Developing a Content Strategy

Although the use of the word "content" is relatively new, the concept is not. You've probably been providing useful information to your clients and prospects for decades. In today's context, "content" is used to describe information that you provide in any form: it could be an eBook, White Paper, article, blog post, email blast, product brochure, webinar or live seminars...whatever.

Why do I need a "Strategy"?

You need a strategy to clarify your message, focus your efforts and attract and retain the right clients. The days of calling on a prospect to introduce your product or service are over. The Buyer is now in charge of the process. Over 78% of buyers (B2B or B2C) start by researching a website. Fifty percent then look to social media and peer reviews for recommendations.

70% of the buying process is over before a sales person is ever seen*

Scary, right? The role of the salesperson has drastically changed (that's a subject for a future newsletter), so it's more important than ever that you are communicating a clear message in the places where your prospects will search for information.

What a content strategy includes:

Content is now an integral part of your overall inbound or outbound marketing strategy, which includes:

• Be where your customers are looking for information. Determine which social platforms are right for your business and your client/prospect audience. Will you blog? Post on social media? Write eBooks? Develop webinars? 

• Choose a clear message and stick with it. A smaller company may have 1 message theme; a larger organization may have 2-3. Your message(s) should be simple, easy to understand and timeless (will be valid for at least a year).

• Establish thought leadership & credibility. Demonstrate that you know your prospect's pain points; provide solutions through the information that you share.

• Capture contact information. Trade relevant & useful information for an email address, company name and other contact information. This can be an eBook, Research study or any other meaningful information. Capture the information in a form on the Home page of your website or a landing page specific to the information you're providing.
   
• Commit to a schedule. Pick a frequency that you can live with. Once you decide how often you'll post or blog, etc., consistency is important. Determine on the front end whether you'll outsource content creation or whether you have the resources for this internally.