Each day, when I log on to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, I see dozens of people trying to feed me content. Many of these people are talented, intelligent and hardworking, but at the end of the day there’s just not enough time for everything.[quote]Rather than trying to read it all, most of us pick out the things that seem most interesting to us, if it’s really good, we decide to share.[/quote] The act of sharing is much more likely if the writers have first thought of a content strategy when posting.
Some marketers are missing the mark in terms of what audiences are looking for in terms of content. Many times, this is because these marketers haven’t done their homework. Unfortunately, instead of being like the old Field of Dreams adage, “If you build it, they will come,” it works much better to think in terms of “If they like it, they will click.”

At our Orlando branding agency, we’ve noticed that many businesses develop their content strategy without doing their homework. They know they need a blog, but instead of trying to hone in on their audiences and what’s important to them, these marketers think about what’s best for them.

 1. Identify the best channels

When assessing your brand’s content strategy, it is important to identify the proper channels for your brand. Many people immediately log on to Twitter and Facebook, thinking those are their ideal audiences because they are the most popular. Therefore, they neglect growing networks such as Snapchat and Pinterest, which actually might be best for highly visual brands. Consider which networks might be best for your brand by examining each network’s user demographics, and, if you are already producing content on those networks, by assessing follower engagement. If you feel stretched for resources in trying to maintain profiles across all social media platforms, choose one or two that work best for your brand, and focus on those.

 2. Establish relationships with key influencers

Grow your audience by seeking out influencers in your space. If you can get the attention of the influencer, then that relationship can create numerous ways to connect with your audience. You can often find these influencers through blogs and Google searches, as well as tools like FollowerWonk.com, which gives information about individual Twitter accounts, the people who follow them, and the people they follow. Follow and engage with leaders in your space, and also follow the people they follow in order to help facilitate growth.

3. Rethink your email strategy

Then, see how your audience is responding to your email strategy. If you don’t have a strategy for your email list, then start collecting emails and create a strategy right now! Not only can you share your own content, but you can also share others’content, which people tend to appreciate if they find it useful. A digest of your brand’s content can be a great way to offer additional audience touch points to information you’ve already published on your blog or social media. There are numerous email platforms out there, but MailChimp and Constant Contact are two of the most affordable email platforms that also offer email analytics and guides.

4. Cover relevant topics on your blog

Blogs are great tools for giving your audience interesting information within your space. Readers come to rely on and trust the blogs they love, which helps solidify the relationship between the creator and the audience. They’re also great for SEO purposes. Make sure your blog is covering relevant topics by staying on top of current events, looking at what interests your influencers and showing that your business is keeping its finger on the pulse of what’s changing in the industry.

These ideas can then help your marketing team generate a content strategy focused on the most relevant content portals. Once you start seeing success with this strategy, you can then expand to other outlets or start A/B testing in order to optimize the strategy. You can experiment with messaging, headlines, email lengths and more, in order to help create the optimal experience for the user.

For more suggestions on how to conduct research to help improve your business’s content strategy, contact our Orlando marketing agency for a consultation.