Content Marketing 101: Strategy Questions Answered
What is a content strategy? If it kinda sounds made up, it’s because the term really didn’t exist 20 years ago.
Content strategy became popular in the early 2000s as the internet became more prevalent and digital marketing began to take shape. The rise of social media platforms and other digital channels also contributed to the growing importance of content strategy in marketing.
In 2008, Kristina Halvorson, the founder of Brain Traffic, wrote the book "Content Strategy for the Web," which helped bring greater attention to the concept of content strategy. The book outlined the importance of planning, creating, and managing content that meets the needs of both businesses and their audiences.
Since then, content strategy has continued to gain popularity as more and more businesses recognize the importance of creating high-quality, relevant, and engaging content that resonates with their target audience. Today, content strategy is a key component of many successful digital marketing strategies, and is considered an essential part of any business's marketing plan.
The only problem? Content marketing strategy is layered. But you’ve got this. Here are the answers to commonly asked questions about creating a content marketing strategy in 2024.
What Is Content?
When you're diving into the world of content creation, the type of content you choose really depends on what your audience loves. But don't worry, there's a whole menu of popular options to pick from:
Blog Posts: These are like your daily diary entries or short stories, perfect for sharing insights, tips, and updates.
Videos: A dynamic way to engage your audience with anything from educational content to behind-the-scenes glimpses, adding a visual and personal touch.
Social Media Posts: Short, engaging updates tailored for platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or X (formerly known as Twitter), perfect for quick interactions and building community.
E-Books: These are your digital books, packed with information, and great for deep dives into a subject.
Whitepapers: Imagine a report or a guide that tackles complex issues and offers solutions – that's a whitepaper for you.
Newsletters: These are your regular updates sent via email, keeping your audience in the loop with news, tips, and other interesting content.
Case Studies: Like storytelling with a purpose, case studies showcase real-life examples or success stories to illustrate your point.
Infographics: They are the eye candy of content, turning data and information into visually appealing and easy-to-understand graphics.
Webinars: Think of these as online workshops or lectures, where you can engage with your audience in real-time.
Each type of content has its own unique charm and purpose, so choosing the right one can really make your message shine.
Why Should You Use Content Marketing In Your Small Business?
Imagine content marketing as your digital megaphone. It's the art of creating and sharing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and engage a specific audience. Instead of just pitching your products or services, you're providing genuinely useful or interesting information to your potential and current customers. This could be anything from blog posts, videos, and infographics to podcasts and social media posts.
Think of it as planting seeds. Each piece of content is a seed that helps grow awareness about your brand, establishes you as a knowledgeable leader in your field, and builds a trusting relationship with your audience that leads to easier sales.
Builds Trust and Relationships: By sharing helpful and insightful content, you're not just selling; you're building a relationship. People start to trust and rely on your business as a source of useful information.
Increases Visibility: Every piece of content you create is another opportunity for people to find your business online. It's like adding another open sign in the vast digital neighborhood.
Supports Other Digital Marketing Efforts: Content marketing feeds into and enhances other areas of your digital marketing strategy. It boosts your social media presence, improves your website's SEO (so more people find you on Google), and can even enhance your email marketing efforts.
Cost-Effective: For small businesses, budget is always a concern. Content marketing is relatively low-cost, especially compared to traditional advertising. Plus, it offers long-term returns – a well-written blog post or how-to video can keep attracting new customers for years.
Positions Your Brand as an Industry Expert: Sharing knowledgeable content shows that you know your stuff, positioning your small business as a leader in your field. This builds credibility and can set you apart from competitors.
In a nutshell, content marketing is a powerful tool for small businesses. It's about connecting with your audience, offering them value, and building a brand presence that's trusted and visible.
What Is A Content Strategy?
A content strategy is a plan to get what you want from your content creations efforts. I think of it as a roadmap for creating, publishing, and managing content that supports your business goals.
For example, if your goal is webinar sign ups, publishing content that speaks to the benefits of attending the class is a good way to carry out that goal.
What’s Included In A Content Strategy?
1. Objectives: The goals you want to achieve with your content, such as increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, or generating leads.
2. Target audience: The specific group of people you want to reach with your content, including their demographics, interests, and behaviors.
3. Content types and formats: The types of content you will create, such as blog posts, videos, infographics, or social media posts, and the formats you will use to distribute them.
