Content is the foundation upon which your business stands to be seen among the crowd. Novice website administrators oft find themselves questioning how difficult developing good content could actually be. We're here to tell you that it isn't easy, but it's not neurosurgery either.
Approaching the whimsical world of content creation, there are some pillars that strongly support effective content strategies. The internet changes at such a rapid pace that there isn't a definitive cut-and-dry method to perfect content strategy. There are directions that have proven their worth, time and again, throughout the evolution of the digital landscape. We're going to illuminate a few of them and show you how they should fit into the puzzle of content marketing.
Invest in good writers, then invest in making them better
The fun thing about writers is that they love to write, it's a skill they're passionate about having and it translates well in this industry. Well-crafted content begins with having people who write well. Your business will benefit from content that's flawlessly written. Few things breed bounce rate like content riddled with mistakes and clunkily read.Your content is the bulk behind your brand, so ensuring it's well-polished writing will demand the respect of readers. Being an authority on your subject matter to your audience brings people back to you for information. You shouldn't have to teach your writers how to write. What you should be teaching is the voice and tone of your brand, the people audience you speak to, and the customers you attract. People love consistency and a brand's voice shouldn't sound like different tones talking over one another. Educate your writers on your brand and how you want to sound and they'll be better able to sing the tunes you want to be heard.
Make sure your writers understand your unique value propositions. As Consulting.com explains in a post on how to become a reputable consultant, people would be persuaded by you if they understand how you can transform them from their current state to their desired states. Spend time to teach your writers how your business transforms people to your customers' desired states and ask them to use this consistently in their content.
A plan well-researched and better communicated
Now you have writers. Go forth and craft content, oh creative ones! Not quite. Writers without a clearly communicated plan will just be lost souls who happen to have a good command of the English language.Writing without an editorial plan is a legion of wasted words. Each piece of content must have a purpose. Clearly defined purposes for each piece of content must tell readers why they're reading something. If your audience doesn't know what they're reading or why they're reading something, internet attention span sets in and they will go get lost elsewhere.
Collaborate with your content team, make a calendar together, research what your users are looking for. Once a strategy is set down, there are no questions as to goals moving forward. As the strategy progresses, clearly communicating what's working well and what could do better will guide future adaptations of the strategy. Nothing in marketing is static, but maintaining the data-driven ability to be dynamic sets you apart from the monotonous content drips that populate the internet.
There's no silver bullet in this industry. Google likes to remind us of that every time they push an algorithmic update. The fact remains that, regardless of powers beyond your control, elegantly crafted content backed by thoroughly researched strategy will get results.