5 Simple Ways To Improve Your Content Strategy

Creating a content strategy should be simple right? All you have to do is strategically provide content which will engage your audience.  Though it sounds simple enough, there really is a lot more to it than meets the eye.  Ever heard the phrase, “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care!”?  More important than speaking to your audience is listening to what they have to say.

Customers know what they want, and tell us every day through keyword searches and their social media channels.  By analyzing the data provided by these sources you can gain a better understanding of how to connect with your target audience.

Keyword research tools can help you understand how your potential customers speak, what content they’re after, and what stage of the buying lifecycle they are in.  Social media provides you with a way to see the types of content your customers want, the context of the keywords they use as well as the sentiment, and where this need is located.

Once you have a general idea of how to connect with your target market, you can use this information to improve your content strategy.  Listed below are a few simple ways to do this.

1. Speak Their Language:  While it may seem petty and simple, some words are more utilized than others despite their similar meanings.  I see this all too often in B2B marketing. Marketers try and complicate the buying process by using internal words and acronyms their buyers would never use. For example while some may call their phone a mobile device, most others simply call it a cell phone.  By using keywords your target audience uses you can often create an instant connection between you, and the customer.
2. Understand Context:  Be sure to understand the context by which your customers are using keywords.  This can allow you to carefully customize your message specifically for your desired target market.
3. Content At The Right Time:  Once you have obtained enough information to understand what your target market is looking for, it is then important to understand their buying journey to make sure you are giving them the right content at the right time.  Many times your product may be the solution to several different customers all with different needs.  It’s important to understand those unique needs and the types of questions that are asking themselves during their buying process.
4. Not All Content is Equal:  Determine which types of content your potential customers are interacting with most.  By doing this you can determine the content you need to create in order to extend your reach within your target market, as well as how to distribute it (ex. website, blogs, etc.).
5. Measure, Measure, Measure:  Upon creating your content it is often a good idea to utilize the traditional content strategy planning steps.  This will help you measure your results in order to determine how you can improve your content strategy moving forward.

For more tips and guidance on messaging strategies contact [email protected]. We help companies research, validate, and create a messaging platform that separates you from your competition.