Learn these 10 Elements for a Winning Content Marketing Strategy

What is Content Marketing

Content marketing is all about storytelling with a purpose. Imagine yourself as a storyteller, but instead of fairy tales, you’re sharing valuable information. And a carefully-crafted Content Marketing Strategy is what will determine the success of your efforts.

Now this information could be in the form of blog posts, videos, podcasts, or even social media updates. The goal is to attract and engage your audience, not with a hard sell, but by offering them something they find genuinely interesting or helpful.

So, why does content marketing matter? Think of it this way: when you meet someone new, you don’t immediately launch into a sales pitch, right? You start with a conversation, sharing ideas, stories, and experiences. Content marketing is like that conversation. It helps you connect with your audience, build trust, and establish your brand as a knowledgeable and reliable source of information.

Why Is Content Strategy Important

Now, let’s talk about the plan behind the storytelling—the content strategy. Imagine you’re embarking on a road trip. You don’t just hop in your car and drive aimlessly; you plan your route, right? That’s exactly what a content strategy does for your marketing efforts.

A well-crafted content strategy is your roadmap to success in the digital world. It’s not just about creating content; it’s about creating the right content, for the right audience, and delivering it at the right time, with a keen emphasis on user experience. 

Without a strategy, you might be producing great content, but it’s like driving without knowing your destination. You may end up lost in the vast landscape of the internet. And now with AI on the rise, making content marketing strategies has become even easier. Lucky for you, I’ve got a comprehensive guide to AI-Powered Content Marketing on my website!

Elements of Content Marketing Strategy

 

 

 

Now, let’s break down the key elements of a content marketing strategy:

1. Brand Bible

Imagine a brand bible as the ultimate rulebook for your company’s identity. It’s like a detailed treasure map, guiding you through every aspect of your brand. 

This treasure map doesn’t lead to gold; it leads to a consistent and recognizable brand that your audience can trust.

In your brand bible, you’ll find everything from the fonts and colors you should use to the design of your logo, the style of your text, and even the personality of your brand.

But it’s not just about the visuals and text; it’s also about the way you communicate. Your brand bible lays down the ground rules for how your company talks to its audience. 

This is super important because without these guidelines, things can get messy. Your messaging might become a jumbled puzzle, and your visuals might clash like they’re from different planets.

In essence, a brand bible ensures that everything you put out into the world – whether it’s an email newsletter or a social media post – is on-brand. It’s like the guardian of your brand’s style, making sure it stays consistent and recognizable no matter where your audience encounters it.

1. Keyword Research

Whenever a user wants to find information, they head to Google (or another search engine), type in their queries, and the search engine provides them with their desired answer.

Google values this data and based on the attributed search volume, these queries or keywords we call them, can be very important for you to use.

If you want your content to be found, you need to speak these users’ language. This means utilizing those keywords in creative ways, from your articles to your website to your advertisements.

And this is where keyword research becomes your trusty guide. By doing keyword research, you understand what keywords people are using when they search for topics related to your content. 

And by assessing valuable keywords, you can get significant results on your content marketing efforts. 

But how do you figure out which keywords are good for you? Follow these guidelines:

• Identify the intent behind the keyword. In content marketing, we normally use ‘informational’ content since we’re looking to establish our brand as a trusted authority.
• Check their search volume; keywords are practically useless if they don’t have much search volume behind them BUT! There’s also the concept of ‘low-hanging fruits’ in the world of marketing.
  What this means is that you pick out keywords that may not have high search volume on their own but coupled with other low-hanging fruits, they may help you rank on Google faster.
  Because, if you only target keywords with high search volume, chances are you won’t be able to rank since they’re too competitive.
  
• Use tools like Answer The Public or Exploding Topics to find topics related to the keywords you found.

So, in essence, keyword research is your bridge to the digital library of search engines. It helps you communicate with these modern-day librarians in a language they understand, ensuring that your content gets noticed, read, and cherished by the readers searching for answers.

1. Editorial Calendar

Now, let’s dive into the art of perfect timing when it comes to publishing your content.

In content marketing, you MUST have an Editorial Calendar aka ‘Content Calendar’. Now that you have your keywords and topics finalized, you need to put on your detective hat and figure out the ideal time to release each piece of content. 

And it’s not just about timing; it’s also about rhythm. You’ve got to decide how frequently you’ll be sending out fresh content. Editorial Calendars will help you sort content ideas and visually understand which content to create, when to create, and when to publish.

