A content strategy sounds really fancy, but to put it simply, it is identifying one of your business goals and figuring out how to use your content to reach that goal. Pretty easy, right? In some ways, you may have the beginning of a content strategy without even realizing it.
For example, you may have the goal to gain new followers. So, you write a blog post (like this) explaining what you do and how your audience will benefit from your service. Then, your strategy is to use that blog to educate your listener about what you do and build awareness that you exist!
Of course, that is really simplifying things. To have a GREAT content strategy, you need to make it a bit deeper. Your content strategy should answer the following questions:
- Why am I writing?
- Who am I writing for?
- What do I want to tell them?
- How should I present this information?
1) Without a why, there’s no way
This is the part of a content strategy that we talked about in our introduction. What goal are you hoping to achieve? Why are you writing?
Broadly speaking, your content will fall into one of these categories:
- Educating – telling your audience who you are and what you do
- Building authority – showing your audience that you know your stuff and that you’re the solution to their problem
- Building trust – letting them get to know you and your brand and reinforcing that it aligns with their values.
2) A clear audience
If you don’t know who you’re talking to, then you’re just shouting into the wind.
There are so many articles about developing a customer persona – Hubspot even has a cool persona generator that you can use.
Determining your audience allows you to truly connect with the people you want to work with and really speak to their challenges.
3) Pick a storyline
As entrepreneurs, we are a passionate bunch. We are SO intense that when we get the opportunity, we are telling our WHOLE story.
We think we are thorough, but we are just confusing. Each piece of content should have ONE main idea. It can have more supporting thoughts, but those should be connected and in service to the main idea.
4) Presentation is everything
Now that you know why you’re writing, who you’re writing to, and what your message is, it’s just a matter of creating it.
However, there are SO many options…within Instagram alone, you can do a post, a reel, a story, an Instagram live, etc.
Your content strategy should look at your target audience and how they like to receive information. For example, does the busy mom you’re speaking to have time for a 2,000-word blog post? Heck no! She has 2 minutes, tops.
(That having been said, web content needs to be part of your content strategy, but we will talk about that in a future post)
Another thing to consider is using multiple formats for the same message. Take that blog post and make 4-5 social media posts. Take 2-3 similar blog posts and create an E-book. Recycle your social media posts into video content.
Building a Content Strategy
At the end of the day, content takes time and without a strategy, you are wasting your time. So, build an in-depth content strategy so that your words will make the impact you need.
Need help getting started? Book a free strategy session with me today!
