Content strategy
Decoding content strategy: how, when, what, where, why?
You might wonder, "What exactly is content strategy?"
Simply put, content strategy involves the thoughtful planning, creation, and management of content—whether written or in other media—to achieve specific business or organisational goals.
It's about making strategic choices: what content is needed, how best to create it, and how to effectively manage it across its lifecycle to align with and fulfill your business goals.
Why content strategy matters
A solid content strategy is crucial for any business aiming to leverage content in achieving its objectives. Whether you're looking to boost brand recognition, enhance your online presence, or drive sales, a thoughtfully crafted content strategy is your roadmap to success.
A content strategy maps out how you’ll create, distribute, and govern your content. It aligns with your business goals, hones in on your target audience, and defines the right mix of content types you’ll need to deploy to strike a chord.
Random acts of content? Not recommended. Because without a clear content strategy, you risk producing content that fails to align with your objectives or doesn’t effectively reach your intended audience. This not only wastes time and resources but could also undermine your brand’s credibility.
What is content strategy
Content strategy is your blueprint for impactful communication. It’s about crafting content that not only engages your audience but also drives your business objectives. This strategy maps out what you’ll create, how often, and who’s responsible, ensuring every piece of content has a clear purpose and a designated creator.
But it’s not just about keeping your content machine running—it’s about gaining an edge—dialling into your audience’s needs, delivering precisely what they crave. By continuously aligning your content with audience expectations and business goals, you not only stay relevant—you stay ahead of the curve.
Let’s talk about refining your content strategy and what makes it successful:
- Purpose-Driven: Every piece of content should have a clear purpose aligned with specific business objectives. Content for contents’ sake? That’s a missed opportunity.
- Audience-Led: Understanding your audience is critical. Dive deep to uncover what truly engages them. This ensures the content you produce not only attracts but deeply engages and connects.
- Organised: Plan and schedule what content will be created, establish publication frequencies, and assign responsibilities. A robust content calendar prevents drift and keeps your strategy sharply focused.
- Systemised: Employ tools like content management systems (CMS) and editorial workflows to maintain consistency and high quality across all content.
- Adaptive: The digital landscape is ever-changing. Regular reviews and adjustments to your strategy are necessary to adapt to new trends and platform updates effectively.
Your content strategy should be dynamic, a living framework that evolves based on ongoing insights into your brand’s performance and audience engagement. Are you ready to craft a content strategy that not only reaches but resonates with your audience, driving tangible results? Let’s dive in.
We helped Rest with their content strategy
How content strategies are delivered
- Integrated with Marketing or Branding Initiatives: Often, content strategy is part of a larger marketing or branding effort—like launching a new product or undertaking a rebrand. In these cases, the content strategy is designed to support and enhance the broader marketing objectives, ensuring that all content aligns with the new branding direction.
- Standalone Service: For companies focusing specifically on enhancing their content's effectiveness, a standalone content strategy project is ideal. This approach is particularly beneficial for businesses that lack the internal resources to manage their content needs. Deliverables for such projects can vary but typically include a detailed content audit, thorough audience research, and a comprehensive content plan tailored to meet the client’s unique requirements.
The best choice depends on your specific needs. If your goal is a holistic overhaul of your marketing or branding, an integrated project will provide the cohesive approach necessary to align all elements effectively. However, if your focus is purely on content improvement without broader branding changes, then a standalone content strategy service will offer the specialized attention your content needs to excel.
What you need to include in your content strategy
Tackling a content strategy can feel complex, but that’s where we step in. We help businesses pinpoint their goals and craft strategies to achieve them.
Here’s what you need to weave into your content strategy to make it truly effective:
- Define clear goals: What are you aiming to achieve with your content? Increase brand awareness? Drive sales? Setting clear, measurable goals is the first step to success.
- Understand your audience: Who are you talking to? What do they care about? Knowing your audience inside and out ensures your content resonates and engages effectively.
- Map out themes: What topics will your content cover? Choosing relevant themes helps keep your content focused and meaningful to your audience.
- Develop a content calendar: Planning is everything. A content calendar helps you organise topics, manage timelines, and maintain a consistent publishing schedule.
- Build your Team: Whether it's in-house talent or external experts, having the right people on board is crucial to execute your strategy effectively.
By embedding all these elements into your content strategy, you set the stage for content that not only reaches but also impacts your audience as intended.
Setting goals for every piece of content
Every piece of content should have a clear purpose. Whether it’s to generate leads, enhance brand visibility, drive traffic, or introduce a new product, defining the goal for each piece is crucial for an effective content strategy.
For instance, when crafting a blog post, aim to create engaging copy complemented by eye-catching visuals. This combination should not only captivate but also provide genuine value to your audience. By ensuring each piece of content aligns with your broader business goals and enriches your audience's experience, you guarantee that your content does more than just attract eyes—it engages and retains them.
Always ask yourself: If I wouldn’t engage with this, why would they?
Dave Clark’s principles with developing a content strategy
We're a digital and design agency, so it’s no surprise that we think visually. We believe the best way to develop a content strategy is to start with a mind map.
A mind map is a visual representation of your ideas and thoughts. It's a great way to brainstorm and organise your opinions on a topic.
Then, when it comes to building out a content strategy from that big, beautiful mess, we stick to a few key principles:
1. Keep it simple - When it comes to content strategy, less is more. You don't need a complicated plan with tons of bells and whistles. Keep it simple and focus on the essentials.
2. Be adaptable - If there’s one thing we count on, it’s change. Our strategies are built to flex and pivot. Because whether it’s your goals, your audience, or the platforms you use—change is a constant.
3. Be consistent - Whether it’s the way your content sounds, feels, or looks, keeping things consistent is crucial. It’s how you build trust and keep your audience coming back for more.
Simple, adaptable, and consistent—that’s our formula for a content strategy that not only works today but keeps on working no matter what comes next.