online content strategy
An online content strategy is a plan for creating, publishing, and promoting digital content to achieve specific business objectives. This can include a wide range of content, such as blog posts, articles, videos, infographics, and social media posts.
A well-defined content strategy can help businesses achieve a variety of goals, such as increasing brand awareness, driving traffic to their website, generating leads, or improving search engine rankings. To develop an effective content strategy, businesses should first identify their target audience and their specific objectives. This will help guide the creation of relevant and engaging content that resonates with the audience and supports the desired business outcomes.
Once the target audience and objectives are defined, businesses should create a content plan that outlines the types of content they will create, the channels they will use to distribute the content, and the frequency of publication. This plan should also include a budget and resources needed to create and promote the content.
In addition to creating and publishing content, an effective content strategy should also include a plan for promoting and distributing the content. This can include tactics such as social media marketing, email marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO). By promoting the content through these channels, businesses can increase their visibility and reach a larger audience.
Overall, an online content strategy is a crucial part of any digital marketing plan. It helps businesses create and distribute high-quality content that resonates with their audience and supports their business objectives. By developing and implementing a well-defined content strategy, businesses can improve their online presence, drive traffic to their website, and achieve their desired business outcomes.
Consider content AND the people that create your content
When creating a content strategy, it's important to not only consider the content itself, but also the people who will be responsible for creating it. This means identifying the right individuals or teams to create the content, based on their skills, expertise, and availability.
Having the right people in place to create the content is essential for ensuring that it is high-quality, relevant, and engaging. This can be especially important for businesses that produce a lot of content, as it can help ensure that the content remains consistent in terms of tone, style, and message.
In addition to having the right people create the content, it's also important to provide them with the necessary support and resources to be successful. This can include providing them with clear guidelines and instructions for creating the content, as well as access to the right tools and technology. It may also involve providing them with training and support to help them improve their skills and stay up-to-date with industry best practices.
Overall, considering the people who create your content is an important part of developing a successful content strategy. By ensuring that you have the right people in place, and providing them with the support and resources they need, you can create high-quality content that resonates with your audience and supports your business objectives.
Match your writing to your audience’s literacy level
Matching your writing to your audience's literacy level is an important part of creating content that resonates with them. This means using a writing style and vocabulary that is appropriate for the audience's education and knowledge level.
For example, if your audience is highly educated and knowledgeable about your industry, you may be able to use more technical language and industry-specific jargon in your writing. On the other hand, if your audience has a lower level of education or is not familiar with your industry, it may be necessary to use simpler language and avoid complex concepts or terms.
One way to determine your audience's literacy level is to conduct research, such as surveys or focus groups, to gather information about their education, knowledge, and interests. This can help you tailor your writing to their needs and preferences.
In addition to conducting research, you can also use tools, such as the Flesch-Kincaid readability test, to measure the complexity of your writing and ensure that it is appropriate for your audience. This test uses a formula to calculate the number of words per sentence and the number of syllables per word and provides a score that indicates the reading level required to understand the content.
Overall, matching your writing to your audience's literacy level is an important part of creating effective content. By using a writing style and vocabulary that is appropriate for your audience, you can create content that is easy to understand and engage with, and that supports your business objectives.
The Five W’s (and H) of content marketing strategy
The Five W's (and H) is a framework for developing a content marketing strategy. It is based on the idea that in order to create effective content, you need to have a clear understanding of the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of your content.
The Who refers to the target audience for your content. This includes identifying the demographics, interests, and needs of the people who are most likely to engage with your content.
The What refers to the type of content you will create. This can include blog posts, articles, videos, infographics, or any other type of content that is appropriate for your audience and supports your business objectives.
The When refers to the timing of your content. This includes deciding when to publish the content and how often to publish new content.
The Where refers to the channels or platforms you will use to distribute your content. This can include your website, social media, email, or any other platforms that are appropriate for your audience and support your business objectives.
The Why refers to the purpose or goals of your content. This includes identifying the specific outcomes you want to achieve through your content, such as increasing brand awareness, generating leads, or improving search engine rankings.
The How refers to the tactics and strategies you will use to create, publish, and promote your content. This can include developing an editorial calendar, creating a content plan, and implementing a distribution and promotion plan.
Overall, the Five W's (and H) framework can be a useful tool for developing a content marketing strategy that is effective, relevant, and engaging. By considering the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of your content, you can create a plan that supports your business objectives and resonates with your target audience.
Voice and tone matter
Voice and tone are important elements of writing that can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of your content. Voice refers to the unique perspective, attitude, and personality that your writing conveys, while tone refers to the overall mood or emotion of your writing.
Having a consistent and distinct voice and tone in your writing can help you create content that is engaging, relevant, and authentic. This can be especially important for businesses, as it can help them establish a unique brand identity and connect with their audience on a personal level.
When developing a voice and tone for your writing, it's important to consider your target audience and the purpose of your content. For example, if your audience is composed of serious professionals, you may want to use a formal and informative tone in your writing. On the other hand, if your audience is more casual and playful, you may want to use a more conversational and playful tone.
