Originally published February 26, 2023 , updated on July 11, 2024

Branding is an integral part of any business’s content marketing strategy. It’s a way for an organisation to distinguish itself from competitors and is a tool for creating a company personality that resonates with potential customers. Most importantly, it’s a step towards establishing a business as an expert in the industry.  

Brand authority is the trust, credibility, and expertise a business has established in its industry or market. It measures how well-regarded a company is by its customers, peers, and competitors. A business with high authority looks like a leader in its field and potential customers may come to them for advice or recommendations. High brand authority can lead to higher customer loyalty, sales, and customer lifetime value. 

For instance, a skincare company posts helpful, research-backed advice on why their products work and how to use them. Armed with this information, a customer is more likely to buy from this business than a competitor without relevant content. 

Content marketing tactics can help businesses build their brand authority. With original, helpful content, brands can position themselves as credible sources of information. This blog will explore the power of a content marketing strategy and how to use content marketing tactics to build brand authority.

What is a Content Marketing Strategy?

A content marketing strategy is indeed a plan for creating engaging information to reach and engage the target audience. It outlines business goals and what content marketing tactics are best suited for the business. With a strategy in place, brand content creators can better engage and educate their audience.

Strategies can vary depending on the type of deliverables the business needs and the platforms used. For example, a content marketing strategy for a blog post may include keyword research, copywriting, and editing. A similar plan for a social media campaign may consist of post curation, promotion, and engagement.

No matter what format a business is putting out, content marketing tactics can ensure the smooth execution of any branding campaign. 

Why Do You Need a Content Marketing Strategy?

A content marketing strategy helps align various marketing efforts with the overall business goals. The process is a definitive plan made up of smaller, actionable steps. Having a brand development strategy before creating deliverables can ensure that every step gets the business closer to the end goals. 

Here are some other practical reasons why brands need a content marketing strategy:

1. Create a consistent calendar: 

A content marketing strategy can help create a consistent calendar. A calendar will ensure that new material is regularly published, so the business stays top-of-mind for the target audience.

2. Help identify the right channels: 

A helpful content marketing tactic is identifying the proper channels for distributing content. Communication channels include social media, emails, and other media most likely to reach potential customers.

3. Measure the impact of marketing efforts: 

A content marketing strategy also helps businesses measure the impact of their efforts. It allows brands to track metrics such as website traffic, engagement, and conversions. They can also make adjustments to the strategy as needed.

4. Stay ahead of the competition: 

By having a pre-decided strategy, brands can stay ahead of the competition. It can help brand content creators understand the type of material resonating with the target audience. Then, they can create similar or better content.

5. Craft a brand’s voice and personality: 

Content marketing tactics can help craft a brand’s voice and personality. By experimenting with different formats, brands can undoubtedly develop a consistent tone and style for the content. An easily recognisable brand voice makes it easier for the target audience to identify and connect with the company.

Building Brand Authority With a Content Marketing Strategy

Content marketing is an effective way to build brand authority. When done correctly, content marketing tactics can help you establish your business as a reliable source of information. It can aid brands in reaching more people, building relationships, and generating leads.

Every organisation has their way of navigating brand strategy development. However, there are some general steps that most brands follow. Here are seven ways to create a solid content marketing strategy for building brand authority.  

1. Identify the Target Audience

This is the first step. Successful marketers understand who the target audience is and specifically what their needs and interests are. They learn which platforms their potential customers use and how they engage with different formats. 

All this information helps brands create tailored material that resonates with potential customers. Having specific deliverables saves brand content creators valuable time and resources. They aren’t throwing information at their audience and hoping something will stick. They can focus their efforts on customised pieces that have the best chance of engagement and success.  

2. Define Specific Objectives

Defining specific objectives involves identifying what a brand wants to achieve through its content. It also includes deciding how to measure success. Broad goals can generate leads, drive sales, or build brand authority. However, it’s essential to break down the more general goals into narrower objectives to have a clearer sense of what you’re trying to achieve. 

For instance, perhaps the broader goal is building brand authority. Specific objectives include getting higher engagement on blogs or associating with trusted brands. Since there are many ways of reaching a goal, defining what that goal actually means to you is essential. 

