10 steps to create a content marketing strategy

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, and consumers interact with more screens than ever before, content marketing strategy becomes the foundation for success (or failure) when it comes to connecting with customers. That's why creating it requires a deep understanding of your audience and what they want to see from you. Besides this, it needs you to be willing to experiment and be dedicated to creating high-quality, engaging content that will resonate with people.

Running a business without a content marketing strategy is like going for a hike without a map – you may think you're doing great at first, but the risks of getting lost are way higher. And when it comes to promoting a brand, being disoriented and missing out on a major opportunity to connect with an audience is the last thing anyone wants.

Content marketing is all about creating and sharing valuable information that attracts, engages, and inspires people. When done right, it can be an incredibly effective way to build relationships, drive traffic, and generate leads.

Here are the key steps to creating a successful content marketing strategy.

1. Define your goals.

Setting goals is an important part of both business and everyday life. By doing so, you have something to strive for, and, most importantly, something to measure your progress against. Just like any other commercial initiative, content marketing needs to have specific, measurable goals to be successful. Otherwise, it's impossible to know if your efforts are paying off.

Do you want to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, generate leads, or do everything at once? When you know the answer, you can create content that is aligned with your goals, making it easier to measure results. To get started, sit down and brainstorm a list of things you want to accomplish with your content. Here are just a few tips:

• Be specific. Vague goals like "increasing traffic" are difficult to measure and won't give you a clear sense of whether your campaign is successful or not.
• Make sure your objectives are achievable. If you're just starting out with content marketing, it's unlikely that you'll be able to get massive results overnight. Use realistic points that you can gradually work towards.
• Set a deadline. When do you want to reach your goals? Scheduling every step will help you stay on track and measure your progress over time.

Keep this in mind as you define your content marketing strategy, and you'll be well on your way to developing a successful brand.

2. Know your audience.

One of the most important aspects of a successful content marketing strategy is understanding your potential client. It's important to know who your target audience is, what their needs and desires are, and what type of content they are most likely to engage with. Without this knowledge, it will be difficult to create content that resonates with people and leads to conversions. The thing is, If you're marketing to the wrong audience, you might as well be marketing to no one at all. Even the most well-crafted message will fall on deaf ears when not delivered to the right person.

With that being said, get to know your audience. Don't assume, research! Figure out who your customers are, what they're interested in, and what they need from you. Once you have a good understanding of your target market, you can create marketing campaigns that will speak to people directly and help you achieve your business goals. It's one of the most important steps to ensuring your brand's success.

3. Choose your platform.

There are many different platforms where you can publish your content, depending on your audience and your goals. If you want to reach a wide audience, consider using social media or a website. If you want to target a specific audience, a newsletter is often one of the most effective choices. Different media platforms are suitable for different types of text content. For example, Twitter is better for short, informal updates, while Facebook works best for content linking to long-form articles. LinkedIn is your choice for formal business posts, while Tumblr will work best with something more personal. And don't underestimate the power of a corporate blog. This way, you can share important news, tell the brand story, and notify customers of coming events.

4. Create killer content.

Nowadays, content is the bread and butter of online marketing. It is the fuel that drives social media, SEO, and email campaigns. Your target audience is constantly bombarded with new information from all angles, so it's important that your content is informative, relevant, and engaging. This way, your potential clients will be able to learn about your product or service and how it can benefit them.

You might think that creating content is a time-consuming and difficult process. And let's be honest, sometimes it really is.

Our company, Intentful, helps businesses create meaningful, engaging, and original pieces using AI. The use of AI allows the creation of high-quality content much faster, using your company's voice, and on a scale that is impossible without the help of artificial intelligence.

5. Promote your content.

If you create a piece of content and no one sees it, does it really exist? Sure, you can post your content on your social media channels and hope that the right audience will somehow see it. But if you want to ensure that your content is seen by as many people as possible, you need to do more than just publish it and hope for the best. You need to actively promote it.

