Content marketing is currently one of the most influential strategies in the marketing landscape, and one of my favourite projects in my daytime job as a marketer, my human friends. I have done it for service-based companies (both B2B and B2C) and product-based companies as well. And of course this and other websites that I personally run in my free time. So in this article, I will show you how to create a content marketing strategy that suits the specific needs of your business or website.
Content marketing is the strategy in which a brand creates, delivers, and manages original or curated content to engage and retain customers, establishing the brand as a credible authority and, ultimately, driving a change in behaviour.
This is a versatile strategy that can be adapted to meet the needs and goals of organisations of all sizes and types and it is important both for large organisations and small ones, both service-based and product-based companies.
It offers a means to engage with target audiences, drive organic traffic, and foster long-lasting relationships, irrespective of the organisation’s scale or focus. Content marketing aligns with the current landscape of digital marketing and serves as a foundational element for businesses to thrive in the online world.
I have one article that dives deeper into what content marketing is, and another regarding what content marketing you should do according to your business model, but today I will focus on how to create a strategy that you can then turn into an executable plan.
Challenges of Content Marketing Strategies
The primary challenge when creating a content marketing strategy lies in developing high-quality, engaging content that resonates with the target audience, aligns with the brand’s objectives, and consistently delivers value.
This requires a deep understanding of the audience’s preferences, interests, and pain points, as well as the ability to generate fresh and compelling content ideas.
Additionally, content must be optimised for various channels, and there’s a need to balance creativity with data-driven insights to measure the effectiveness of the strategy. Overcoming these challenges demands a comprehensive approach that involves audience research, continuous creativity, and a commitment to adapting and refining the strategy based on performance metrics.
The Purpose of a Content Marketing Strategy
Before you embark on content creation, it’s vital to define what you want your content to achieve for your brand. Be clear about your objectives from the outset. Content marketing can serve various purposes, such as:
- Shifting perceptions of your brand.
- Enhancing your reputation and establishing yourself as an expert thought leader.
- Increasing customer engagement and interactions with potential customers.
- Informing existing customers about company news and product developments.
- Sharing your vision for the future of your company and the market.
Brands that don’t have a clear role for content within their business may struggle to determine the type of content they should create.
Ensure that your content marketing objectives align with the broader commercial and marketing goals of your business. Maintain focus. The best content creators are seen as authorities in their respective fields, consistently addressing the topics they aim to become experts in.
How to Create a Content Marketing Strategy Step by Step
1. Define Your Target Audience
For your content marketing, you will likely have multiple target audiences. These may include existing and potential customers, high-value and low-value customers, and those interested in specific product types.
You can also define audiences by geographical location, attitudes, demographics, business demographics, job roles, and behaviours. In the digital age, behavioural segmentation is often the most predictive factor.
Behavioural segmentation allows you to group your audience based on their actions in relation to your business. Do they adopt new technology early? Do they research before making purchases? How do they buy—directly or through intermediaries? Are they price-sensitive? Do they attend events and seminars? Do they buy a single product or a range of products?
If multiple segments exist, you may need to create different content variants. Therefore, start simple, define a few segments, and experiment with treating each group differently. Personalising content for each audience may yield better results than treating them as a homogeneous group.
Remember that in some channels, users will self-select their segment without your active involvement. On your website, for instance, you can offer links to content options, effectively letting users place themselves into specific segments.
2. Identify your Media: Owned, Earned & Paid Media
In content marketing, three primary types of media are in play: owned, earned, and paid. This strategy leverages the power of owned and earned media to reduce the dependence on paid media. So, what does each of these mean?
- Owned Media: These are the channels that you create and control, such as your website, blog, or events.
- Earned Media: These are the channels where people voluntarily share your content with their followers. Historically, this involved PR through journalists, but today, brands rely on customers sharing content through social media. Brands also seek to influence influencers like industry experts, bloggers, YouTubers, or celebrities with substantial social media followings.
- Paid Media: These are the advertising channels you pay for, including TV ads, trade press ads, or sponsoring events or conferences.
Content marketing is often referred to as “Inbound” or “Pull Marketing” as opposed to “Outbound” or “Push Marketing.” Instead of pushing messages out to potential customers in paid channels, content marketing aims to create engaging content that potential customers find when they’re actively searching for solutions to their problems.
They might be ready to make a purchase or seek a new supplier or expert. Nowadays, consumers and business buyers tend to research before making decisions. They search on Google, follow potential suppliers on social media, or pose questions in forums and social media.
Brands with content that’s easily discoverable when these individuals are looking for solutions have a significant advantage in converting this interest into business opportunities.
3. Define the type of content
Determining what content you need involves defining your target audiences and developing content plans for each group. Start by outlining objectives for each segment and their current behaviour, as well as what you want them to do differently.
Consider creating a task map that outlines their current and desired behaviours and identifies the emotional and rational barriers preventing the desired behaviour change. Effective content typically:
- Arises from a deep understanding of customer insights.
- Aligns with your brand values and integrates seamlessly with other communication channels.
- Engages the audience while maintaining conciseness to accommodate short attention spans.