4. Content themes and topics: The themes and topics you will cover in your content, based on your audience's interests and needs.
5. Content calendar: A schedule of when and where you will publish your content, including the channels and platforms you will use.
6. Metrics and analytics: The key performance indicators (KPIs) you will use to measure the success of your content strategy, such as engagement rates, website traffic, or conversion rates.
Here’s 7 Steps To Create A Small Business Content Strategy
Is A Content Strategy Necessary?
Creating content is time-consuming. Sometimes it feels like you're just spinning your wheels and not getting anything out of your effort.
But if you want to grow, nurture, and maintain a business, a solid content strategy is non-negotiable. It's not just a way to connect with your audience – it's your ticket to running a successful business without a big ad budget.
A thorough and well-executed strategy tells your brand's story and mission.
Even when you're not in the room (or on the platform!) it creates consistency within your social media marketing, in your tone of voice, and what your audience can expect from your content.
And all that? It establishes the like, know, and trust component that every customer or client needs to experience before they feel confident investing in your service or product.
Without a content strategy, your business's success is limited. But find the right strategy that works for you, and you can accomplish your goals and dream bigger. Think affiliate marketing, podcast interviews, and media coverage — the sky’s the limit on opportunities for growth when stand-out content makes you in demand.
Is Content Marketing the Same as Social Media Marketing?
Content marketing is about crafting and sharing valuable content across various platforms — think blogs, emails, and websites. It's a broad approach, aiming to reach people in many different online spaces.
On the other hand, social media marketing is more specific. It’s all about engaging with your audience on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The focus here is on creating content that's perfect for social media, fostering direct conversations, and building a community.
The main difference? While social media marketing is about sparking conversations and building relationships on social media channels, content marketing is more about providing helpful and informative content across a range of platforms. The goal of content marketing is to educate and engage, whereas social media marketing is more about interaction and dialogue with your audience.
How Long Does It Take for a Content Strategy to Work?
Okay, so you’re sold on the importance of a consistent strategy and you’re drooling over the possibilities of what it could do for your business. You're probably thinking, "Alright then, full steam ahead!" Except...that might be exactly what got you here in the first place. I get it: So many entrepreneurs get frustrated because they don’t see an ROI on their strategy as quickly as they'd like. You have to be patient. (Not my virtue either, sigh).
Content marketing is a marathon – not a sprint. On average, it takes a minimum of three-to-nine months for your audience to start engaging with and regularly responding to your content. That's because your audience needs to see a message multiple times before it really sticks.
And that’s why you need to stick to your plan for the first few months before you can lament: “Why is content marketing not working for me?!”
Make sure your audience has had a chance to get comfortable with you and your message before pivoting, especially if you're a new company or service provider or if you introduced a new product or service.
How Often Do You Post For A Content Strategy To Work?
Here’s the deal: The optimal posting frequency on Instagram depends on several factors, such as your audience, content quality, and engagement levels. However, most brands post on Instagram once per day, while some may post up to three times per day. By “brands,” I mean large companies with larger teams handling all things Instagram.
As a solopreneur/personal brand , I stick to three days a week when I’m busy behind the scenes with client work and digital product development, but when I have a launch or want to ramp up my Instagram growth I’ll post 5+ times a week for 6-8 weeks to breathe momentum into my account.
Word to the wise: Prioritize quality over quantity. Posting too frequently with low-quality content can actually harm your brand's reputation and decrease engagement. Instead, focus on creating high-quality content that resonates with your audience and encourages engagement.
You can also experiment with different posting frequencies and analyze your engagement metrics to determine what works best for your brand. For example, you may find that posting twice per day on weekdays and once per day on weekends works well for your audience.
Sorry, Instagram gurus — Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to how much you should post on Instagram. It's important to find the right balance between frequency and content quality that works best for your brand and resonates with your audience.
What's the Most Common Content Marketing Mistake?
One of the pitfalls in the journey of content marketing is creating content that sounds too much like a sales pitch. Imagine going to a party where someone keeps trying to sell you something – it gets tiresome, right? That's what happens when content is overly sales-oriented.
Content marketing should be like a helpful friend, not a salesperson. It’s primarily about providing valuable information to your customers. The goal is to inform, help, and entertain, rather than just sell. When you focus on being useful, you naturally build trust and interest in your brand.
