How to create a content marketing strategy

A woman takes a picture of her breakfast while lying in bed.

If you focus on superficial topics without putting in the proper research or writing something from the heart, it’s clear that your followers aren’t going to become overwhelmingly interested or engaged. People are seeking out something more substantive and meaningful.  

The best content is always about something your audience is already interested in but with a fresh perspective.  It’s important to realize that we all have different levels of knowledge about our audiences. We can’t assume that everyone knows everything that we know. Thus, provide an educational perspective on the benefits of your offerings and your vision for how things will be better after they work with you.

Here’s how you can get started with creating a content strategy unique to you and your brand.

Change the way you think about content creation

Create a Promotional Calendar

Your content marketing strategy should be aligned with a specific end goal in mind. Are you promoting a product and hoping to sell it, do you have a service to feature, or are you taking the time to express your expertise for business leads?

Content marketing becomes useful when you’re using it to promote yourself or your brand to prospective clients, potential partners, and new customers over time. Why should they do business with you? What are they getting out of it when they buy from you or help support one of your causes that resonates with them? Are there discounts available for people who order online or offline? The answers to these questions are content creation ideas for your promotional strategy. 

Conversation

If you’re creating any kind of content, whether that’s a blog post, video, brochure, or anything else, make sure it’s answering questions that people have. Even if they don’t know they have the questions, there’s a good chance you can create content that will help them discover them.

Using a frequently asked questions exercise, brainstorm questions that may be asked about your products or services.  Your questions are your talking points or your topics for content creation.  The questions people ask also tell about their pain points and their objections, to which you can write and combat through your content marketing. BuzzSumo and Answer The Public are great resources to gather ideas about the questions that your audience may be asking in your industry.  

Relationships

It’s important to know that social media is a tool for improving your brand and getting your content out there. The value lies in its ability to get the audience involved with your business so they will be eager to purchase from you as soon as they’re ready because of whatever kind of journey you’ve taken them through!

Now create content from your content marketing strategy

We’ve highlighted in this blog that your content should spark a conversation, so a great place to start is by talking to yourself.  Talking makes you concise. Be sure to talk to your phone or computer using Otter.ai which will transcribe your words as you talk, giving you the basis of your content for your social ecosystem. 

When talking, answer the questions that you brainstormed during your FAQ exploration.  Answer them through the lens of how your business aims to benefit your clients.  Tell the story of your business’s mission and why you do what you do.

Here are some content creation ideas that you can use when you are creating your transcription.

Include your business’s mission in your content marketing strategy
  • What is the service you are currently offering?
  • Whom do you hope to do it for?
  • Why do you want to offer this?
  • What value do you bring? What do you want to be remembered for after executing this service with your clients? How will it help them?
  • What will people think of you and your business every time they hear your name? Will they think of you as a professional, friendly and helpful individual?
Paint the vision of how your business benefits your clients in your content marketing strategy
  • Vision- think about the vision you have for your clients after they work with you.
  • How is your client’s life/business different now that they have worked with you?
  • What can their business now accomplish because of this service?
  • What can they personally accomplish because of this service?

Be authentic

We think of content as the backbone of how we engage people who either want our company’s product or want to work with us, so when it comes to content marketing, it’s important to remember that the most successful companies are the ones that tell their stories from the heart. Rather than focusing on certain outside forces, you need to focus on helping potential customers understand what’s unique about your brand and how your business can help them. Marketing isn’t just about giving readers a few facts and tossing in some keywords; it’s about showing them how you can help solve their problems and make their lives better.

Repurpose content creation ideas you have previously created

Writing down your ideas ensures they are available to be used later if needed. Once you put your thoughts onto paper, it is much easier to analyze and use this new information in future projects should the need arise!  Keep a running repository of everything you have created so you can tap into this content bank at any time.  You never know when these assets can become an important thread in a larger story.

Promote your content ideas into your online ecosystem

Now that you have created your transcription, it is time to clean it up for use.  Keep important talking points that align with your current promotions and save tangents for another time.  Add appropriate calls to action, such as a link to your products and services.  Use an online graphic design program such as Canva (affiliate link) to create eye-popping visuals that complement your captions.

When both graphics and captions are ready to go, it is time to schedule your content.  The frequency and timing of posting doesn’t matter as much as ensuring that you can maintain this process and consistently create and publish content for your audience. It is better to focus on publishing great content than on getting as much content out as possible every day.

Your unique content creation strategy

Content is a powerful tool to build your business and attract new leads. Whether you’re a small business owner, an entrepreneur, or part of a bigger company, the right content can help you get the right customers. Learn the basics of creating content that converts, so you can start using it to help your business thrive.  

If you need the help of a content marketing consultant, connect with Mountain Cane Media.  We offer an Easy Content Plan that walks you through the process described in this article and provides you with ready-to-go content that you can promote into your online ecosystem.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *