8 Content Strategy Basics That Every Marketer Should Know

Content marketing is a common phenomenon in digital marketing, but it is unfortunate that most of you do not quite comprehend its meaning. What does content marketing mean?

It is the strategic marketing tactic used with the intention to create and distribute consistent, valuable, and relevant content for the attraction and acquisition of clearly demarcated audience with the goal of driving a profitable consumer action.

The key words in this definition are bolded; consistent, valuable, and relevant. For content marketing strategy to work, the content you publicize to your prospect has to be of value, relevance, and consistency to your targeted audience. For starters, these three keywords will act as an eye-opener for you.

Critical Components of Content Marketing Strategy

Generally speaking, what does your content marketing strategy contain? This is the first question you need to ask yourself. Ideally, it contains your inclusive plan that gives a clear definition of your goals as well as the metrics to use in the measurement of its effectiveness and well-conducted research.

For example, if you decide to use infographics, then you must have a way to gauge its effectiveness. The basic components of a content marketing strategy are therefore very crucial in all your business operations from the word go.

High-level goals

What kind of goals have you included in your strategy? DO NOT at any time be tempted to make very many ambiguous goals. You need to be very smart. Too many goals will not give you enough room to concentrate on any of them thus resulting in failure.

For results, narrow down your goals to a maximum of three. For instance, you might object to increase your brand awareness, acquisition of more customers, expansion into new markets, and/or nurturing your existent audience.

Your brand’s story

What stories do you give about your brand? Some of you outdo this. For example, if you are marketing weight loss pills, do not give stories of how it works instantly which is untrue. Remember, at the introduction of this article, it is stated that the content you give has to be of high relevance.

In this case, focus your story on addressing issues of value to your customers and the problems they might be facing. Try as much as possible to make your brand story pervasive through the exhibition in your business pieces.

Target audience

The key thing here is understanding your audience persona. Generally, your target audience is your potential customers. A wise businessman will, however, know that in a customer audience, despite your potential customers, they are others who might benefit your business.

These are your fans who might refer potential customers to your website. Therefore, learn a skill of generating genuine inquisitiveness and sympathy for your consumers. During the determination of an audience persona, always consider including a narrow customer’s description, their challenges, and goals. Provide what is helpful and informative for the readers rather than just posting the promotional stuff. Give them positive reviews from existing customers to increase their trust. Add customer testimonials and make it the key highlight of the page.

In addition, create platforms such as sales calls, customer expansion interviews, and interactions on social media as ways to research more about your customers and their expectations.

Competitive exploration

Always make sure your strategy has a part that summarizes research on your competitors. Having knowledge about your competitors content marketing strategy gives new opportunities through the identification of their loopholes.

However, do not waste too much time researching about your competitors. The idea here is for you to have a clue about what they are doing, for you to do it better thus placing you at a better competitive advantage. Remember, your brand story is unique and displays a single connection to your customers so DO NOT copy others.

Focus on keywords

Many businesses are investing in content marketing for the growth of a supportable basis of organic in-bound circulation from search engines. It is thus very crucial for you to be very strategic about the keywords to use in your content. This keyword will attract your customers far and wide.

Guided by your goals, keep your keywords as relevant as possible. Through the definition of a small set of short tail keywords, your focus on keywords will render your content highly competitive.

Short tail keywords are made of two words. For example, “customer success” or “customer support”. If you opt for long tail keywords, you might opt for, “customer care for healthcare practitioners” or “better home insurance”. The content gap analysis is a crucial part of a well-defined SEO strategy, and for which, you can always ask for experts’ help by relying upon few SEO agencies which are skilled enough to understand your requirements and offer your desired results.

Objectives of the content

The type of material you create depends on your target audience, resources, and product. They can be blog articles, reports, social media posts, or podcasts among others. First, the key is for you to figure out the best medium for your main content.

Thereafter, choose a publication schedule and stick to it. An unswerving feed of valuable and fresh content places you in a better position with Google.

As a result, your target audience your new leads, and your clientele high-value content delivered on a consistent basis into their inboxes.

Distribution and promotion

This component of your content marketing strategy is to help you decide on distribution and promotion methods to invest your resources and time into.

Consider using techniques such as sending emails to new subscribers for each new content that you bring to publication. On the other hand, you can use e-books, resource hubs, whitepapers, and webinars when you have more time to ensure that you are matching your efforts on the distribution and promotion side. You can also add your reward schemes as a part of your promotion plan and attract users.

Measurement and key performance indicators (KPIs)

It is very important for you to measure your goals’ success using KPIs which are in alignment with your set goals.

The KPIs to use maybe new traffic, referrals traffic, returning traffic, the growth of the email list, and consultations.

In conclusion, the incorporation of these components into your content strategy will yield to higher sales for your product and will also place you at a better competitive advantage. Just existing in the digital business world is not enough. You have to strategize to be the best and harvest the most profits out of it through adherence to the critical components of the content marketing strategy.