- Establishes authority and trustworthiness.
- Encourages clear calls to action.
Storytelling is a powerful method for conveying your message. Can you illustrate a complex idea about your product by showing how it has positively impacted someone’s life? Make it relatable and avoid jargon.
When developing content ideas, consider factors like the tone of voice consistent with your brand values and whether you should invite external experts to contribute to enhance your content.
4. Choose your channels
Once you have the content, you must decide where to publish and distribute it to ensure your target audience can discover and share it. Think of these communication channels in terms of acquisition, publishing, and sharing:
- Acquisition channels: Where people unfamiliar with your brand can discover your content (e.g., Google search, Youtube, ads on social media, influencer channels).
- Publishing channels: Where content is hosted and read by the target audience (your website, blog, Spotify, etc.).
- Sharing channels: Where your audience posts links to your content for others to read, either because they find it useful or it reflects well on them (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok etc.).
Also, understand that individuals who share your content can become acquisition channels for others, and your existing followers may discover your content by following your social media accounts.
Determine if starting a blog is the right choice for you. Blogs are ideal for demonstrating thought leadership, sharing industry insights, and discussing topics that potential customers are searching for. They are also SEO-friendly.
Remember, the key to a blog is expressing an opinion in each post. Your website provides factual information about products, while your blog is a platform for sharing thoughts and opinions.
If you want to create a content marketing strategy that is supported by SEO best practices, use this SEO content template in Excel. You can use it as it is or upload it to Google Sheets to share it with your team.
Explore video content’s potential to convey your story. While YouTube is the dominant video-sharing platform, consider uploading video content on other social channels as well. Live video via platforms like Twitter’s Periscope, Facebook Live, or Instagram could also be an option.
Don’t forget alternative platforms like podcasts or music streaming services such as Spotify.
5. Choose your Distribution: Paid or Organic Content
Choosing the right mix between paid and organic content involves a strategic assessment of your goals, resources, and audience. Paid content, such as advertising or sponsored posts, can provide quick visibility and reach but often requires a budget. Organic content, including blog posts, social media updates, and SEO optimisation, leverages your existing assets and can build sustainable, long-term growth.
The balance should reflect your objectives; if you need immediate results or want to reach a broader audience, investing more in paid content may be necessary.
However, to maintain a consistent online presence and establish brand credibility, a strong foundation of organic content is essential. The ideal mix can evolve over time, adapting to your changing priorities and the shifting landscape of your industry.
When you run a paid media campaign, you know exactly where and how many people will see your content. You have insights into the readership of a magazine where you advertise or the typical audience size of a website. You have control over where and when it’s published.
In contrast, earned media, which is where content marketing is usually put in practice, gives you less control over when, where, and who will see it. Its effectiveness relies on the quality of your content and your influence over your audience to share it.
5.1. Organic Distribution:
Familiarise yourself with how Google search engine optimisation works. While algorithms change frequently, fundamental SEO principles remain consistent. Use keywords in your content that match what people search for, encourage other sites to link to your content, and ensure that all your sites are mobile-optimised.
5.2. Paid Distribution:
Consider budgeting for paid advertising to support your content. Options include Google Ads, Facebook ads, sponsored tweets, or display ads on other sites. Contextual targeting (also called retargeting), much like search advertising, allows you to display ads alongside relevant content. Digital ads are typically cost-effective because you pay per click—no clicks mean no payment.
Weigh the possibility of collaborating with influential writers, bloggers, YouTubers, industry analysts, or celebrities. However, consider why they would share your content and what’s in it for them before reaching out to influencers.
6. Develop a Content Calendar
To keep your content strategy organised, create a content calendar that outlines what you plan to publish and when. Maintain some flexibility in the plan to adapt to changing priorities and relevant news stories. When developing content, consider the types:
- Evergreen Content: Timeless content designed to remain useful over an extended period and not tied to specific events.
- Topical Content: News-related content reflecting recent or upcoming events. These offer short-term benefits and often receive more immediate media coverage.
- Event Content: Content related to company events such as product launches or conferences. These are intended for short-term effectiveness, but consider repurposing them into evergreen content.
Take into account the following questions when planning your content strategy: What content type (evergreen, topical, or event-driven) will you create, how to streamline content approval for timely topics, your promotion strategy once content is live, and the frequency of content calendar review and adjustments.
In this article you can find a Content Marketing Template free and ready to use when you need to put in practice your Content Strategy. It is a calendar template where you can view in one go your all of the content for your Website, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Podcast, Email, Offline content, and Merchandising for events.
As a final thought, I suggest you create a document with all of the sections mentioned above and adapt it to your website´s needs. Share it with your team if you have it and try to accommodate other people’s (and cats’) ideas. It can help more than you think!
I hope this article on how to create a content marketing strategy was useful. Now you know what are the main challenges and what is the purpose of a marketing strategy. Follow the three steps mentioned above and adjust it to your organisation. You will see that all the effort put into content creation will yield results.
Until our next purr-motional rendezvous, keep those marketing claws sharp and stay feline-tastic!
Missing me already, dear human? You can find me on X and Facebook.
Moxie