you want to target. Tools, such as SEMRush and Ahrefs, can provide powerful insights, allowing you to supercharge your SERP rankings.
Before you get started, set key performance indicators (KPI) in line with your objectives. These allow you to track whether you’re on course for success. If you deviate from your KPIs, you can tweak and refine your content marketing plan to keep you on the path the success, so you create and share more relevant content over time.
In summary, content strategy determines your organisation’s approach to content. It defines your objectives, target audience and positioning, as well as what success looks like, allowing you to create a strong, successful tactical plan.
