One-Sentence Content Strategies? Impossible! But let’s try anyway…

You’re in a marketing meeting and someone makes a suggestion. The idea (and your immediate reaction) sounds something like this...

“Let’s make an industry report.”

Waitaminute… Research reports are an effective format, but that’s not a plan.

“Let’s write blog posts about our services.”

Waitaminute… That’s just a topic. That’s not a plan.

“Let’s connect with that influencer.”

Waitaminute… That influencer has a great audience. But this isn’t a plan.

This is a common problem in content marketing. Ideas are everywhere, but strategic plans are in short supply. Most ideas are just a topic (“let’s write about x”) or a format (“let’s make videos”) or a channel (“let’s do Instagram”).

Really a great plan would combine all of these elements (topics, formats, promotion channels) and mix in a few more. There are at least six key aspects in the best content marketing plans. They fit nicely in a chart under three columns: creation, promotion and measurement.

A content program that includes all six of these aspects is very likely to succeed. It’s comprehensive. It’s strategic.

Let’s look at each one more closely.

1. Topic

What’s the subject of the content?

It’s useful and maybe entertaining. Usually, they know they need it (it answers questions). But sometimes it’s an unexpected insight or perspective (thought leadership).

2. Format

What form is it in?

Text, images, audio, video and events are basically all of the possible formats. More specific versions include guides, infographics, podcasts and webinars.

3. Collaborators

Who helps to create and promote this content?

Often this is an influencer that they already know and trust. Sometimes it’s a subject matter expert that adds depth and credibility. Occasionally, it’s a partner, prospect or editor that you’re networking with (that’s called?zero-waste marketing)

4. Locations

Where will this appear?

Something will live on our site of course, but there are other options. Guest posts are published on partners’ websites. Some content is native on a platform (YouTube).

5. Promotion channels

How will it be discovered?

Social, search and email are the classic promotion channels. More specifically are the actual social networks, the search keywords, the link attraction plans, the email list growth plans and outreach ideas for digital PR.

6. Success metrics

How will we know it worked?

Some success metrics are channel-specific (email clickthrough rates, social engagement) and others are in your Analytics (traffic, conversions) All of them align directly or indirectly to the goals.

Just because an idea includes all six doesn’t mean it has to be super detailed. In fact,?a quick content strategy can be summarized in a single sentence?…maybe two.

So here are three very brief but comprehensive content strategies which go way deeper into those three shallow ideas listed above. Each is an example of how content marketing is about creative, collaborative ideas with few out-of-pocket expenses and many long-term benefits.

We’ll start each with a business and a few marketing goals. Sound fun? Ready? Here we go!

B2B Service Example: Cybersecurity Company

As a B2B service provider in a high-consideration category, trust is important. Our services aren’t cheap, so leads are potentially valuable. Some of our prospects need help urgently (we’ve been breeched!) so staying top of mind is critical.

So we have a few simple goals.

Goals:

• Increase awareness/trust among infosec professionals
• Grow authority (links) and eventually rank higher for infosec related phrases

Research reports can build trust, right? Someone read that in a blog post, so they suggested it in a meeting.

Not a plan:

“Let’s make an industry report”

A report is just a FORMAT for content, just like video or podcasts or case studies. It may be?a very effective format for content?and part of a great content strategy, but a format is not a plan.

One-Sentence content marketing plan:

“Let’s survey 200+ experts about top trends in cybersecurity and…

interview the five most famous experts, then…

publish a detailed, visual industry report…

in collaboration with a cybersecurity association’s trade publication.

We’ll encourage partners/contributors to share and link to it, and…

repackage as a video and presentation for live events and finally…

repeat the research annually.”

That’s a detailed content strategy (or at least a high-level description of a comprehensive content program) in just a few sentences. Let’s unpack it a bit more.

It started as just a format. But when we add the other five aspects, it suddenly becomes much more strategic. It now has promotion plans and influencer collaborations. More formats are included and a publishing partner has been added to the mix. Suddenly, it’s very likely to succeed.

Let’s highlight a few of the strengths of this plan:

• Research attracts links. Original research will make our website the primary source for new information, and publications will likely cite us. Those links will power our?Domain Authority?and, eventually, our rankings.
• Repeating it every year?will make the data ever more valuable, and gathering responses gets easier as the email list grows. Annual research is?the easiest research to promote.
• Influencer relationships?will grow our reach quickly. And if we build long-term relationships with these influencers, more collaborations will come naturally. Maybe one of them would like to host a short webinar series.
• Speaking at events?can drive demand. A few attendees may need our help right away. And having new research makes it easier to pitch to conferences. If our association partner has an event, our pitch might be a natural fit.

What if we support this with paid advertising?

A program like this could easily be supported with paid. This would add gas to the promotion engine. Imagine:

• LinkedIn ads could put the report in front of the right people.
• Paying the influencers would incentivize them to promote everything more heavily.
• Sponsoring the event would make your brand more visible at the conference.

B2C Service Example: Boat Maintenance Company

Our buyer wants to take good care of an inflatable boat. They like to do some things themselves, so publishing DIY tips for boat repair is an obvious fit. But if we can rank for the?commercial-intent phrase?we’ll drive a steady stream of qualified leads.

Goals:

• Rank higher for “inflatable boat repair”
• Grow email list with people (mostly professionals) who own these types of boats

Not a plan:

“Let’s write blog posts about boat storage”

It’s an idea but definitely not a plan. “Boat storage tips” is a TOPIC for a content program. It may have a great audience/topic fit. Our readers might really need this information. But a topic isn’t a plan. Let’s mix in the other five aspects and see what it looks like.

Single-sentence content marketing plan:

“Let’s write a big inflatable boat storage guide on our site…

Then partner with a blog for fishing tour operators to write a 5-part series about boat maintenance…

linking back to our own blog and our boat maintenance page and…

the final article will launch at the end of the boating season…

We’ll gather pics of boat storage problems from Facebook…

then do light-hearted video interviews with a fishing/boating influencer about do’s and don’t’s of boat storage…

and then invite viewers to subscribe to get the boat maintenance guide.”

Now that’s much more of a plan. It includes the various formats for publishing, the promotion channels, the influencers and the timing.

Clearly, when we build in the other key aspects of a good content marketing strategy, success is easy to imagine. Success seems inevitable!

Let’s highlight a few of the strengths of this plan:

• By adding a?media partner, we’ll improve our reach immediately and our Domain Authority eventually.
• The?timing aligns with seasonal demand. And we can re-promote the guide every year.
• Video?is an excellent format for any DIY maintenance topics. They’ll be embedded into articles and separately optimized for search. Our “Inflatable Boat Tips” YouTube channel may eventually drive huge visibility.
• The?visuals?(how NOT to store a boat) will make a great hook on social media.

Visit the original article on the Orbit Media blog to see the rest! >