In addition to considering your audience and the purpose of your content, it's also important to be consistent in your use of voice and tone. This means using the same voice and tone across all of your content, regardless of the platform or channel it is published on. This can help create a cohesive brand identity and make it easier for your audience to recognize and engage with your content.
Overall, voice and tone are important elements of writing that can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of your content. By considering your audience and the purpose of your content, and being consistent in your use of voice and tone, you can create content that is engaging, relevant, and authentic.
SEO is not dead
Contrary to some reports, SEO is not dead. SEO, or search engine optimization, is the practice of improving the visibility and ranking of a website in search engine results pages (SERPs). It involves a range of tactics and strategies, such as keyword research, link building, and content optimization, that are designed to improve a website's ranking and make it more visible to potential customers.
While the algorithms used by search engines, such as Google, are constantly evolving, SEO is still a valuable and effective way to improve a website's performance. As long as people continue to use search engines to find products, services, and information online, SEO will remain an important part of digital marketing.
One reason that some people may claim that SEO is dead is that the rules and best practices for SEO are constantly changing. As search engines update their algorithms, the tactics and strategies that were once effective for improving a website's ranking may no longer work. This can make it challenging for businesses to keep up with the latest SEO trends and best practices.
However, this does not mean that SEO is no longer effective. In fact, many businesses continue to rely on SEO to improve their online presence and drive more traffic to their websites. By staying up-to-date with the latest SEO trends and best practices, businesses can continue to use SEO as a valuable and effective way to improve their online performance and reach potential customers.
search engine results pages (SERPs)
Search engine results pages (SERPs) are the pages that are displayed by a search engine in response to a user's query. These pages typically include a list of results that are relevant to the user's query, along with other information, such as ads and suggestions for related queries.
The position of a website in the search engine results pages (SERPs) can have a significant impact on its visibility and traffic. Websites that appear at the top of the SERPs are more likely to be seen and clicked on by users, which can increase their traffic and potential for generating leads or sales.
There are a number of factors that can affect a website's position in the SERPs, such as the relevance and quality of its content, the number and quality of external links pointing to the website, and the keywords and meta tags used on the website. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of improving these factors in order to improve a website's ranking in the SERPs.
Overall, search engine results pages (SERPs) are an important part of the search engine landscape. They provide users with a list of relevant results to their queries, and the position of a website in the SERPs can have a significant impact on its visibility and traffic.
Break your content into chunks
Breaking your content into chunks, also known as chunking, is a writing technique that involves dividing your content into smaller, easily digestible sections. This can make your content more organized, easier to read, and more engaging for your audience.
There are a few different ways to break your content into chunks. One way is to use subheadings and bullet points to divide your content into sections and sub-sections. This can help your audience quickly identify the main points and understand the structure of your content.
Another way to chunk your content is to use visual elements, such as images, videos, and graphics, to break up blocks of text. This can help break up the monotony of long paragraphs and make your content more visually appealing.
In addition to using subheadings and visual elements, you can also use white space, such as margins and line breaks, to visually separate your content into chunks. This can make your content easier to read and can help improve its overall readability.
Overall, breaking your content into chunks is a useful technique for making your content more organized, easy to read, and engaging for your audience. By using subheadings, visual elements, and white space, you can create content that is easy to understand and that resonates with your audience.
Get your developers to wrap your content in metadata
Wrapping your content in metadata means adding metadata tags to your website's HTML code. Metadata is information about your content, such as its title, author, date of publication, and keywords, that can be used by search engines and other systems to understand and classify your content.
Adding metadata to your website's HTML code can be a useful way to improve your website's performance in search engine results pages (SERPs) and make it easier for search engines and other systems to understand and classify your content. This can help improve your website's ranking in the SERPs and make it more visible to potential customers.
In order to wrap your content in metadata, you will need to work with your website's developers. They will be able to add the appropriate metadata tags to your website's HTML code and ensure that they are properly formatted and organized.
It's important to note that not all metadata tags are created equal. Some metadata tags, such as the title tag and meta description, are considered more important by search engines and can have a greater impact on your website's performance in the SERPs. Your developers will be able to advise you on which metadata tags are most important for your website and how to use them effectively.
Overall, wrapping your content in metadata is a useful way to improve your website's performance in the SERPs and make it easier for search engines and other systems to understand and classify your content. By working with your website's developers, you can add the appropriate metadata tags to your website's HTML code and improve its chances of ranking highly in the SERPs.
Get your developers to embrace web standards (and HTML5)
Web standards are technical specifications that define how web content, such as text, images, and videos, should be structured and displayed on the web. These standards are developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), an international organization that sets standards for the web.
Embracing web standards is important for a few reasons. First, it can improve the compatibility and interoperability of your website, meaning that it will be able to work on a wider range of devices and browsers. This can help ensure that your website is accessible to a larger audience and that it provides a consistent user experience across different platforms.
Second, embracing web standards can also improve the performance and security of your website. By following best practices for web design and development, you can make your website faster, more secure, and more reliable.
One way to embrace web standards is to use HTML5, the latest version of the HTML language that is used to structure and display web content. HTML5 offers a range of new features and capabilities, such as improved support for audio and video, that can help improve the functionality and performance of your website.
