Creating your own content should be a priority for ALL business owners. If you don’t have an online presence in this day and age, you are a little bit behind the marketing department.
So let’s change that!
It all starts with creating a content strategy, so you aren’t just “posting and praying” that things will work.
What Is Content Strategy?
A content strategy is a plan for what content you will create, where you will distribute it, and how often you post on social media.
Your strategy will include analytic goals as well as content-specific goals. For example, you might want to publish a blog post every single week. You’ll want to keep that goal in mind as you are building your content strategy.
Your strategy should also include the time spent on creating and promoting content.
Who Will Be Consuming The Content?
The first step to creating a killer content strategy is identifying your target audience. You have to know who you are talking to.
It’s more than just basic demographics. What are their likes and dislikes? What words do they use frequently? What type of content do they respond to? What do they do in their downtime? Answering these questions will help you create better content.
I like to keep a picture of my ideal client near my computer. Then when I’m creating, I pretend like I’m talking directly to them. It helps a ton!
What Problem Will You Be Solving For Your Audience?
Once you know who your audience(s) are and what expectations they have of your brand, it’s time to map out how you will solve their problems. This is where you’ll need your content strategy handy – not for copying and pasting, but to keep track of how you plan to serve up information that will be valuable and interesting to your audience(s).
The first step is to write down the problem and how you plan to solve it. Be as specific as possible and create a call-to-action that will grab the attention of that specific group of people you’ve identified.
What Makes You Unique?
I believe that most of the content you share SHOULD be content or posts you have created. It should be YOUR message to the masses. Companies often create generic content that their audience could find anywhere else with minimal effort.
Your people want to hear from you. They want you to show up and teach them. If you don’t, I promise they will find someone else to learn from.
Your message is unique in how you deliver it, the words you use, and how you show up. So commit to showing up and teaching your audience what makes you unique. You will naturally attract those people that are meant for you.
What Channels Will You Publish On?
The last step is to dive into the channels you plan to publish your content on and how frequently.
Are you blogging? Creating video? Posting reels? Writing newsletters? Sharing regularly on social media?
Whatever you decide, you’ll want to make sure your content is:
- Increasing your reach
- Driving traffic to your website
- Attracting your ideal client
Each platform has a different audience and culture, so it’s so important to identify your ideal customer before creating.
Conclusion
Creating a content strategy is a critical step in your marketing.