Marketing is a must for any business. And arguably, content marketing has become one of the most effective ways to spread the word about your brand. The Content Marketing Institute reports that 81% of marketers view content as a core business strategy.

But while content marketing is undoubtedly important in the modern age, how to succeed at it isn’t so clear. So how exactly do you develop a content marketing strategy for your business? Although it’ll take time, effort, and expertise to determine what works best for your brand, we recommend you start with these three steps.

Define Your Goals

First, you must decide what you want to achieve through your content marketing strategy. What’s your main aspiration? If you’re looking to drive organic traffic and web sales, your approach will differ from a brand that wants to increase awareness or newsletter subscriptions. Your goal will determine your plan of action.

Don’t forget to consider your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) during this step. These are more tangible, numeric goals that you can measure over time. For example, your brand’s KPIs for content marketing might include unique visits, conversions, new subscribers, ranking improvements, and more.

Perform Relevant Research

Once you have your goals defined, you won’t be quite done. You’ll also need to get a handle on your audience personas, your competitors, and the assets you already have.

While it might seem like you’ll want to appeal to everyone, it’s better to narrow it down. When you understand your target demographic and what they care about, you’ll be able to market to them more effectively. In addition, you’ll know their background, pain points, and how you can solve their problems – thus making your brand indispensable without ever having to engage in a “hard sell.” 

To do this, collect as much information as possible about your target buyer. How old are they? Where are they located? What’s their education level? Do a deep dive into their challenges and learn what makes them tick. You can then use this information to create content that will make a difference in their lives.

Then, it’s time to learn more about your competition. The phrase “know thy enemy” definitely applies here. If you can figure out what your competition is doing well – and what they aren’t – you can fill the gaps and beat them at their own game. It’s not a bad idea to sign up for their email newsletters, follow them on social media, and check their business blog to see how you can win out with your content marketing.

Finally, you’ll need to become familiar with the marketing assets. For example, you may have blog posts that can be expanded, visuals that can be improved, or email copy that can be repurposed. Again, the idea is to work smarter, not harder. Taking full advantage of the marketing assets already at your disposal can make your resources go further.

Create a Calendar

After you’ve figured out your audience, surveyed the competition, and inventoried your existing content, you’ll want to make a physical plan of your strategy moving forward. One of the best ways to do this is by creating a content calendar.

A content calendar is what it sounds like: a schedule that outlines what kind of content will be published and when. But it’s more than just a plan to follow. It’ll keep your team accountable, ensure work and resources are distributed appropriately, and help you track your progress. In addition, your content calendar can allow you to decide on the best distribution channels for your message, brainstorm ideas, and identify the best people to do the job.

Plenty of content calendar templates are available, but you can also use a project management tool to keep track of changes in real-time and ensure everyone is on the same page. But, again, we’d recommend using technology to your advantage, so nothing slips through the cracks.

Creating a Content Marketing Strategy Is as Easy as 1, 2, 3

Although executing your marketing strategy won’t always be simple, getting your strategy going is! If you follow these steps, you’ll be able to hit the ground running and will set your brand up for success.