Over the years, Content has emerged as one major influencer in turning the wind towards online businesses. Yes, 89% of organizations consider Content in their marketing strategy, according to the Content Marketing Institute. But, if you dig deeper, nearly half (52%) of the organizations out there do not have a feasible and effective strategy with regards to Content, according to Demand Metric Reports. Is it that difficult to craft an effective Content Strategy for Startups?
In this modern era, where digitization and smartphone penetration adds fuel to the flame, organizations are under immense pressure to rank high and remain visible to their potential customers. Are you one such startup planning to materialize a strategy and steer your proceedings towards success? If so, here’s a list of proven guidelines to help you achieve your ultimate goal – success!
Common Myths Surrounding Content Strategy
Before jumping into the details, let’s discuss some of the common myths and misconceptions with Content strategy ideas.
- The ‘More’ Conundrum: This huge misconception can wreak havoc on your organization. While a higher number of posts/blogs/videos can play a part (only a part) in elevating your domain score, it doesn’t necessarily help you achieve your goals. Instead of focusing on the quantity and spending hefty amounts, work extensively on the relevancy and cater to the needs of your target audience, making you attain your visions easier.
- The ‘Familiarity’ Approach: Herd mentality creeps in when someone’s strategy helped them rank high on search results. The organic market is flooded with puzzles and riddles, and, as a result, you need to have the right set of keys to unlock yours. Following a strategy blindly and expecting things to turn around doesn’t get you anywhere.
A 4-Step Strategy Tailor-made For You
#1 Visualize Your Buyer Persona
What good will my content do to my customer? – If you can answer this question, assume you are on the right track.
At the end of the day, you need to satisfy your target audience. As a result, it is better to visualize your buyer persona right before initiating your Content creation. One of the highly effective ways to craft top-notch content is to identify mundane problems that your customers are experiencing in their day-to-day life. Documenting different key metrics like,
- Problems
- Type of Content
- Current solutions, etc.
Can come in handy. You can identify your buyer persona by conducting customer analysis like surveys, feedback, etc.
#2 Competitors are your Trump Biden Cards
One of the simplest and proven ways to top the charts effortlessly is to conduct Competitor Analysis. Identifying what is working in the market can help you gain better clarity (Emphasis of identify here and not ‘literal’ copying) and hence address problems in a streamlined manner. For instance, if your competitor’s YouTube appears to be trending among your audience, it is evident that Video Marketing is an efficient medium that you should focus on.
#3 Assemble an Untiring Team
Ranking high can be exhaustive, and to cope with challenging situations, you need an untiring in-house Content team ready with all guns blazing. Here’s a list of Creators/Experts who can play their part in helping you achieve unparalleled success,
- Content Writers
- On-page/off-page SEO Experts
- Editors/Proof-readers
- Graphic Designers
- Business Analysts
If you’re a startup with limited resources, you can handle the roles of these experts by yourselves, provided you have the relevant experience or the burning desire to learn.
#4 Ideate and Iterate
Let’s be very clear here. You cannot stick to one idea and expect it to do wonders. Hence, come up with new ideas/strategies and do not fail to iterate according to the results. Conducting monthly/quarterly performance analysis can go a long way in ensuring better results within a short time.
Wrapping up,
Having a detailed and effective Content Strategy for your startup is crucial in every aspect. Follow the above-mentioned steps to eliminate hurdles and emerge successful in your industry.
