Nowadays, there is nothing easier than getting a stream of customers online. Plugged in and it's done. But it turns out that even a bunch of resources for writers, themed forums, and groups bring in clients quickly and easily. But how do they bring them, and what do you need to do to get clients to come to you? Let's find out!
The trend toward content promotion sounds too optimistic in the mouths of many experts. They say that you write an article or a post on social networks, and that's it: clients come and bring money by themselves. It would be nice, but it does not work that way. Practice shows that promotion without a strategy yields almost no results.
What is a content strategy?
A content strategy is a fully thought-out plan for creating content. In it, you specify:
- Purpose “ why content is needed.
- Target audience “ who will consume it?
- Content “ what you will talk about and in what formats.
- Creation “ who will produce the content and what the process will look like?
- Distribution “ how and where you plan to promote the content.
- Evaluation “ how you will analyze the results and what metrics are important to you.
A content strategy describes the entire journey from your current position to the point where you have set up the process of publishing the material and are getting the results you expect from it.
Essentials of content strategy creation
1. Purpose of content
Before approving any type of content to be posted, you should precisely understand the purpose of each publication and ask yourself a question if this content is helpful and valuable for your target audience. Until you have a clear answer, you don't even know where you want to move with your content strategy.
2. Understand your audience
You need to know everything about your target audience: what they do, where they live, whether they have children or not, and what they prefer. For example, you can divide your target audience into several segments and create separate ideal portraits of consumers who will have different characteristics and information.
3. Competitor research
Your content strategy should outline how to differentiate yourself from the masses of similar companies, products, and services. It is great if you provide unique services and products, but more often than not this is not the case. Your main task is to find your unique features and offers, trying not to compare your strategy with competitors every single day.
For example, you can conduct market and competitor research once a quarter. It helps you follow the latest trends in content strategies and marketing activities. In addition, you can find decent features from your competitors that can be reworked by your content creators and adapted to your services.
4. Decide on formats and channels for content distribution
These days, there are lots of online channels where you can effectively promote your content like social media, business websites, forums, guest posting, and so on. Before deciding on what channels are the most appropriate for your content, you should test all possible variants.
For instance, you can create an online blog instead of a complete business website and accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Then, you should analyze the results according to the setup metrics and define the most efficient channel of content promotion.
5. Start with a structure
Forming the structure of a piece of content before writing is a great practice. Foremost, it requires holding deep-area research, looking through the content of direct competitors, and outlining the main points you want to write about. This approach helps specify the essential information and get rid of useless points for your target audience like writers from the writing services TrustMyPaper typically do.
6. Keep it simple
Writing professional content doesn't mean using complicated words or confusing sentences. Simple and user-friendly content is key to attracting an audience. Use short sentences, break up paragraphs, and avoid jargon and technical terms. If you choose a complicated topic, try to provide explanations as much as possible not to confuse your readers which will probably deter them.
7. Create a list of topics
The content strategy entails creating an action plan for at least the next 2“3 months. As you define the list of topics that will potentially attract the attention of your ideal customers, you must analyze the topic-related keywords to include them in your content that will boost the promotion. The content strategy can surely be adjusted due to the monthly results, but it is better to keep your initial plan to achieve the desired goals.
To sum up
Promoting content without a strategy is like going to the shop without a shopping list. We surely know that it ends up being a waste of time and resources.
A well-developed content strategy gives you a clear goal and direction in which you should lead your project and helps you not get distracted along the way. Strategy-based content is structured and consistent. Consistent content is what develops brand awareness and constantly attracts new customers that would otherwise be unavailable.
Without a content strategy, it will be difficult to both define the business goals themselves and understand whether your marketing is effective. A strategy breaks things down. Don't forget to evaluate the results! A timely evaluation will help you adjust your strategy in favor of the most profitable content formats and promotion channels.
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