Originally published December 15, 2022 , updated on January 16, 2023

Modern audiences encounter countless forms of content in large quantities every day. Sharing information in the hopes that it will convert target customers is no longer sufficient for most brands. With a surge in competition, brands need to focus their efforts on building strong, meaningful relationships with their target audience. But, as with anything worth working for, this is no simple feat.

Creating genuine connections with a certain audience requires an expert content strategy – a marketing approach that integrates different channels and platforms into a single game plan. While there are many ways to build a content strategy, we’ve compiled all the essential details into a single place to help you get started. 

What is a Content Strategy in Marketing?

A content strategy involves planning, crafting, and distributing relevant information to attract, engage, and retain customers. The process can involve a variety of channels such as social media, search engines like YouTube, blog content, podcasts, online or print articles, and other media. Part of the process involves defining where the target audience consumes most of their content. Having a clear and comprehensive plan helps brands better meet their marketing goals because it carefully caters content to the needs and desires of the people they’re trying to engage. Be it improving brand awareness or establishing thought leadership, harnessing the full power of digital marketing channels with an expert content strategy is crucial for any modern business. 

How Can I Make My Content Marketing Strategy Better?

1. Define Marketing Goals and Core Values

The first step in building an expert content strategy is defining your marketing goals. Having clear goals also helps narrow the focus of your efforts and build a clear path to reach every objective. A goal can be anything from increasing website traffic to generating customer engagement. Typically, large goals are broken down into smaller objectives, such as increasing page views and gaining more followers. 

A business’s core values can also inform a brand’s marketing approach. Organisations need to identify values that are important to them, such as trust, teamwork, or diversity. The core values lay the foundation for the brand identity, writing style, and even imagery that can be used in the company’s marketing materials. Content strategy services can help brands find their goals and core values and align them to fit in with an expert content strategy. 

2. Research Target Audience and Competitors

Brands certainly need to have a strong knowledge of their target market. It’s helpful to know how and where potential customers consume information and also what their preferred style of communication is. This helps businesses tailor their marketing to better appeal to their audience. It also helps to research competitors to understand what’s working in the industry and what isn’t. 

Competitor analysis makes it easier to find areas that other players in the industry are focusing on, and on the other hand, areas where there may be a gap in the market. Content strategy services can help identify opportunities where your brand can stand out from the competition and weave that information into an expert content strategy. 

3. Get Personal

Personalised content helps brands connect more deeply with their target audience. This can be done with something as straightforward as an email. Email marketing is the second most used content distribution channel, and for good reason. They are personal, economical, and effective. Businesses can share updates, valuable insights, and also event information through emails. 

Content strategy services can help brands make the most of their emails with regular and informative email campaigns that nurture potential customers down the sales funnel. A full-service digital strategy agency  can also create visually compelling emails to improve engagement rates. 

4. Stay Consistent 

High-quality copy needs to be shared regularly at optimal times for maximum impact. An expert content strategy can map out the best times to share certain materials. This helps to ensure that the target audience gets just enough information – never too much nor too little. 

A blog, for example, can offer valuable knowledge, answer common questions, and share original opinions on industry topics. But in order for it to be an effective tool for marketing, it needs to be kept up-to-date, and it needs to share content with enough regularity to drive traffic to a websites an email. Email marketing is the second mos. Content strategy services can help pick topics, build a posting schedule, and also write compelling blogs to keep any blog active. 

5. Don’t Shy Away From Technical Documents 

Technical documents can be used by businesses to establish thought leadership. By publishing whitepapers, case studies, and ebooks, businesses can show that they are an expert in the field. This establishes credibility and encourages customer trust. Technical copy can also help businesses build a brand image through visual storytelling and messaging that is targeted towards specific customer groups.

Content strategy services can help businesses dig deeper into important topics and craft easy-to-understand technical documents. 

6. Have an Active Presence on Social Media

There are many reasons for businesses to have an active social media presence. First, it can help to build brand awareness among potential customers. Second, it can be a way of communicating with customers and also keeping them up to date with developments. Third, it can build a community of followers, fulfilling people’s need to feel a sense of belonging. 

Social media lets you create a persona around your business that can be carefully curated to resonate with the target audience. Social media strategy services can help create a successful social media persona for your business by understanding the customer base and also what they want from a brand.

7. Prioritise Search Engine Optimisation 

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the process of optimising a website to increase its visibility in search results. The main purpose of SEO is to increase organic traffic and subsequent lead generation. It’s a low-cost, low-risk way to increase visitors and brand recognition. SEO can also help build trust between your business and potential customers who might be wary about buying from an unknown company.

SEO experts are trained in various techniques such as keyword analysis, on-page SEO, backlinks, and technical SEO. They can seamlessly integrate various SEO tactics into a highly effective, long-term plan. 

8. Take Advantage of Analytical Tools

Businesses use data analytics tools to measure the success of their marketing efforts. But many businesses that don’t have in-house data specialists will struggle to track and interpret their data. Thankfully, there are content marketing agencies that specialise in and offer data analytics, too. These services help to track ROI, identify top performers, inform and refine content strategies, and also evaluate how well different marketing materials are performing. Businesses can use analytics tools to determine which channels are the most effective at driving engagement and sales.

Let’s Connect for Expert Content Strategy Services

Content strategy services can help devise and implement an expert content strategy customised for your brand. Even if you have an internal writing team, hiring professionals can bring in new perspectives and direct your marketing campaigns in a fresh direction. 

Goodman Lantern is a top-tier content marketing agency with a knack for building successful marketing campaigns. So reach out to our team today to book a discovery call. 

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