5 Easy Steps to Building an Effective Content Marketing Strategy

The digital world is full of content, from websites to blogs, social media to news, journals to podcasts, there is no lack of content. You might be wondering: if there is so much already, why do I need to create more? And you might have a point, but the reality is that our world is run by content.

Brands need to create content -and fast- in order to build an online presence, and more often than not, making that content good, informative, well-written, or well-researched is not a top priority. But it couldn’t be more important to have quality, marketing-oriented content for your brand. 

Here we offer a 4-step guide to building a good content marketing strategy.  When we speak of content marketing, we don’t only refer to traditional advertisements. There is so much more. Let’s dive in! 

Step 1: Research. Research. Research.

You should have three goals in mind in your research: 

Identify your competitors (direct or partial).

Identify your target audience(s).

Identify your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses.

Document everything. Copy URLs. Take screenshots. Compile a research document. Stay organized.   

Step 2: Choose a Platform

It’s important to know what type of content you are writing before you start. Each type of content should have a specific role in your content marketing strategy. These roles should be assigned at the very beginning to keep everything purpose-driven and aligned. Here’s an example:

Social media – engaging, interactive, clear, concise – (Every social platform has its own guidelines, rules, character limits, etc. Be sure to hone in on the specifics for each platform. More on that idea here.) 

Blog articles – informative, engaging, in-depth

Website content – clear, concise, compelling

Advertisements – concise, compelling, clear, sales-oriented.

Furthermore,  some types may suit one brand better than another: a podcast versus a video, a “how-to” blog article versus a tutorial. It is advisable to test various content types to see what appeals best to your audience, then pick a few to focus on. But: if the content does not offer value to your audience, it won’t matter which platform it’s on. All roads to success start with good, compelling, clear content.

Step 3: Spread Awareness

Content marketing is not always hard-sales. Spreading awareness of the need for a product or service should be developed deeply in the form of well-researched, well-written, and well-placed content across channels. Awareness content should be informative and offer value to the general public without blatantly marketing the product. It might take the form of blog articles, social media posts, videos, podcasts, polls, interviews, or a technical whitepaper.

Step 4: Promote the Brand

On the opposite side of the spectrum, we have hard-sales content which can take the form of traditional advertisements, social media posts, blog articles, website content, lite papers. It’s important to be clear about your value proposition and convey your message in as few words as possible to effectively reach wide audiences and make your brand’s voice heard! 

Step 5: Write Good Content

Writing good content is a science with some creative flair, and it’s a skill that can be learned. 

How to write good content: 

Identify the main idea you want to convey.

Research your idea.

Draft your content.

Review your piece. Make sure each paragraph contributes something new and serves your main idea. 

Watch for clarity, spelling, and grammar – sloppy mistakes and unclear content reflect poorly on any brand.

Read your content to yourself out loud. Listen, and see if you like what you hear. If you don’t, make adjustments to make your writing more friendly and accessible.  

Give it a second pair of eyes if possible.

 Publish!

Today’s Consumers

Today’s customers are proactive: they prefer to search for the products and services they want than to click on an advertisement directed at them. They like to do research, compare, contrast, and take an active role in the products they choose by leaving reviews, feedback, etc. In a word: Consumers in today’s world want to be in control. For this reason, all content, especially the more sales-oriented types and even traditional advertisements should take on a delicate tone that is not overbearing or blatantly ‘sales’. In other words, even when you are actively promoting your product, best practice is to make your target consumer think that buying the product or joining the initiative is their idea. If writing good content is a science, then catering to today’s consumer is an art. Let 42 Studio’s content experts guide your content marketing strategy to succeed in today’s market. 

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