In order to embrace web standards and HTML5, you will need to work with your website's developers. They will be able to ensure that your website is built using the latest web standards and technologies and that it is optimized for performance, compatibility, and security.
Overall, embracing web standards and HTML5 is an important part of building a successful and effective website. By working with your developers, you can ensure that your website is built using the latest technologies and standards and that it provides a consistent and enjoyable user experience.
Build platforms that allow users to tell their stories
Building platforms that allow users to tell their stories can be a valuable way to engage with your audience and create a sense of community. These platforms can take many different forms, such as forums, blogs, social media, or user-generated content (UGC) sites.
The key to building successful platforms for user-generated content is to create an environment that is welcoming, safe, and supportive. This means providing clear guidelines and moderation policies to ensure that the content that is shared on the platform is appropriate and in line with your brand's values.
In addition to creating a supportive environment, it's also important to provide users with the tools and resources they need to tell their stories. This can include providing them with easy-to-use publishing tools, as well as tips, tutorials, and support to help them create high-quality content.
By building platforms that allow users to tell their stories, you can create a sense of community and connection with your audience. This can help deepen their engagement with your brand and create a more positive and meaningful experience for them. Additionally, user-generated content can also be a valuable source of insights and ideas for your own content creation, as it can provide you with a glimpse into the experiences, perspectives, and interests of your audience.
Develop Content That Educates
Creating content that educates your audience is a great way to provide value and establish yourself as an authority in your field. Here are some tips for developing educational content:
- Start with a clear goal in mind: What do you want your audience to learn or understand? This will help you focus your content and ensure that it is effective.
- Conduct thorough research: To create accurate and useful content, it's important to gather information from reliable sources. This could include books, articles, and experts in the field.
- Organize your information: Once you have collected your research, take some time to organize it in a way that makes sense and is easy for your audience to follow. This could involve creating an outline, mind map, or other visual aid.
- Use clear and concise language: When it comes to educational content, it's important to use language that is easy to understand. Avoid using technical jargon or complex sentence structures, and focus on breaking down complex ideas into simple, easy-to-understand concepts.
- Engage your audience: Educating your audience isn't just about presenting information; it's also about getting them engaged and interested in what you have to say. Consider using interactive elements like quizzes, polls, or videos to keep your audience engaged and help them better understand the material.
Overall, developing educational content requires a combination of thorough research, clear organization, and engaging presentation. By following these tips, you can create content that is informative, useful, and interesting for your audience.
Incorporate High-Ranking Content Components
To incorporate high-ranking content components into your writing, you should focus on creating content that is informative, engaging, and optimized for search engines. Here are some tips to help you achieve this:
- Choose a compelling topic: Your content should be centered around a topic that is interesting, relevant, and valuable to your audience. This will help to ensure that your content is engaging and will encourage people to read and share it.
- Conduct thorough research: To create high-quality content, you need to gather information from reliable sources. This will help to ensure that your content is accurate, up-to-date, and provides value to your readers.
- Use keywords strategically: To optimize your content for search engines, you need to include keywords throughout your text. These should be relevant to your topic and should be used in a natural and organic way.
- Make your content scannable: Most people don't read online content word-for-word; instead, they scan it to quickly find the information they need. To make your content scannable, use subheadings, bullet points, and other formatting techniques to break up your text and make it easier to read.
- Include visuals: Visuals like images, videos, and infographics can help to make your content more engaging and interesting. They can also help to break up long blocks of text and make your content more scannable.
Overall, incorporating high-ranking content components into your writing involves choosing a compelling topic, conducting thorough research, using keywords strategically, making your content scannable, and including visuals. By following these tips, you can create content that is informative, engaging, and optimized for search engines.
Treat Content Strategy as a Key Component of Your Business Strategy
Treating content strategy as a key component of your business strategy is important for a number of reasons. Firstly, having a clear and effective content strategy can help to position your business as an authority in your industry and build trust with your audience. It can also help to drive traffic to your website, generate leads, and increase conversions. Additionally, a well-defined content strategy can help to ensure that all of your content is consistent, aligned with your business goals, and contributes to the overall success of your organization.
To treat content strategy as a key component of your business strategy, here are some steps you can take:
- Identify your target audience: Understanding who your audience is, what their needs and interests are, and where they consume content will help you to create content that resonates with them and drives results.
- Define your business goals: Clearly defining your business goals, such as increasing brand awareness, generating leads, or driving sales, will help to guide your content strategy and ensure that it is aligned with your overall business objectives.
- Develop a content plan: Creating a content plan that outlines the types of content you will create, the channels you will use to distribute it, and the schedule for publishing it will help to ensure that your content strategy is organized and effective.
- Measure and analyze your results: To determine the effectiveness of your content strategy, it's important to measure and analyze the results of your content. This could include metrics like website traffic, engagement rates, and conversions.
Overall, treating content strategy as a key component of your business strategy involves identifying your target audience, defining your business goals, developing a content plan, and measuring and analyzing your results. By following these steps, you can create a content strategy that is aligned with your business objectives and drives results.