Why content doesn't work without a content strategy

A content strategy forms the basis of planning for the creation, management and production of content - from LinkedIn posts to YouTube videos. The goal of a content strategy is to provide potential customers or candidates with relevant information that will help the company achieve its business goals. A good content strategy consists of several components:

  • Define your target group
  • Identifying their needs and interests
  • Creation of a consistent plan
  • Definition of content and formats
  • Classification of content in acquisition cycles
  • Definition of communication channels
  • Form of technical realization (e.g. photo, podcast, video)

Basically, the content strategy is the basis for achieving your marketing goals with content marketing. If you don't have a set standard, every piece of content is like playing the lottery: Sometimes you win, but more often you lose. And luck is not a good advisor in marketing.

Content strategist and content measures

A content strategist must build on the company's goals and structure the content in such a way that these goals are achieved. It is therefore always in dynamic interaction with your marketing strategy (which should therefore be in place beforehand). The resulting purpose of the content strategy is to support the overall goals of a company. A content strategy is an integrated plan for creating, publishing and managing content in an organization; it is a bridge between strategy and execution. The goal of a content strategy is to bring together the organization's goals, audience needs and business objectives to create relevant, unique and engaging digital experiences for customers and users.

However, the goal of a good content strategy is not just to meet expectations, but to exceed them by offering your customers added value that goes beyond what they would find elsewhere online or offline.

The result of a content strategy

The result of your content strategy should be an editorial plan in addition to the strategic principles that you define in a PowerPoint - like in a corporate design manual for your content. The editorial plan helps you to set priorities, publish content and measure it. It's basically the roadmap for your ongoing content marketing campaign. If your company has multiple teams or offices, the editorial plan can also help keep everyone on the same page by defining what types of content your colleagues need to produce or commission and how often they should create it.

For whom a content strategy makes sense

Basically, a content strategy makes sense if you want to create content for your organization that will have an economic impact on your output. Nevertheless, it is easy to narrow down when a content strategy really makes sense:

  • If you want to use content to attract, maintain and involve your recipients as customers or stakeholders.
  • If you have the resources to really think about content in a sustainable way. It's not just a blog post here or there, but a plan for content creation, management and production.
  • If the subsequent professional implementation is also guaranteed. If you implement content unprofessionally, you will not achieve the desired results.

A content strategy is not just a collection of ideas and words, but a plan to create content that reaches your audience in the right way and at the right time.

The content strategy and inbound marketing

The buyer's journey is a model, borrowed from inbound marketing, of the steps that buyers go through from the first perception of a product or service to the final purchase and implementation. The goal of a content strategy is to ensure that you provide your potential customers with the right information at every stage of their journey. Because not every piece of information is relevant at every stage.

The buyer's journey (or customer journey) can be divided into five phases:

  • Awareness
  • Consideration
  • Decision
  • Buy
  • Implementation/benefits

In the first phase of the buyer's journey, potential customers realize that they have a need for your product or service. Each subsequent phase also has a specific intent that needs to be addressed with content in the right medium, in the right format and with the right message. Basically, you should ask yourself the question: In which phase do I want to work with my content and what do I need to offer in this phase?

Content strategy: why it makes sense

A content strategy is a must for any company that wants to retain its customers and employees in the long term. It is important that you have a strategy in place that includes the creation of compelling content and consistent communication around your brand's identity, mission and goals.

If you are looking for an experienced partner to help you develop a content strategy for your company and then support you in its implementation, contact us today.

Together, we develop a content strategy that focuses on your goals, the relevant channels and efficient content production.