What is a Content Strategy?

Content what?

‘Content strategy’ is a daunting term. You’ve already figured out that content makes the digital world go round, but adding on ‘strategy’ conjures up images of boardrooms and planning and numbers and lots of chefs.

Fear not: we’re going to answer that every-daunting question, “What is a content strategy?”, in five simple steps.

What is a content strategy?

Put simply, a content strategy tells you where your business is going and how you’re going to get there. It pulls all of your communication channels – website, email, social media, blog, editorial, print, radio – into one overall plan to create consistent communication about the things your business wants to tell the world.

Why do I need a content strategy?

Because it makes your life so much easier, that’s why. Yes, you need to put in a bit of work at the beginning, but once you’ve got a plan, you know what you’re doing week-to-week. A content strategy gives your business vision and purpose, and if it’s done correctly you’ll never get to a week and think, “Oh crap. What am I going to tell my audience today?”

When do I need one?

The digital realm truly makes the business world go round these days. No one uses the Yellow Pages anymore; newspapers are getting slimmer and slimmer because news is so instant thanks to the internet and as a result there are fewer advertisers interested in paying for spots. Instead, consumers get all of their information from the internet because it’s instant and accessible just about anywhere in the world. Therefore, if a business is taking their future seriously, they’ll have a content strategy in place now. Yes, that content strategy can include more traditional forms of advertising like print and radio, but if it doesn’t throw itself head-first into digital as well, there’s no way it can compete with every other business on Google. The when is now.

Who needs one?

But my business isn’t big enough. But my business doesn’t need digital. But my business is already doing well with digital. But my business …. But what.

Every business needs some kind of content strategy, large or small. If you’re large, you want to stay large and look like you’re the know-it-all expert of your industry. If you’re small, you want to become larger. Use digital.

Every business needs digital, even if you’re a traditionally un-digital industry like farming or nursing. Use digital to create a community that looks to you as an expert in your field, because everyone else is using digital and the worst thing that can happen to your business is to be left behind and be perceived as being too old-school and not hip with it.

If your business is already doing well in the digital world, well done – but don’t sit on your laurels. Your competitors will see your success, and chase you down. The more complacent you become, the more of a shock it will be when suddenly you’re not number one any more.

How do you create a content strategy?

Don’t worry if you don’t know where to start with your business content strategy; the friendly folk at Lingo do. Give them a bell.