And there are a number of ways to do so. You can reach out to influencers and ask them to share your content with their followers. If you have a newsletter, be sure to use it, too. This is a great way to reach your existing audience and get them to check out your latest content.

Another powerful instrument is backlinks. They are one of the most important factors in improving your search engine ranking. By getting other websites to link to your website, you're effectively telling the search engines that your website is a valuable resource. The math is simple – the more quality mentions you have, the higher your content will rank. Make sure that the links are coming from high-quality resources. A link from a spammy portal won't do you any good. Also, the backlinks should be relevant to your website. Don't get us wrong, a link from a website about dog food is great, but it's pretty much useless if you are promoting a SaaS company.

6. Analyze results.

Content engagement is the process of analyzing how users interact with your information. This can be done through a number of different methods, including time spent on a page, heat mapping, scroll mapping, and click tracking. By understanding how users act, you can make changes that will improve the overall user experience and increase the chances of conversion. By looking at which content is getting the most views, clicks, or shares, you can learn what topics are resonating with your customers and make adjustments accordingly. 

7. Adjust your strategy.

As a business owner, you know that a successful marketing strategy is key to driving growth and generating leads. But the most important part is that it needs to be constantly tweaked and adjusted in order to be truly effective. The reason for this is simple: your audience's preferences are always changing, and what works for them today might not work tomorrow. That's why constantly testing and experimenting with your content marketing strategy is a must. One way to do this is to try different types of content and see which ones get the most engagement from your clientele. For example, if you typically write blog posts, try mixing in some infographics or videos. This way, you will see what works best for your business. With a little trial and error, you'll be able to fine-tune your strategy and create content that your customers will love.

8. Review and repeat.

Creating great content is important, but, the truth is, if you're not consistent with it, your audience will quickly forget about you. The internet is a noisy place, and if you're not regularly creating and sharing information, you'll get lost in the shuffle. That's why you should produce high-quality, informative, and engaging content on a regular basis. It helps you build a strong relationship with your audience, and it gives you the opportunity to show off your expertise and grow your brand. Plus, it makes it easier for people to find your business when they’re searching for information online.

9. Stay up-to-date.

The only constant thing in content marketing is change. Trends come and go, and what works today might not work tomorrow. If you want to stay ahead of the curve, it's important to keep your finger on the pulse, so your media is always relevant. One of the best ways to keep up with the trends is to follow the leading content marketing blogs and websites. They will often provide you with the latest information and tips. If your schedule allows, attending content marketing conferences and events is a great way to see what's new and what's working in the industry.

If you're not keeping up with the latest trends, you can be sure your competitors are. And that means they're going to have a leg up on you when it comes to connecting with your target audience.

Intentful created a newsletter for those who don't have time to search for fresh insights and tools. Sign up and don't miss out on the latest marketing trends anymore. We will help you adapt your strategy, so you can always be one step ahead.

10. Have fun.

The thing is, If you're not having fun while you're creating content, you're doing it wrong. That's because this process should be enjoyable - otherwise, what's the point? Your customers will be able to tell if you’re not being real with them, and it’ll reflect in the quality of your work. Remember, your audience is composed of people just like you, and they want to see content that’s satisfying and engaging, not something that’s forced or boring. So next time you sit down to create content, make sure it's exactly what you want to do. And don't forget to get inspired by others! Check out some of your favorite blogs or websites and see what kinds of content they're creating. You can find inspiration on social media, in magazines, or even in everyday life. Or in these images generated by AI:

"Teddy bears shopping for groceries in Japan, ukiyo-e"

A content marketing strategy is essential for any business that wants to succeed online. By creating high-quality pieces, you can attract new customers and keep existing ones coming back for more. Your strategy should take into account your business goals, target audience, and the overall tone of voice you prefer. This way, you can ensure that your content is an effective marketing tool that helps you achieve your desired results.

There's no one-size-fits-all solution to this, but these 10 steps should help you create a content marketing strategy that's tailored to your business and audience. If you're not sure where to begin or you need some guidance to get the most out of your campaign, contact us. Intentful knows everything about producing high-quality, relevant content at scale.