Content is an important tool for growing your business. All business can benefit from a content strategy designed to maximize content to achieeve business goals.
What is content?
There are four components to content:
- Information – what message does your content convey? Content can be informative, entertaining, persuasive, or a combination of the three
- Context – what is the purpose of this message? who is the target reader? why did the author publish it?
- Medium – what channel communicates the message and how does itinfluence the message
- Form – is the content words, graphics, images, video, audio, etc…
All four components must be considwered together for the content to have value.
Information without context is just noise. If the information isn’t presented in the proper form or via the right medium, it might not reach its intended audience. For example, you could write out the steps of of how to build a shed, but including images would make the process a lot clearer. And adding a video would be even better.
The content must also be appropriate for the medium and the audience. You wouldn’t publish an in-depth guide to nuclear energy on Twitter. Nor would you share content about senior care facilities through Tik Tok.
How Can a Content Strategy Help Your Business?
Content is one method of showing your expertise. By consistently publishing content your target audience values, you build relationships. Over time, your audience gets to know and trust you. When your audience is ready to make a purchase, they will think of your business first. But providing content isn’t about being purely promotional or transactional. You have to add value, solve problems, provide benefits, in some way if you want your content to move your business forward.
A content strategy helps you maximize your content to achieve business goals and objectives.
What Does a Content Strategy Include?
A comprehensive content strategy guides the development, creation, and delivery of useful, usable content that helps move your business toward its goals.
Content strategies begin with objectives in mind. The following questions help guide the development of a content strategy:
- What are your business goals?
- What do you want to accomplish in pursuit of those goals?
- Which types of content can we use to achieve those goals?
- Who is the target audience for those different types of content?
- What medium is best for reaching the target audience?
- What form is best for reaching the target audience?
- How can we source content ideas? How will we ensure they align with your brand, voice, goals, mission, and audiences?
- What does a content review of your current site tell us about the existing content?
- What gaps exist in your current content?
- How will you document the content strategy to eliminate ad hoc requests for content?
- How will you distribute content?
The first step is identifying your business objectives and target audience. Once these are clear, we can develop a comprehensive content strategy designed to advance those goals.
The content strategy will include themes, topics, and an editorial calendar. It can also include the production and delivery of content.
Want to learn more about a Content Strategy for your business? Click here to schedule a call with me.
