Time to discuss content again. More precisely, how your document your content marketing strategy. That’s right, you need to have a clear procedure and put it in writing. Yes, we know that it means extra work for you – but it is only for a determined period of time.
Also, we promise you that by the time you’ve finished reading this article, you will agree that it is an effort worth making. But first of all, what does a documented content marketing strategy contain? What do you write in the respective document?
How to Create a Documented Content Marketing Strategy
Let us start with our own example. The content marketing strategy for Adchief is to create informative and easy to read blog posts for our readers. Our readership consists of marketers and entrepreneurs who run their own business. This means that our tone of voice is professional but friendly, avoiding specialised jargons and terms.
We cover topics related to Facebook™ advertising, social media marketing, content writing, web design and SEO. Our aim is to publish at least 3 articles per week and be the first to share the latest news and relevant updates for our readers.
The two paragraphs above synthetise our documented content marketing strategy. Of course, this is just a very short summary. But start by defining the elements we included in our description and you’ll have a basic structure. These elements are:
- Tone of voice
- Audience
- Topics covered
- Types of content
- Frequency of posting/sharing.
So, once this document is ready, how does it help you? Here are the top 5 benefits you will enjoy:
1. You Can See the Big Picture
The big picture is your overall content strategy: on your blog, on Facebook™, on Instagram, on Twitter, etc. and on various guest blogs. Your key aim is to present a uniform and consistent brand image across all the channels you use to interact with customers and leads.
When you have a clear procedure for how, when and for whom you write, you will see that your content becomes branded – easily recognised by readers as being created by your business.
2. You Get a Greater Chance at Reaching Your Goals
According to the Content Marketing Institute, “people who write down their goals, review them consistently, and share their goals with friends or colleagues are 33% more successful in achieving their goals than those people who just had goals”.
The reason for this is that once it’s written down, you feel you are held accountable to actually accomplish it. This is the power of the written word for people – it has the value of an obligation (moral or otherwise) to follow through and comply with what they stated.
3. Increased Accountability among Your Team
Speaking of accountability, your employees in charge of content writing and social media management will be more careful about the quality of their work. A documented content marketing strategy is also a benchmark against which you can judge their performances and see who is a top player and who is lagging behind.
Also, it becomes easier for new hires to be inducted to their new role and know what they have to do and what kind of copywriting defines the tone of voice of your brand.
4. Work Smarter, Not Harder
With a documented content marketing strategy in place, you and your employees won’t waste time anymore testing various types of content and places to share it. The content marketing strategy defines what works for your brand (from the analysis of your analytical data). Thus, you will focus on creating valuable content, with a proven track record of generating a good conversion rate.
5. Transfer Your Knowledge
Do you need to take a break from your business? Do you want to go on vacation? Did you suffer an accident or illness that keeps you away from work? Your business will not start losing customers and social media engagement, because your employees will have the blueprint for creating branded content.
Thus, even when you hire someone else to deal with content, while you focus on core growth strategies, your brand will have the same tone of voice and will continue to attract new clients.
Now then, don’t you think that it is worthwhile spending some time to create a documented content marketing strategy?