{"id":2082,"date":"2021-12-07T03:00:27","date_gmt":"2021-12-07T08:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/2021\/12\/07\/6-steps-to-content-strategy-success\/"},"modified":"2021-12-07T03:00:27","modified_gmt":"2021-12-07T08:00:27","slug":"6-steps-to-content-strategy-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/news\/6-steps-to-content-strategy-success\/2082\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Steps to Content Strategy Success"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Randi Mohr, Whereoware VP of Client Success & Marketing<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Compelling content powers commerce, cements brand awareness, and fuels customer acquisition opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

In fact, 82% of marketers report actively using content marketing<\/strong><\/a> in 2021, up 70% from last year. It\u2019s not just for B2C – 47% of buyers viewing three to five pieces of content<\/strong> before engaging with a sales rep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s true what they say, content is king (or queen), so why is such a crucial aspect of marketing strategy approached ad-hoc? Placing a solid strategy behind compelling copywriting and content creation can accelerate growth across both B2B and B2C commerce companies. A defined content strategy ensures content creation is customer-focused, goal-driven, and measurable for ongoing performance improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Follow our six steps to<\/strong> build and optimize a content strategy <\/strong>to achieve meaningful growth across organic and paid channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Audit and Assess<\/h2>\n

First, review and audit your existing content approach and marketing touchpoints. A successful audit is the equivalent of a lightbulb flipping on, removing the rose-colored glasses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Perform a full audit of your website, content, sales funnel, and SEO to measure what\u2019s working and identify opportunities to improve engagement or conversions. Note the volume and types of content, target audiences, ranking keywords, and channel engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Review business goals and KPIs to ensure your strategy and plans are tying back to meaningful growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Step 2: Formulate A Plan<\/h2>\n

Now that you\u2019ve revealed the \u201cbest-of\u201d your content strategy and identified areas for improvement, it\u2019s time to put a plan in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Map out your personas and the buyer journey to better understand who your audience is and what they\u2019re looking for. Look for gaps in the journey (awareness, consideration, decision, post-purchase) \u2013 how can your content answer customers\u2019 questions, put them at ease, and motivate action at each of these stages?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Step 3: The Fun Part – Create Content<\/h2>\n

During your audit and planning stages, you\u2019ve identified what works and where you have gaps. Maximize the \u201cworking\u201d content, while creating or optimizing content to fill gaps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Content strategy comes in all formats:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n