First you need to get rid of stereotypes. No need to think that you can use any of the content, just the website was regularly updated. In this case it is important and necessary strategy, otherwise all your attempts to raise their brand awareness and attract more users will come to nothing. Research analysts confirm this. The company’s Meaningful Brands found that 60% of the content of brands is irrelevant, poor quality or incomprehensible. Against this background, no less depressing looks the company’s statement of Havas Media Group, which came to the conclusion that if 73% of brands could disappear, nobody would notice. So, again, the strategy here is very important. Only with its help it is possible to choose the content that users will remember.
Three steps on the way to creating a content strategy
It is unlikely they will surprise you, surely you know this. But not for nothing do they say that repetition is the mother of learning. So:
- Goal. Define clearly the problem you want to solve with the help of content. Attracting users is one thing, but increasing brand awareness is another. Each of these tasks requires a special approach and special content.
- Resources. In this case, refers to all that you may need to create quality content: people, money, time. Find out your limits for each of these items and get ready for what you might have to spend a lot more resources than was initially planned. But don’t think it’s a senseless waste. The experience of large companies shows that’s not true. For example, many British companies spend on content marketing 36% of the marketing budget. And more than half of companies planning to increase spending in 2017.
- A content plan. Shall describe all the points, starting from and ending with the amount of money required to implement the plan. Specify all the possible tactics, messages, deadlines, KPI with the most important metrics, the experience of competitors. All these data should be based on your marketing research, analysis, and audit. As a result you get a kind of calendar of when and what to publish.
A few tactics for working with content
Adaptation to different formats
Quality content can be published several times in different ways. For example, you have article, effectively covering a question. You can publish it on your site, in social networks or blog. And you’ll do that you’ll probably forget about it later. Instead, try to use the same material several times, but in other formats. For example, make it an infographic, webinar, video, presentation – whatever. You’d be surprised, but it works.
Guest posting
Publish your content in major publications. The resulting coverage is worth the effort, no doubt.
Reproduction
Many people are afraid to give a link to the same publication, fearing that users will regard it as deception, attempt to manipulate, or worse. In fact, to make the reproduction not only possible, but necessary. Someone suggested you could miss the link the first time, but will go through it again if I saw him again. And sometimes old publication once again become relevant in connection with certain events. In short, a couple of times to give a link to the same publication is not a crime. Even more. According to some specialists, 5-6 times over a few days to tweet a link to your post “is the norm.”
The pursuit of originality…
…sometimes bears good fruit, but it can take a lot of time. Until you come up with the idea to publish, collect relevant material and publish it, it may take several days or even more. Sometimes you can “reduce the distance” by simply writing an article that will answer the most frequently asked questions. Usually they have tons of answers online, but so what? If people ask these questions, then it is interesting, and means that your publication will certainly find the response.
Something invariably
Trends change, fashion changes, people can change too. But their deep needs – barely. Conclusion: making your content strategy focus is always on people, not on your brand. Explain to the consumer what problem will your product solve, explain the maximum available. Write manuals, case studies, give examples. The more you carry the essence, the better people will understand the benefits from your offer. And the faster they use it. As they say, all genius is simple.
