Congratulations on your new website. It must have taken some time (and money to get it off the ground). Let’s assume the ground’s covered as far as the content on your website is concerned. It’s ready for search engines and its speed load is healthy.
At this point, with the spanking new website launched, most people will start to:
- Place ads
- Distribute physical flyers, brochures
- Email their client base
- Post it on their social media accounts
- Hold events
- Call their friends, family, or clients
- Announce it formally on Linked
- …and wait for traffic to pour in
All legit.
I think it’s time for a content strategy to start rolling out.
What Is A Content Strategy Plan?
In essence, it’s a comprehensive strategy for the creation of content related to your business that creates touch-points for your customers. It is also SEO-driven to impress search engines and attract qualified organic leads (for free – technically).
The content strategy plan, in the nutshell, keeps close to the key business objective. In your content calendar (which I am a strong proponent of – some people can work without it), is the process of creating, publishing, optimizing, and promoting the content whether text-based, image-based, video, or audio.
A solid content strategy plan focuses on audience searches and answers them. Of course, it also highlights how YOU can solve those problems and provide the solutions.
A content strategy plan also includes producing content within the sales funnel that brings your existing customers back again whenever they need something you have to offer. It’s time to work closely with your website content writer.
Is A Content Strategy Plan Just For ‘Older’ Websites?
The funny thing is that some people assume that a content strategy plan is for a website or business that already has an audience, a company that’s been around. That cannot be further from the truth!
A content strategy is absolutely essential if you want to create brand awareness. It’s important if you’re optimizing your main pages for SEO. It’s important when you’re running ads to bring traffic and leads to your brand new website.
Let’s just look at it this way. A piece of new content on the website/blog can be:
- Optimized for new long-tail keywords related to your business.
- Posted on your social media to highlight new products/services
- Rank on search engines above your competitors
- Worked into a landing page
- Drive new traffic to your products and services
- Build trust with new audiences
- Ammunition for your inbound marketing framework
A content strategy plan is not something you do a couple of months down the road or even a year down the company’s marketing journey. It begins the moment your website is launched.
The Stats
Nothing, in the eyes of a serious content strategist, is more important than what the stats tell you.
Over 54% of digital marketers and decision-makers say that they spend more than an hour a day reading content, thinking about and acting on them.
On the consumer front, more than 81% of consumers, your audience, hit Google for a search to find out more about your products and services before completing the purchase journey. So, if your content marketing strategy is to help your consumers solve their problems, you’re winning a part of the game.
A good game plan for content strategy is to:
- Solve the problem right off the bat
- Help your consumers figure out how to solve the problem or discover challenges
On the competition front, 70% of marketers and content strategists acknowledge that it is critical to build up a reservoir of content to remain competitive in the industry.
So, is writing content that is ‘there for your customers’ important? Absolutely YES!
What Makes You Unique?
Whatever your content marketing strategy is, a new website is starting from ground zero, at least from the digital marketing perspective.
Your new website may have all the pillar pages set up. Pages like home, product, blog, landing, contact, search, 404 pages should already be there.
Competitors who have similar products to yours and who have already spent some time solidifying their online content strategy have the same. So, what makes yours unique?
As a consumer, chances are, they’re looking at a forked road. They’re asking ‘So, which one is better?’ and you NEED to answer THAT.
Does your new website tell a more convincing story? Are you better able to answer their questions better? Is it easier to get around your website? Does your website have a unique brand voice that speaks to them? Do you stand out, graphics or visual-wise, from your competitors?
If you can prove to your readers that you’re worth listening to, you’ve got their attention. And that’s one of the factors that contribute to a steady stream of organic traffic.
If you’re wondering, however, if blogging still works for businesses these days, I’ve written something about it here.
The Content Strategy for Organic Traffic to Evergreen Content
Stepping into trends is good. It’s great, in fact…for the short term. Like writing about the pandemic or a news-worthy piece.
Sure, why not?
Do they convert? Or are you educating or entertaining your customers/readers? What kind of image are you establishing for yourself?
You see, blog posts are always at the top of the funnel if it’s written to be that way. This means you’re going to reach people who are not really interested in what you have to offer AND those who are.
An evergreen piece of content is playing the long game. It is in-depth, covers many angles, answers questions, is easy to skim, directs traffic to relevant pages, is relevant over time, is updated every now and again, and acts as a gateway…and yet, it is NOT a landing page.
It’s not easy to do this, I’ll admit. Some smaller companies I’ve worked with would have used content writing services to get them through this phase. In my personal experience, a storytelling piece or an evergreen piece needs your personal touch. No one outside of your corporation is better at leading this brigade than you.
Even if you’ve decided to use content writing services to help up your game, I believe you should be the one who holds firmly onto the rein.
Conduct Persona Research For a New Website or Company
Before you launch your content marketing strategy, please conduct persona research. It’s something I wish I knew right from the start.
Persona research is like defining the type of audience who will find your content interesting or your products/solutions worth investing in.
THAT’s your TARGET. It is especially important for new websites or companies that are just starting out.
The above is simply an illustration of a potential target market for, say…a company selling headphones to Gen Y and Z.
When I first started coming up with audience personas, it was intriguing because we’re just sitting there conjuring up all kinds of traits our customers may have and putting a face to it (using stock photos). You can be as in-depth as you want with it and it’s fun!
But bear in mind that every time you come up with marketing collateral, be it physical or digital, you’d bear these people in mind. Would it really jive with THEM?
Of course, sometimes your target market will change, especially when it is a completely different product or solution.
During the revamping of your content marketing strategy, you’ll revisit these audience personas to see if they still fit.
If you’re a beginner, I suggest trying out Hubspot’s nifty little persona creator tool. Just answer a couple of questions and that’s it.
Time To Work The Content Marketing Strategy For Your New Website
Now that you’ve got your customer personas, it’s time to sit down and put together a content calendar and content writing skills to work!
The content marketing strategy is going to help propel your website traffic forward.
Craft your content ideas that you think will appeal to the audiences you’ve just ‘conjured up’. It’s fictional, but that’s the kind of audience you think (or know) is going to like your products.
And whenever you’re thinking about an ad campaign or an EDM, bring the personas back into the picture. Will it hit the sweet spot for them?
Before I Go….
Here’s the gist of what I’ve said earlier and I hope you’ll start exploring them so that you can start firing from all cylinders a couple of months down the road.
And oh, be meticulous, be patient, and of course, be persistent. You can’t rely on paid ads forever, that’s the reality.
At some point, you’ll have to think about loyalty and brand recognition. Even if your business is run by no more than you, your spouse, your best-friend, a VA, and…sometimes…your pet cat.
- Spend some time solidifying your content marketing strategy at the start, and periodically throughout the year. Things change and so should you.
- Understand the basics of a real content strategy plan
- Business blogging is NOT dead
- Content marketing strategies are not just for ‘OLD websites’
- Optimize your content for SEO and people
- Decision-makers spend a lot more time reading content than you think.
- Rise about your competitors by creating trust and brand loyalty
- Create both trendy and evergreen content
- Create persona research
- Get outside help if you need to but it starts with how committed you are.
Good luck! Happy writing, strategizing, and marketing.
Copywriting & Content Marketing Specialist 
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