How to create a content marketing strategy
Content marketing strategy can seem like something that only marketing professionals or agency folks know how to do. Not true. With these tips, anyone can create a content marketing strategy that is clear, easy to follow, and that makes it easier to know how to write the best content for your website and grow your business’ visibility online.
One of the most common concerns I hear from small business owners is that they want to put out content regularly but don’t know where to start. They’ve heard that “content is king” but they don’t know how to make it work for them. And they certainly don’t know how to create a strategy so that the content helps them gain online visibility. So here are some tips I like to give small business owners about creating a content marketing strategy:
Tip #1: Commit to consistency and frequency
If you want to succeed in content marketing, you have to be ready to do it frequently and consistently. Why? Because Google. Google rewards sites that regularly post new, useful content.
If you’re going to create your content on your own, the best way to actually achieve this is to plan ahead. For the easily distracted, or those who get shiny object syndrome, (don’t we all?), block out time on your calendar and make it a regular date with yourself.
My regular content creation day is Friday. Certainly, I create content almost every day, but Fridays are the days when I say no to all the things that come with running a business, chain myself to my desk, and focus on writing. And you know what? I really, really look forward to Fridays because of it.
Tip #2: Break it down
Think through how often you can commit to posting new blogs, videos, and social posts, and back out a content needs plan for the next three months.
Break down into “Buckets” Once you know how much content you need, avoid overwhelm by thinking about the content you’ll create in “buckets”. Content buckets are general topics that you can talk or write about, that will appeal to your target audience. If you’re a personal trainer, your content buckets might be Nutrition, Video workout content, Client testimonials, Promotions, and Motivational quotes. We generally recommend 3-5 content buckets.
In that content needs plan, you should be sure to think ahead about what kind of content your target audience is looking for, what their pain points are, and how they might be searching for help.
Brainstorm content ideas that appeal to those pain points and interests. Write or speak in the language of your buyer personas - if you use jargon that only you are familiar with, your target audience won’t find you.
Be sure to organize your content ideas in a document so that you can see how your messaging will unfold over time. Your content plan can flow from there. If you would like to use the proven template we use for ourselves and our clients at Kafen8, download our content marketing plan template here.
Expert Tip: Keep a notes file on your phone to record “in the moment” ideas. I get some of my best ideas when I’m in the middle of a workout, so I do a quick voice-to-type note on my phone when the idea comes up. That way I don’t lose those great ideas due to forgetfulness, and I have a great additional source of content ideas.
Tip #3: Keep your goals and marketing funnel in mind
The content marketing funnel is a useful framework to help you think about what goals you should have in mind as you’re creating your content. I often joke that if my husband asked me to marry him the first time I met him, I would have either laughed in his face or run away to safety. The same thing goes with marketing - if you ask someone to buy your product before you even introduce yourself, it’s an immediate turnoff.
Use a content marketing funnel framework to think about what questions you can answer as you walk your prospective buyer down the path from first impression to sale. (Need help? Here’s a link to the framework we use).
When you create content that appeals to all stages in the marketing funnel, you can be sure to catch prospective buyers wherever they are on the path to purchase.
Tip #4: Get more mileage out of your content!
Once a month or so, look over all of your content. Look for opportunities to add internal links (Google likes those, too). What content can you re-use? Or use in a different way?
One of the ways I do this most often is by creating videos. First, I create a rough script for what I’ll say. Then, I’ll record it live on Facebook, edit if needed and save it as a post on my profile. Once it’s saved, I download the video, get it transcribed and turn it into a blog post that gets saved on my website.
Each blog post can then be broken down into smaller chunks to be shared on social media. BOOM. One video turns into 5+ pieces of content.
TL;DR: Don’t go into content creation without some planning. A content media strategy will help make content creation easier, more fun, and of course, more strategic.
Got questions about content marketing for small businesses? Contact us here.
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