In a world where posts get lost in an endless scroll and eight seconds is considered a long attention span, how do you make sure your content actually reaches and engages your target audience?
The answer is to have a solid content marketing strategy in place.
Unfortunately, too many businesses treat content marketing as an afterthought, something that can be tacked on to the already-existing marketing mix with little thought or planning. This kind of haphazard approach is bound to fail.
Creating a comprehensive content marketing strategy may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. By following these eight steps, you can develop a plan that will help ensure your content not only reaches your target audience but also resonates with them.
1. Define your goals
Before you can create a effective content marketing strategy, you need to know what you want to achieve. What are your business goals? What do you want your content to do?
Your goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). For example, rather than setting a goal like “Increase website traffic,” try something like “Increase website traffic by 10 percent over the next three months.” This way you’ll have a clear idea of whether or not your strategy is working.
2. Know your audience
Who are you trying to reach with your content? It’s important to know as much as possible about your target audience so that you can create material that resonates with them. Try creating buyer personas for each segment of your target market. Include information like their age, gender, location, education level, pain points, and interests. The more detailed you can get, the better.
