While many web marketing “gurus” and experts will beat on digital podiums about the importance of content marketing strategies, very few really delve into what strategy means in this context. The truth is that the strategy that your content marketing plan follows is the most important aspect of the entire system and one that could easily make the difference between a visible, successful brand and an obscure one.
Rule Number One: It Is Not About You
The first mistake that most content writers make is that they try to put a spin on all of their content towards the company in question: describing the products that their company sells, the company’s motivation for creating such products and promoting the brand in general. This is a mistake – your content marketing strategy should be based on the audience and designed to fit their needs. This brings us to rule number two…
Rule Number Two: Identify Your Target Audience
You may have a product that you believe appeals to everyone in the world, and, perhaps, it is truly something that everyone can benefit from. Your content, however, cannot do the same thing, and must be designed to resonate with a certain type of person.
Different pieces of content can be targeted towards different audiences, but that focus must still be there in order for the marketing strategy to be a success. This requires data that you can use to target and identify the people who can benefit most from your content.
Rule Number Three: Communicate With Your Customers
In order to get the data that will let you target a specific audience, you need to get to know that audience. If you have a handful of customers now, you should find a way to talk to them and find out what their biggest informational needs are related to the product you represent.
A simple after-purchase survey can be enough to get this happening. Once you have responses (numbers are not important at first, even four or five individuals makes a good start) you can begin to assess their answers, create personae and address those persons specifically in following content posts.
