Content Strategy Tips for Your Blog
Earlier this week, we talked about why a content strategy is important. Now we'll talk about tips on creating one.
There really aren't any special rules when it comes to creating a content strategy. There are, however, some ways you can make it more effective.
Content Strategy Tips
When thinking about your blog and marketing materials, think of them as training for your readers. Each article or document should be designed to fill in a small puzzle piece, something that gets them one tiny step closer to solving a larger problem.
Here is a big picture example: how to build a great garden.
That is one large problem that can be broken down into tiny ones. For example, you could use the following topics:
- The steps to preparing the land prior to planting
- How soil types affect the produce
- What fertilizer will give you the best results
- How to get rid of aphids
That is just a small sample of mini topics you could talk about on your blog. The possibilities are endless here.
Before you write down your topics on a calendar, decide how long you want to talk about one main topic. Do you want to talk about a main topic for one week or one month? Will it span over several months? With our garden example, there are so many mini topics to discuss that it could span over several months or even a year.
Also, take into consideration holidays, seasons, product release dates, and anything else that could maximize your content strategy. Make note of these special dates on your calendar.
Will you be producing any case studies in the coming months?
The timeline for any marketing piece that requires a client interview greatly depends on your customer's availability, and producing it in your desired time frame might not be an option, so take that into consideration also. Sometimes it's hard to nail down an interview time, especially when the customer is being pulled in many directions already. The interview might not even happen, so allow for flexibility in your content strategy.
Other documents like articles, research papers, or white papers can typically be completed without a hitch. If one expert isn't available, you can usually find another one.
Here is another thing that will affect your content strategy: what are your customers already asking for? What questions do they have? What do they need help with?
These are important questions and you'll want to give them priority. Think about all of the customer feedback you've received and turn them into questions you can answer in a blog post, case study, or white paper.
Plan your topics in a logical order, like a syllabus for a college course, over the next couple of months. This will help give your blog a professional look. It will show readers that you took the time to plan it out rather than wait until the last minute and write about whatever interests you at the time. Instead of jumping around with topics, you'll have a well-thought-out plan and strategy that gives the most value to your readers.
I hope that helps! What questions do you have about content strategies?
With love,
Jody Calkins
Top Photo Credit: photologue_np
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