the importance of content strategy
Think about how content and its creation has changed over the last two decades. In 2000, just half of Americans had broadband access at home— now, more than 90% do. The first iPod was sold in 2001, and the iPhone wasn't released until 2007, alongside a new wave of increasingly personal, individualized technology.
Max Roser, Our World in Data
Not only has the technology we use changed over the last 15 to 20 years, but the pace of that change has increased dramatically. As a result, content strategy in turn has had to come a long way, too.
Today, we witness a paradigm shift. Organizations and individuals are investing time and resources into developing well-thought-out content strategies. Content strategy is a plan that outlines the purpose, goals, target audience, and methods of delivery for each piece of content created. It takes into account channels such as websites, blogs, social media, and more. A robust content strategy ensures that content is aligned with the overarching business or personal objectives and creates a cohesive brand narrative.
From driving brand awareness to SEO to building credibility, a well-executed content strategy has become essential for success in today's digital landscape.
In today's digital era, content is king. From businesses to individuals, everyone is generating and consuming content on a massive scale. However, content strategy cannot exist in a vacuum. There are three main elements of success that you need to consider when developing a content strategy: budget, buy-in, and preparation.
1) The Budget
When working with business leaders, it's important to recognize that your content team and their business team are on different sides of the equation. You're (hopefully) thinking about the positives of your intended content plan: the potential benefit you can bring to the team and to the company or brand as a whole. The businesspeople, on the other hand, are thinking about the finances-- as they should.
“Businesspeople think in terms of return on investment (ROI) and risk and reward. They have to. Your case for content strategy absolutely must be presented in those terms.
So make sure what you’re proposing is a sound business decision. The people you must convince have been burned before by bright, shiny [ideas]... Their budgets, their reputations, and sometimes even their jobs may be on the line. And they’re just as worried that you don’t get the business side as you are worried that they don’t get content.”
-Meghan Casey, “The Content Strategy Toolkit”
The budget should always be a priority for your project— without it, it’ll never leave the cutting room floor. Without proper funding, it can be challenging to produce the kind of content that resonates with the target audience and garners attention.
So don't self-sabotage. Think about the content plan, of course, but remember to consider the financials when you're presenting the ideas. Lay out the concept, the risks, the potential savings or profits-- put all the math on the table, and be up front.
2) The Buy-in
Another crucial factor in developing a successful content strategy is gaining buy-in from key stakeholders within the organization. Successful content strategies require collaboration and support from various departments such as marketing, sales, and management. Without buy-in, it can be challenging to align content efforts with overall business objectives.
This is where your argument comes in. If the budget is building your team’s ethos, then this is where you hit them with the logos. You need to demonstrate the value and potential impact of content on achieving business goals. Build this argument from start to finish, from your claim and its grounds, to your backing, and rebuttals to any anticipated arguments against your plan.
You can present case studies, data analysis, or success stories from competitors and industry leaders. Involve key stakeholders in the planning process to ensure their input and support from the very beginning. By fostering a culture of content within the organization, you can create a strong foundation for a successful content strategy.
3) The Preparation
You need to set yourself up for success. Content strategy requires thorough preparation to be effective. One part of this is looking to your external audience: understanding the target audience, conducting research, and setting measurable goals and objectives. Without proper preparation, content efforts may lack direction and fail to resonate with the intended audience.
The other piece of preparation is internal: making sure you have everyone on board who needs to be. You need to ensure that the departments you’ll be relying on are at the ready to jump in when you need them, and that your stakeholders are engaged and there to collaborate from the very beginning.
“For car insurance companies, the No. 1 indicator of a safe driver is how often they slam on the brakes.
For content strategy projects—well, most projects—I’ve learned that one of the primary indicators of success is getting the right stakeholders involved and engaging them in meaningful ways.”
-Meghan Casey, “The Content Strategy Toolkit”
Stakeholders are anyone who has an impact on or is impacted by the project at hand— not necessarily just budget holders or company leadership. It’s anyone whose decision-making or expertise or other aid you might need to call on in order to hone and implement your plan.
No one likes being left out of an important project, and we like it even less when someone disrupts or derails our project. This is why it’s so important to include stakeholders from the beginning: it makes sure that you know you’re getting into, and limits the chance of any surprise interruptions down the road.
Almost everyone in an organization has a hand in the brand’s content one way or another:
establishing the brand strategy;
running customer support and engagement;
writing technical manuals and product information;
designing the branded sites and documents;
and much more.
The Future of content
The evolution of technology over the past two decades has transformed content creation and consumption. Content strategy has become crucial for businesses and individuals alike. By allocating sufficient resources, gaining support from key stakeholders, and thoroughly planning content efforts, you can develop a strategy that engages audiences and achieves business goals in today's digital era.
The importance of developing a content strategy is only growing. As advanced artificial intelligence and virtual reality technology continues to evolve, the content landscape remains in constant flux. Businesses and individuals alike need to adapt and integrate these new mediums into their content strategies to stay relevant and effective. By relying on the steps of budget, buy-in, and preparation for success, we can continue to develop effective content strategies even as the digital world moves in new and amazing ways every day.