When content comes across as solely aimed at making a sale, it can turn people off. It feels disingenuous, like the brand is only interested in the customer's wallet, not their needs or interests. This approach can damage the relationship you're trying to build with your audience.
What Is Valuable Content?
Valuable content, in the context of content marketing, is information, insight, or entertainment that your audience finds truly beneficial. Here's what makes content valuable:
Relevant: It speaks directly to your audience's interests, needs, or problems. For example, if you're a gardening business, valuable content could be tips on seasonal plant care or how to deal with common pests.
Informative and Educational: It teaches something new or provides a deeper understanding of a topic. This could be a how-to guide, a detailed analysis, or an expert interview.
Engaging and Interesting: It captures and holds attention. Whether it's a well-written article, a captivating video, or an eye-catching infographic, it should be something that your audience enjoys consuming.
Timely or Timeless: It's either very current, tapping into recent trends or news, or it's evergreen, remaining relevant and useful over time.
Empowering: It gives your audience the tools, knowledge, or motivation to take action, solve a problem, or improve their lives in some way.
Authentic and Trustworthy: It reflects your brand’s voice and values honestly and provides accurate, reliable information.
Shareable: It's something that your audience wants to share with others, whether because it's helpful, entertaining, or emotionally resonant.
In essence, valuable content isn't just about what you want to say; it's about what your audience wants or needs to hear. It's a blend of what you know and what they care about, presented in a way that resonates with them and enriches their experience with your brand.
What Is Consistency in Content + Social Media Marketing?
The advice to be “consistent” is everywhere you turn. But what does that really mean when it comes to your online presence? It comes back to these three aspects.
Consistency in Tone/Voice: Think of your brand's tone and voice as its personality. Just like a person, a brand's personality should be consistent across all interactions.
Whether you're writing a blog post, responding to a tweet, or sending an email newsletter, the way you communicate should feel familiar to your audience.
For example, if your brand is playful and lighthearted on social media, being formal and reserved in your newsletters could confuse your audience. Consistent tone and voice help build a relationship with your audience, much like getting to know a person's character over time.
Consistency in Frequency: Regularly scheduled content creates a sense of expectation and habit for your audience.
For instance, if you release a blog post every Tuesday, your audience begins to look forward to and expect that content weekly. It's similar to tuning into a favorite TV show at the same time each week.
Inconsistency in posting can disrupt this rhythm, making it harder for your audience to stay engaged with your brand.
Consistency in Brand Message + Identity: Your brand identity includes visual elements (like logo, color scheme, and typography) and messaging themes (like your core values, mission, and the type of stories you tell).
Maintaining consistency in these areas is like ensuring your brand wears the same 'outfit' and speaks the same language wherever it shows up.
This consistency helps your audience to immediately recognize your content, whether they see it on a billboard, in a web ad, or on social media. It's similar to recognizing a friend's style and manner of speaking in a crowd. Consistent brand identity reinforces what your brand represents and stands for, making it more memorable and recognizable.
How Content Marketing & Copywriting Work Together
Content marketing and writing are fundamentally interconnected.
Content marketing is all about conveying ideas, sharing valuable information, and connecting with your audience.
Good writing breathes life into content marketing strategies, transforming ideas into compelling stories and messages. It's through skillful writing that a brand’s values, information, and stories become relatable and engaging to the audience.
It matters because writing in content marketing is not just about creativity; it's about clarity and keywords. Clear, well-crafted messages cut through the noise and make your content visible with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) practices that rank well on search engines.
A skilled writer can adapt their style and tone across various platforms and formats – from blogs and articles to social media posts and email campaigns – ensuring the message remains effective and consistent.
Moreover, a person skilled in these areas will have a deeper understanding of your target audience. They can craft content that not only speaks to the audience but also syncs up with your brand's messaging.
Instead of juggling multiple specialists, a single skilled individual can oversee the entire content journey, from conceptualization to publication. This not only saves resources but also simplifies coordination and execution.
A well-executed content strategy increases brand awareness, drives website traffic, generates leads, and ultimately drives sales.
Bottom line in 2024, a strong content marketing strategy is crucial for businesses seeking to establish a strong online presence and build lasting relationships with their audience.
Happy Creating!
Cyndi, Owner of Ascent StoryCraft
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