A content strategy is an essential part of almost anyone’s overall marketing strategy these days. If you rely on the internet at all to find customers, sell products or services, or even build awareness of your brand, you must optimize for search engines, which largely involves producing credible, authoritative, and interesting content. But, because everyone needs to produce content, it’s harder than ever to stand out. Here are some tips for doing so:
- Narrow your audience and truly understand them. The more specific you can be about who you’re trying to reach, the more likely you are to reach them. Content put into the world to appeal to everyone often attracts no one. Content that addresses a very specific group, their needs, pain points, and interests, is much more successful. Tailor your content to the people you most need to reach.
- Have an authentic brand voice. Keep a consistent tone that makes sense for your business and your ideal customers. Take some time to really think about your company’s core values and make sure you’re conveying them through your content. Always be thinking about what you want to communicate.
- Bring a fresh perspective. Look at the content that ranks high for your search terms or your industry. Think about how you can do better or offer a different way of looking at things. Share your experiences and insights. Come at things from a different angle. Bring whatever sets you apart in the real world to your content.
- Try a different format. Again, look at content that ranks in your niche. See if there’s an opportunity to rank using a different format. For example, if all the page one results for your topic are blog posts and there are no videos, make a video. Different people like different kinds of content. If you can fill a gap, you’ll be doing your customers and yourself a favor.
- Set yourself apart with quality. A lot of what is out there is mediocre, if not complete garbage. Provide well-researched or visually appealing pieces. Write well and use well-designed infographics. If you offer content that is actually useful to people, it will find an audience. Always ask yourself what value the reader is getting from your content, and make sure you have a good answer.
- Engage with your audience. Respond to comments when possible. Encourage feedback. When you start a conversation, you can often start a community. Relationships are always more valuable in business than simply getting eyes on your website or social media pages.
- Measure results. Pay attention to how it’s going. Figure out what does well and what needs improvement. Be willing to grow and try new things.
Substance and Style 