A few years ago a company’s online presence was simply their corporate website.
Keeping the corporate brand and corporate identity consistent, the website was simple and straightforward. But things have changed and with social media and digital platforms, a company’s website is only the beginning. Content now plays an important role in the lifecycle of your digital brand, covering who you are, the audience you target, your brand tone or digital voice, and your brand’s marketing strategy.
Even when thinking about your SEO strategy, the argument is that content is the way to go, but just pushing out endless material does not always help your brand achieve your goals. That raises the question: Which should you seek to understand first – content, or your target audience? In my opinion, it’s crucial to understand who will be reading your content.
Here are four steps to consider when starting work on your Content Strategy in order to help you achieve your Return on Engagement, focusing on the user first…
Step 1: Identify your target
Your target audience can be defined by age, behaviours, attitudes, goals, online purpose, interests, etc. The challenge lies with determining which categories of readership fits with your brand.
Create personas to define your target group so that you can create relevant content for them. Talking to someone in your industry is different to talking to a consumer or potential client. Every persona will have different needs and through your content, you need to deliver a consistent story to each of them.
Step 2: Drive your content
Your overall goal should always be to create that connection between your brand and your target group. Why? By creating that connection, you engage them in conversation based on what their interests are, and they will be more inclined to send your message on. When content becomes a dialogue, it’s personal and creates the opportunity for ongoing conversation.
Step 3: Listen and be engaged
Keeping your audience engaged is just as much about listening as it is about knowing what’s important to them.
In the endless stream of social content, it’s important to understand what keywords are drawing your audience’s attention on the web. Content needs to enrich their search ability, especially when they want to find solutions to their problems; when they need to know how to do things better, or more efficiently.
Step 4: Segment and let it work
Develop your content beyond just the general end user. Segment your content as you would segment your product. Aim to at least direct your content into three main areas:
• Internal brand ambassadors
• External consumers who affect your bottom line
• Community influencers who spread the message of your brand.
Content Strategy is driven by one big idea: if you produce and share fantastically useful content, and understand your target audience, your community will be more likely to become customers, remain customers, and send you more customers.