Brands can also form SMART goals: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. An example of a SMART goal is “increase website traffic by 15% in the next quarter”. Defining specific objectives can help brands create focused and compelling deliverables. It also ensures that the published material aligns with the overall brand strategy. 

3. Pick Content Marketing Tactics

Once brand content creators have identified the target audience and defined their goals, they must pick the right content marketing tactics. Brands need to find content marketing tactics best suited for the decided goals. Different tactics include determining formats, distribution channels, and key performance indicators. Brand content creators also need to choose which type of deliverables to create, what platforms to use, and how to promote the published material.

A worthwhile content marketing tactic is deciding what formats to share. It’s essential to focus on creating valuable copy for the target audience. Options include but are not limited to blog posts, videos, infographics, and ebooks. For instance, case studies and whitepapers might work well if a brand is trying to appeal to business owners. These documents share technical information that can appeal to industry experts. Alternatively, a brand could use less formal mediums like social media to engage a larger audience.  

Another important tactic for brand strategy development is search engine optimisation (SEO). SEO involves techniques to improve the ranking of a website on search engine result pages (SERPs). It involves using relevant keywords, optimising titles and meta descriptions, and adding backlinks.  

A high search results page ranking is helpful because it increases the visibility and likelihood of a user visiting a webpage. Websites at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs) get more clicks. More clicks can lead to increased traffic and potentially more conversions or sales. Additionally, having a high ranking on SERPs can establish credibility and trust. Users are more likely to perceive websites at the top of the SERPs as more relevant and authoritative.

4. Focus on Creating High-quality Material

Creating high-quality deliverables is essential for a successful content marketing strategy. When writing copy, it’s important to focus on creating material that resonates with the target audience. It pays to focus on topics that interest the target audience, write stimulating text, and use attractive visuals.

High-quality content is valuable, informative, and well-written. It’s also important to focus on creating copy consistent with your brand. Your text should reflect your brand voice, values, and mission to help create a consistent brand identity and build trust with the audience. High-quality, brand-aligned web pages are more likely to rank higher in search queries. It’s also more likely to raise engagement rates and inspire action.

5. Promote The Content

Building brand authority through content marketing tactics isn’t a one-way street. Engaging with customers through comments, social media, and other channels can build trust. Once you have created high-quality deliverables, you must promote them to your target audience through various channels, such as social media, email, and paid advertising. There are different creative promotion methods, such as podcasts and in-person events. It’s essential to use the right content marketing tactics for each platform. It also helps track results to ensure that your information reaches the right people.

Promotion tactics are vital because it helps to increase visibility and reach. Strategic promotion can lead to more traffic, engagement, and conversions. For instance, it can be easier for an Instagram post to engage a large audience with some boosting. Millions of posts are published online daily; promotion ensures that your posts reach your audience. Promotion can also help establish the brand as an authority in its field, leading to increased brand awareness and reputation. Additionally, promoting blogs, articles, and other website material can help drive backlinks to the company website. Backlinks can improve search engine rankings and drive organic traffic.

6. Engage With the Target Audience

Engaging with your audience is an integral part of building brand authority. It helps you foster relationships and trust, and keeps your audience engaged with your brand. When engaging with your audience, it’s essential to respond to comments and questions promptly and in an authentic and genuine way. You can also use social media to connect with your audience and create conversations around your brand.

Finally, brands can use customer feedback to understand their target audience better. Feedback can include conducting customer surveys and focus groups to better understand the audience’s needs and wants. Brands can also use customer feedback to measure their marketing material’s success and make improvements if needed.

7. Measure and Analyse Results

Once you have created and promoted your deliverables, measuring and analysing your results is essential. Measuring key performance indicators (KPIs) will help you determine what is performing well, which content marketing tactics are working, and where you can improve. The results will help you fine-tune your strategy and ensure that your efforts deliver the desired results.

Tracking your results can also help you understand your audience better. You can use the data to get insights into your audience’s needs and interests and to create information that resonates with them.

Let’s Connect for Content Marketing Strategy Services

Content is an essential part of any brand strategy. At Goodman Lantern, we help companies create deliverables that resonate with their audience and build brand authority. We offer various services, including brand strategy development, copywriting, and content promotion. We also provide SEO services to help brands optimise their copy for search engines.

Book a discovery call today if you’re looking for a tailored content marketing strategy for your business. 

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