Here are top 10 tips to help you improve your content strategy instantly:
1. Ask what your customers want, not what you can give them-
In order to get a content strategy that will work, you have to know who your customers are says Brian C Jensen.
“Who is our target audience?”
That’s the big question that should be answered before any other questions begin. The answer to this defines how you’ll develop your content (what topics, what tone) and how you’ll reach them in the platforms they use most often (where do they hang out online?). This may sound like easy stuff, but it can be tough when moving fast on things like an app or website redesign. However, if you don’t consider this step in your process, it can cause major problems later, when you try to figure out why something isn’t working with users.
2. Take a risk –
Alongside knowing your audience is how you want to interact with them. How do they like to be communicated with? What type of content do they need and when?
This is one area where taking a risk can pay off big time (i.e., something nobody has done before). As we look at how we use social media, we see brands struggle every day to find ways that users haven’t seen several times already. The more you try this, the better it gets: think outside the box and take risks on things that may seem strange or different but will help inform what really works and why.
3. Find inspiration from unexpected places-
One content strategy that we see many brands fail on is the idea that they need to be everywhere. Indeed, there is enormous pressure from employees and investors alike to cover all possible platforms out there: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Medium…the list goes on. But you can’t be successful in reaching your customers with content if you don’t know how they use these platforms explains Brian C Jensen. Instead of trying to “do it all,” pick one or two platforms and really focus efforts there: listen to users and understand what resonates most and why.
So instead of spreading yourself across dozens of places online, search for inspiration from unexpected sources that might give you insight into where you should put your focus next.
4. Get exposure for your content without waiting for it to happen organically-
Let’s face it: sometimes, good content goes unseen. There is a limited amount of time people have to pay attention to what they’re seeing, and if they aren’t drawn in by the headline or image, your hard work might get lost in the shuffle.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it! Through social media outreach and paid promotion, there are ways to get your message out even when something isn’t doing so well on its own.
5. Identify gaps in the market and fill them with great content-
In order to have a successful content strategy, you have to be thinking ahead. No matter what industry you’re in, there will always be opportunities to fill gaps – even if it takes a change in how you think about your business model.
For example, Apple does this regularly: they’ll release a new phone or operating system and call it “the best ever,” when in fact there are already multiple issues with the software before users even get their hands on it. And yet they can do so because of the popularity of its phones and operating systems: people feel compelled to buy them no matter what the reviews say. Now that’s power!
6. Make use of tools that integrate into your existing processes and systems-
In an ideal world, content is a free-flowing exchange of ideas that happens without friction between teams says Brian C Jensen. Unfortunately, the real world doesn’t work quite like this: you have to deal with limitations on time and resources, among other things.
That’s why tools are so important: they help you work around these issues and get to where you need to be efficiently.
7. Work closely with writers-
To ensure they understand how best to position information for search engines so you get more exposure without losing the human touch
8. Build a channel strategy – with specific goals in mind
To maximize the impact of your content, you have to understand how it fits into your overall media plan. But that’s not enough: you also need to manage expectations on what each channel can do for you.
9. Create “entry points” so customers find your content easily-
Reach out to your customers where they spend time and get them to engage with you there. This is a lot easier said than done, but by creating content that resonates with specific audiences, you can create channels for them to find it themselves.
10. Understand the path from acquisition through conversion –
In order to get repeat business from your customer base, you need to understand what draws them in during the first place explains Brian C Jensen. The bigger question is why people come back: it’s not enough just to keep posting updates or new products; because if your audience doesn’t think the information will help their lives – either now or in the future – then they’re probably not going to engage.
Conclusion:
If you’re going to be successful it will require a lot of time and a commitment from your team to keep reworking the strategy until you’ve got something that really works for all involved. In other words, if you care about what you do, then go ahead and make those changes!