Having a winning content strategy takes time, research and the right tactics that deliver. Knowing how to craft that strategy can help you direct traffic to your site and provide growth for your brand.
What are the elements of a good content strategy?
The elements are simple:
Keep it Personal and Personable
Your audience wants to engage with your products and services on a personal level. Keeping the content relevant and engaging requires a number of content pieces that will be distributed on different platforms for the appropriate results. These content pieces include videos, newsletters, whitepapers, emails, blogs and other collateral that will help you stand out as an industry leader. You should have a number of personas that will help you direct your content to the right audience.
Research Matters
Proper research is crucial in developing personas, understanding what customers need and want, and in selecting topics that are relevant and focused. This also helps in establishing authenticity and creating a popular brand image. Your research should have information on keywords, search engine usage, and trends on what others are doing. When armed with this information, you will be able to develop specific content and campaigns that will appeal to your audience.
Development is Key
Developing your content is the catalyst in an effective content strategy. Your content should come from a variety of sources to make sure it is shareable and delivers value to your audience. Here are a few ways to get the content you need:
- Forums and discussion groups
- Industry magazines
- Questions that come from customers via social media, website engagement or salespeople.
- Webinar participants
- Association materials and meeting
- Taking your marketing seriously
One of the most important elements of your content strategy should be the marketing. How will you effectively get the interest of your audience, and what channels will you use to accomplish this? First, you must establish goals and objectives hat align with the overall strategic plan. Next, you must address how your content will be marketed and distributed.
There are three different types of distribution: paid, owned and earned. Learning how to use them to get the results you seek is key. Your marketing tactics should include social media usage, email blasts and alerts, articles on LinkedIn and Google+, and collaborations with other brands. Your content should always have a call to action at the end, depending on which platform you use to direct prospective and current customers to the right destination.
The Metrics Count
The final element is knowing your metrics. Analyzing your metrics will provide insight on how well your content is doing and will indicate whether or not you need to make changes. This is a crucial part of the success of your overall content strategy.
Utilizing these tips will help you perfect your content strategy and plan for your specific audiences for widespread growth and brand identity. There’s no better way to perfect your content strategy than by signing up for the Content Marketing Conference. CMC will be at Rio Suites Hotel, Las Vegas from May 12-14, 2015.