You're crafting your content strategy. How can you steer clear of common pitfalls?

The key to avoiding pitfalls in your content strategy is setting a strong foundation. First, ditch the "spray and pray" approach. Identify your ideal audience and their specific needs. What questions do they have? What problems are they trying to solve? Tailor your content to address those needs directly. Second, set clear goals. Are you aiming to boost brand awareness, drive conversions, or establish yourself as an industry thought leader? Align your content with these goals and choose formats that resonate with your audience. Finally, remember, content is an investment, not a one-time expense. Track your results and adapt your strategy based on what's working and what isn't.

Content strategy begins and ends with the overlap between Qualitative and Quantitative considerations. - Who are you talking to and why? - What are the intended results for the content you're creating? Answering questions related to the qualitative and quantitative data associated with your content offers clues to additional levels of research available to you. Moving from ideation and assumptions towards validations and experiments is an important step. Working with others is a surefire way to ensure you're not creating non-relevant content in a silo.

This is fantastic advice. But what if you don't have an audience yet? I find it laughable that most (if not all) mainstream marketing advice out there never considers those of us who are literally just getting started. Well, here's my two cents. If you don't have an audience yet to survey or engage with, you need to start with a clear, detailed, and deeply fleshed-out ICP, figure out (with brutal honesty and objectivity) what that ICP would be interested in and find valuable, and go with that. Does this sound like guesswork? Well, it is—INFORMED guesswork. (You're not planning content for yourself, you're planning it for your ICP.) But that's where you need to start, until you actually have data to start analyzing.

Step 1 Start with a foundation of clear goals. Don't get lost in creating content for content's sake. Step 2 Identify your target audience and define what you want to achieve with your content. Are you aiming for brand awareness, lead generation, or thought leadership? Setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) ensures your content is laser-focused on driving desired outcomes. Step 3 With this clarity, prioritize content types, distribution channels, and metrics to track, keeping your strategy on track and avoiding the trap of creating content that ultimately misses the mark.

Understand your skills, time and abilities, and prioritise doing a few things very well (and testing what works), over doing everything. If you look at brands and individuals who manage to continue posting consistently, they'll often be doing a few things that work to a high standard. Set yourself small goals that you know are maintainable and manageable, and build on those. Most importantly, be flexible and set a minimum and maximum goal all within your capacity.

Grammarly enhances writing by correcting grammar, spelling, and style errors, ensuring content is polished before publishing. On the other hand, Hemingway Editor helps simplify and clarify writing by highlighting complex sentences and suggesting improvements for readability. These tools collectively support content creators in producing clear, error-free, and engaging content that resonates effectively with their audience.

No one ever recommends a mediocre article to a friend. If you want to build a trusted relationship with your audience, you cannot disappoint. Every article you write and publish should be, in your own opinion, worth reading. I would also argue that if you have something to say about a topic, your content can and should be comprehensive, not bite-sized. I have asked many of our readers about the ideal length of articles. One answer stayed with me: "If I don't care about the topic, I won't read a single line. But if I do, I want to read as much about it as possible."

Analysis should happen as often as every other step in your content journey. Audit with qualitative and quantitative data, and do it often. I always create mini-analysis documents on the go for weekly or monthly check ins, and review all of that information every 3-4 months. These reports should then directly impact your content plans, and with regular check ins with that data, you'll keep on the pulse with what works and what doesn't.

I trust Feedly for its ability to aggregate content from various sources into one platform, enabling me to follow industry blogs, news sites, and influencers to stay updated on trends. Additionally, Google Alerts helps by allowing me to set up notifications for keywords relevant to my industry, ensuring I receive timely updates about news, articles, and mentions that impact my content strategy. LinkedIn Pulse is also invaluable for following industry leaders and influencers, providing direct access to their articles, insights, and updates within my LinkedIn feed. These tools collectively enable me to stay informed and adapt my content strategy effectively in the ever-evolving landscape of my industry.

A good starting point is taking the time to create a content strategy but that’s where some stop. You need to not only execute the strategy but also review and implement changes especially considering how quickly social media trends evolve.

Conduct thorough audience research to understand their preferences, pain points, and behaviors. Tailor your content to address these insights to ensure relevance and engagement. Maintain a consistent brand voice across all content channels to build trust and recognition among your audience. Avoid mixed messaging that can confuse or alienate your audience.

What is the objective of having a content strategy? To have a voice, to present your unique perspective - as a brand and/ or as an individual. It is important have pen down your point of view, key opinions and what you want to talk about. These become your content pillars. Next is to find creative ways and engaging words to share your unique perspective. This does not mean that you cannot say what your peers may be saying as well, but your personality will make your content stand out. My advice - "you do you!"