Content Strategy –it’s a hot topic right now. Undoubtedly, you’ve heard a lot of experts talking about the need for a detailed strategy, but all too often, their advice is geared towards large companies with complicated needs.
So, where does that leave you?
Do you need a digital content strategy? Absolutely!
Does it need to be really complex and difficult to create? Absolutely not!
You don’t need to spend months creating an ultra-complex content strategy. In fact, you can just jump right in and create your own strategy. It doesn’t need to be perfect. It can grow and evolve –just like your content.
We’ve created some super simple questions to ask yourself to help you create your very own stress-free content strategy. All the components you need to get started are right here.
So, what is a content strategy? The simplest way to define a digital content strategy is that it answers the who, what, where, when, why, and how…
of content planning, production, publishing, and promotion.
Who will be doing each task?
What types of content will you create?
Where will the content be published?
When will it be done? (how often?)
Why bother creating content?
How will you do it all?
What goals do you hope to accomplish with your content marketing? Have at least two clear and attainable goals to start with. You can add more as you go along.
Just how much money are you willing to spend creating your content and promoting it? Have a set budget and make sure it will be enough to accomplish your primary goals.
Who is your target audience? This is one area where you need to really drill down, it impacts the entire course of your content! The broad, shotgun approach is rarely successful. Think about who your audience really “is” and what they want to read. Why do they want to read what you have to say?
SEO and content marketing are like peanut butter and jelly. The right mix and you have perfection. Too much of one or both and you have a mess. Lightly optimize the titles of your content and if it works add some keywords to your content. If it doesn’t err on the side of caution. Too much of anything is never a good thing.
How will you be keeping track of your new titles, content in production and content that needs to be promoted? Having an editorial calendar and a schedule can lift you from the chaos.
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If you won’t be writing the content yourself 100% of the time, you’ll need to find some writers that you want to work with. Don’t be afraid to take some time with this step. The more samples you get from writers, the higher your chances are of finding the writer that is perfect for your specific content.
Whether you hire a writer, or have someone in-house write your content, the way you communicate what you want will determine the quality of your content. Be clear and concise and remember to be responsive when they need a little extra guidance.
Who will be reviewing your completed content? Most articles and blog posts are not ready to be published immediately! It takes a solid process of reviewing, editing and even collaborating with others to get extraordinary content. Don’t skimp on this step!
How much editing experience you do you have? If you don’t have a lot, that’s ok. Most content marketers don’t. But that doesn’t mean your content has to suffer. Consider hiring an editor to give your finished content pieces a quick pass to ensure they’re ready for public viewing.
Now that you’ve got all of this great content, you want to show it to the rest of the world. How are you going to publish your content? Look for a publishing platform like WordPress, HubSpot or other CMS systems to make your life a lot easier and make sure your content looks as good as it reads.
It’s taken a lot to get this content written so don’t let it languish on your site. Get together a clear promotion plan that includes social media and other relevant avenues to help new readers discover your content.
A lot is said about the ROI of content marketing. How will you be measuring your results? From free providers like Google Analytics to more comprehensive tools like HubSpot, you’ll need to keep an eye on how well your content is performing –and if you need to make any changes to your strategy.
That wasn’t so bad, was it? Creating your own digital content strategy does require a little bit of time, but this is time well spent!
Challenge yourself to sit down and create your own strategy right now. Remember, it doesn’t have to be pretty. It doesn’t have to be complex. All it needs to do is help you accomplish your goals and get started on the right path.
