8 steps to implement a content strategy
Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 8:31 am
To plan, manage and measure content within a marketing plan, it is necessary to implement a content strategy that first establishes the objectives we intend to achieve and then a route to achieve them, considering the type of content we will provide, the channels through which we will deliver it, the time it will take us and how to measure the results.
1.- Current situation
To create a content strategy, you need to know where you stand: the benefit of using our database what your weaknesses and strengths are, what sets you apart from the competition, what your current content is like, what results you have had so far, who reads your content, who you want to read your content, what your competition does, what content your audience wants to read, and what they think of your brand. Another point to consider before starting your strategy is to determine the budget you have available to carry it out.
Implement a content strategy
2.- Objectives
Determine the objectives you intend to achieve with this strategy. Remember that these must be very specific, realistic and measurable, establishing dates for their fulfillment. Perhaps you are looking to attract new audiences, generate leads, increase brand recognition, increase your web traffic, create loyalty, increase sales, convince, etc. Having our objectives clear will allow us to determine the type of content we should generate and the channels through which we should distribute it.
3.- Target
You need to be very clear about who your strategy is going to be aimed at: who your audience is, where you find them, what they like, what their hobbies are, what type of information they like to consume and through what means they like to receive it. This target audience can be segmented in turn according to the stage in the sales channel where they are; the content that we will provide to our new clients is not the same as the content that we will send to loyal customers. Create your buyer persona , which is a well-defined representation of all the characteristics that a member of your audience has; define who they are, where they live, what they do, how much they earn, etc. When generating content, we will do so thinking about THAT buyer persona .
4.- Type of content
To implement a content strategy you must determine the type of information your brand needs to talk about based on your proposed objectives, also define what content your audience would like to consume based on their tastes and analyze whether your current content can be adapted to your new strategy in order to use it.
5.- Media
Establish the means through which you will offer your content depending on your objectives. For example, offering a free e-book or a whitepaper in which you are asked to enter data to receive it via email will help you get new leads ; if what you are looking for is to attract , you can use an infographic, a contest, an attractive landing page , a video, a blog post, etc. To create loyalty you have several options such as offering a discount, a contest or a survey.
6.- Channels and Promotion
Here you need to define how the content will reach your audience. We have our own channels , which are our blog, website, newsletters, our social networks, etc. There are also earned channels , such as the number of times the information is shared by fans on social networks, good comments and positive actions by influencers, and of course, there are paid channels , such as advertising on social networks and PPC advertising.
7.- Competition
Something you can't ignore is doing an analysis of your competition; what they are doing, what has worked for them and what hasn't. Analyzing your competition is very useful for planning your own strategy and determining the tactics to follow. Identify what type of content they have, how they distribute it, the quality of it, the frequency with which they generate new content, etc. Go to their social networks and analyze the way each competitor relates to their audience. Knowing your competition will give you a clearer vision of what you must do to overcome them.
8.- Measure results
There are several tools, such as Google Analytics, to analyze your audience's behavior. To define the effectiveness of a content strategy, we must consider the cost per lead, that is, the investment of time and resources that each conversion takes; the percentage of leads that we have obtained as a result of implementing a content strategy and, finally, the overall ROI of the strategy.
A content strategy helps us to have a well-defined map of the steps to follow, however, it is not so rigid; based on the results obtained, we can experiment a little or change on the fly. For this reason, it is essential to keep track and measure our scope. If necessary, we will start over.
1.- Current situation
To create a content strategy, you need to know where you stand: the benefit of using our database what your weaknesses and strengths are, what sets you apart from the competition, what your current content is like, what results you have had so far, who reads your content, who you want to read your content, what your competition does, what content your audience wants to read, and what they think of your brand. Another point to consider before starting your strategy is to determine the budget you have available to carry it out.
Implement a content strategy
2.- Objectives
Determine the objectives you intend to achieve with this strategy. Remember that these must be very specific, realistic and measurable, establishing dates for their fulfillment. Perhaps you are looking to attract new audiences, generate leads, increase brand recognition, increase your web traffic, create loyalty, increase sales, convince, etc. Having our objectives clear will allow us to determine the type of content we should generate and the channels through which we should distribute it.
3.- Target
You need to be very clear about who your strategy is going to be aimed at: who your audience is, where you find them, what they like, what their hobbies are, what type of information they like to consume and through what means they like to receive it. This target audience can be segmented in turn according to the stage in the sales channel where they are; the content that we will provide to our new clients is not the same as the content that we will send to loyal customers. Create your buyer persona , which is a well-defined representation of all the characteristics that a member of your audience has; define who they are, where they live, what they do, how much they earn, etc. When generating content, we will do so thinking about THAT buyer persona .
4.- Type of content
To implement a content strategy you must determine the type of information your brand needs to talk about based on your proposed objectives, also define what content your audience would like to consume based on their tastes and analyze whether your current content can be adapted to your new strategy in order to use it.
5.- Media
Establish the means through which you will offer your content depending on your objectives. For example, offering a free e-book or a whitepaper in which you are asked to enter data to receive it via email will help you get new leads ; if what you are looking for is to attract , you can use an infographic, a contest, an attractive landing page , a video, a blog post, etc. To create loyalty you have several options such as offering a discount, a contest or a survey.
6.- Channels and Promotion
Here you need to define how the content will reach your audience. We have our own channels , which are our blog, website, newsletters, our social networks, etc. There are also earned channels , such as the number of times the information is shared by fans on social networks, good comments and positive actions by influencers, and of course, there are paid channels , such as advertising on social networks and PPC advertising.
7.- Competition
Something you can't ignore is doing an analysis of your competition; what they are doing, what has worked for them and what hasn't. Analyzing your competition is very useful for planning your own strategy and determining the tactics to follow. Identify what type of content they have, how they distribute it, the quality of it, the frequency with which they generate new content, etc. Go to their social networks and analyze the way each competitor relates to their audience. Knowing your competition will give you a clearer vision of what you must do to overcome them.
8.- Measure results
There are several tools, such as Google Analytics, to analyze your audience's behavior. To define the effectiveness of a content strategy, we must consider the cost per lead, that is, the investment of time and resources that each conversion takes; the percentage of leads that we have obtained as a result of implementing a content strategy and, finally, the overall ROI of the strategy.
A content strategy helps us to have a well-defined map of the steps to follow, however, it is not so rigid; based on the results obtained, we can experiment a little or change on the fly. For this reason, it is essential to keep track and measure our scope. If necessary, we will start over.