It doesn’t matter if you’re just beginning or have already built your website to optimize it for better traffic and potential consumers, it’s still best to ensure that you implement content marketing strategies to ensure that you stay on top of your competitors and continue to update your strategies.

If you’ve been using the same content strategies for quite some time now, then it’s time to revisit and give it a few tweaks, especially since there are many new trends and changes to consider in the coming new year.

However, where can you start? Read on as I show you the efficient ways to plan a great content marketing strategy!

What Is Content Strategy?

Before anything else, what is content strategy and how beneficial is it?

Content strategy is the management of media you create and own, may it be in the form of written, visual, or downloadable media, you name it! It’s the marketing plan that would help demonstrate your brand and what you can bring to the industry.

There are a lot of things to look into when it comes to creating a content strategy, though!

For starters, there’s your audience, the types of problems to answer, the type of content you’ll do, and where it will be published! These are just general factors but I’ll be focusing more on where to begin planning.

Here are the seven steps to create an effective content marketing strategy built for your website and business:

 

  • Define Your Goal

 

For starters, you need to figure out what you’re aiming for when developing content. Why do you need and want to produce content? What are you trying to achieve with your website and business? This will help with formulating your strategy.

 

  • Conducting Research

 

Next up, you have to research and observe the behavior of who’ll be reading, defining the content’s target audience. This is known as the buyer persona, a must-research for those who are just starting out or are new to content marketing.

When you know your target audience, you’ll know what kind of content they want and need to read. The content and targets may change over time, so make sure to look back at it when needed!

 

  • Running a Content Audit

 

Many people would begin with blog posts, but feel free to venture out with other types of content! However, you must consider carefully and figure out when you should post them.

Review the way you do content marketing and its results compared to today and the past year, then find out what you can do differently with the next year, setting newer goals and aligning it with your organization’s goals.

 

  • Choosing the Content Management System

 

You should have a system to help you manage your content, including creation, publication, and providing accurate analytics. This is where famous systems like Blogspot, WordPress, or HubSpot come along, as they provide you an efficient platform where you can plan, produce, publish, and check out the results in one area.

 

  • Brainstorm For Content Ideas

 

Now, you’ll need to come up with ideas for your content. You’ll be able to get some ideas from various tools and websites so you know who to market your product and get people viewing your content.

  • Blog about can help you generate unique content ideas, similar to Mad Libs but with headline formats.
  • HubSpot’s Blog Ideas Generator offers specific topics based on general terms you give.
  • Feedly and BuzzSumo can help you keep track of trending topics related to your industry.

 

  • Determine What Kind of Content to Create

 

Like mentioned, there are different kinds of content you can choose from, such as:

  • Blog Posts

These are live on a website, published regularly to attract more visitors. These posts need to have valuable and informative content which range between 1,000 to 2,000 words, shared on social media.

  • eBooks

These are lead-generation tools which can be downloaded by potential customers after they submit contact information. They are more in-depth and longer than blog posts.

  • Case Studies

These are testimonials that tell stories of previous customers who have succeeded in solving problems after working with your business.

  • Templates

These are formats that generate leads to you, tools that would help them succeed and come back to your website!

  • Infographics

These are organized visuals that provide data (maybe even) better than words alone!

  • Videos

These are a type of mediums that are highly-engaging and easy to share, though require a lot of time and investment.

  • Podcasts

These help audiences find your business’ brand when they are unable to read. With podcasts growing by the year, it’s something to look into!

 

  • Publish and Manage Your Content

 

Once everything’s done, it’s time to publish your content and manage it! Publishing your content doesn’t finish the strategy. You’ll need to manage it and observe for feedback and traffic it gets so you know what to improve on and what kind of content to focus on in the future.

Keep track with your posting schedule and repeat the process.

Wrapping It Up

And there you have it! Online content marketing is just as crucial as SEO and tracking your consumers that visit your website. Through utilizing the right strategies and ensuring that you post the informative and effective content readers will love, your ranks will go up and the business will garner success in time.

Hopefully, these ways to plan a great content marketing strategy gave you an idea on what you should begin doing for a better-optimized website today. If you have any questions or want to share your tips and experiences on content marketing, then comment below. Your thoughts are much appreciated.