Now, these content calendars can get quite complex depending on the size of business but ideally, you only need to track the topic, publishing date, and status. 

Here’s a crucial tip: consistency is your best friend. This trusty tool keeps everything organized, making sure you never fall behind. It’s like a time-traveler’s guide that helps you stay a few months ahead. Why? 

Because having a backlog of content ready to roll gives you the flexibility to seize new opportunities or handle unexpected curveballs. Plus, it takes the pressure off content creation, allowing you to enjoy a more stress-free journey in the world of content marketing.

1. Business & Marketing Objectives

Let’s dive into the most important element of any successful content marketing plan – setting clear goals. Believe it or not, this step is often overlooked, and it’s a pitfall you’ll want to avoid.

In any marketing approach, you need to have clear goals in mind. They give your content marketing journey purpose and direction. Different goals correspond to different stops on your journey, much like different marketing tactics align with different steps in your sales funnel.

There’s a wide array of goals you can choose from, each with its unique role in your content marketing adventure. 

Some common ones, related to Content Marketing include:

• Brand Awareness 
• Website Traffic 
• Email Subscriber Growth
• Lead Generation 
• Conversion or Purchases

Your chosen goal will be the compass that guides your content and the path it takes.

Use this as a guiding light: While it’s perfectly normal to have multiple goals, remember that not all content works for every objective. As such, you only need to target the ones that bring the most value to your business.

1. Audience Personas

Every business in the world has a target audience. If you think your business caters to everyone and anyone, you’re probably overspending your marketing budget. It’s time to get granular!

Imagine you’re an author working on a novel. Before you start writing, you develop your characters. You give them names, personalities, and backstories.

 You know their likes, dislikes, and what motivates them. Your audience persona is a lot like that character sheet – it’s a detailed profile of your ideal customer.

To build this persona, you’ll want to consider things like their: 

• • Age & Gender
  • Geographical Location 
  • Interests and Desires
• Most importantly, their Pain Points

Why is this so important? Understanding your audience on a deeper level allows you to tailor your content to their preferences. It’s about creating content that speaks to them, answers their questions, and solves their problems.

Your audience persona isn’t just a document; it’s a guide. These personas will be inserted into your brand bible and everything from color choices right down to the voice of your brand, will be adjusted to cater to these people. 

Pro Tip: When you’re creating content, ask yourself, “Would this resonate with my ideal customer?” It ensures that your storytelling is always in sync with your audience’s wants and needs.

1. Customer Journey Mapping

Here comes a very tricky map. After you’ve figured out who your customers are, you need to create a journey map; this is your guide to understanding your audience’s needs and how to meet them at every step of their buying adventure.

The biggest experiment in Content Marketing is creating content for different stages of the Customer Journey. Here are the stages in a journey map:

• Awareness: Your audience becomes aware of your brand and realizes his/her problem

• Interest: Your content has now sparked interest and he/she is beginning to resonate with your brand

• Desire: Your offer is seriously tempting and he/she is considering purchasing from you
• Action: The customer has now realized your product is THE solution and is ready to take action

An effective journey map is like a visual roadmap of your customer’s expedition through the decision-making process. It’s not just about where they go; it’s about what they’re thinking and feeling every step of the way. 

By putting yourself in their shoes and understanding their inner journey, you can craft content that provides the best support as they explore your product or service.

With your content, it’s important to realize what to create and what type of customer to create it for. If your audience doesn’t know about your brand, you’ll create informational content to spark interest.

Finally, if they’re already in your content funnel, it’s time to offer them a discount to take that next step and purchase.

Here is what is typically included in a customer journey map:

• Buying Process: This is the route your customers take on their quest.
• User Actions: These are the steps they take on their adventure.
• Emotions: What they’re feeling along the way.
• Pain Points: The hurdles they encounter.
• Solutions: How you, as their guide, help them overcome those hurdles and reach the treasure they seek.

1. Content Strategy Communication Flow

Just like in any successful adventure, everyone needs to be on the same page when you’re working on your content strategy.

Without the right team, inconsistencies will loop in and you’ll never be able to extract the desired results from all that effort.

Here’s how it works:

• Clarity of Purpose: You need to ensure everyone is aware of their roles.From the writer to the designer to the editor, there needs to be a smooth flow where everyone understands what’s required of them.
• Roles and Responsibilities: This part of the process assigns tasks and responsibilities to team members, ensuring that everyone knows their part in the journey. 
• Timely Updates: Businesses are dynamic and as such, you need regular updates from your team. This includes any noteworthy spikes in website traffic, content backlogs, or even a wholesale pivot on the strategy front. Frequent updates help you adapt to shifting tides and stay on course.
• Feedback Loop: The most successful marketers are open to feedback. A feedback loop allows for continuous improvement, refining your content strategy as you encounter new challenges.
• Collaboration: Your team needs to learn how to collaborate in order to create and distribute content that aligns seamlessly with your brand’s vision and goals.
• Crisis Management: There can be certain crisis moments when you’re working on your content marketing strategy. An internal communication process includes strategies for crisis management, ensuring your crew is prepared to handle any unexpected challenges that come your way.

In the world of content marketing, your team is your crew, and your content strategy is the voyage. An effective internal communication process ensures that everyone is not just rowing in the same direction but working together seamlessly to make your content adventure a resounding success.

1. Content Marketing Agendas

Think of your content as a message encased in a bottle, tossed into the vast ocean of the internet. It’s there, but how do you ensure it reaches the right shores and the right people find it? That’s where content agendas come into play – they’re like your treasure map to digital success.

Content agendas are your strategic blueprint, your secret scrolls that unveil the path to getting your message across. Here’s how they work:

Choosing the Right Distribution Channels: You need to select the most effective distribution channels for your content. Is your message better suited for social media, email newsletters, or your blog?

Developing a Promotion Plan: A promotion plan guides you on when and how to promote your content. 

Leveraging Influencer Marketing: Influencer marketing is like forming alliances with industry experts or other creators who can provide value to your audience. Leverage your personal network for this.

Exploring Paid Promotion Strategies: Organic strategies are a hit-and-miss these days and you cannot go viral with each piece of content. As such, when you do have a variety of content on your website, you will almost certainly have to leverage Paid promotion strategies to help amplify your message.

These are just a few strategies that we’ve discussed here. As always, make sure to have a decent chunk of content before you try any of these. 

1. KPIs

In the world of content marketing, it’s not just about setting goals; it’s about knowing how to measure their success.

That’s where Key Performance Indicators, or KPIs, come into play. These indicators indicate the performance of your content marketing strategy, highlighting when to switch course, and which areas to improve upon.

Here’s your arsenal of common KPIs in the world of content marketing:

• New Traffic
• Returning Traffic
• Traffic from Organic Sources
• Traffic from Referrals
• Monthly Traffic Growth
• Email List Growth
• Email List Engagement
• Following Growth
• Engagement
• Free Trials
• Consultations/Demos
• Purchases
• Repeat Purchases
• Subscriptions
• Conversion Rate

Pick and choose 5-6 of these metrics when starting out and regularly monitor them on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis. Here’s a list of Digital Marketing Metrics you can refer to.

1. Analysis & Reporting

In the world of content marketing, it’s essential to continuously improve your strategy. Think of your content as a dish that can always be better. The analysis and reporting phase is like the quality check in a restaurant – it ensures your content is as delicious as possible.

Setting Up Analytics Tools:

Content marketers need analytics tools to understand their audience. Tools, such as Google Analytics, SEMrush, and Kissmetrics provide data on who’s reading your content, how long they stay, and what they like the most. I’ve got a glossary containing 198 of the Best Tools Out There (“You’ll find tremendous value there”)

Tracking Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

KPIs are your success markers. They include metrics like website traffic, engagement levels, and conversion rates. Tracking KPIs helps you see if your content aligns with your goals.

Analyzing Content Performance:

This step is like checking which dishes are popular in a restaurant. You assess which types of content are performing well and resonating with your audience.

Making Data-Driven Improvements:

Finally, you use the data to enhance your content. If you see that your audience prefers short articles, you adjust your content strategy accordingly. It’s about using feedback to create content that your audience loves.

Like a chef perfecting a recipe, content marketing is an ongoing process of improvement. Analysis and reporting are your tools to make sure your content strategy is always getting better.

Conclusion

Now that we’ve explored the essential elements of a content marketing strategy, it’s time to put them into action. 

These elements aren’t just concepts; they’re your tools for creating content that resonates with your audience. In the next part of this article, we’ll dive deeper into each element, providing you with actionable insights and practical tips to supercharge your content marketing journey.

So, fasten your seatbelt, and let’s embark on this exciting adventure together!