For anyone who owns and runs an online business, where they have to sell hundreds, if not thousands, of products. Quality content is a necessity. When an online entrepreneur is happy with the structure of their business, the conversations that take place are decent but the company lacks inbound traffic, then you need to apply a high-level content strategy, because that’s where the solution lies.

Here’s how you can develop and implement a content strategy to help you grow your business.

What is content strategy?

Content strategy is basically planning, preparing, and delivering relevant and engaging information to your target customers across all the communication channels they use to search for that information.

Content strategy is about creating and publishing useful content. The content strategist needs to make sure they highlight the content and why they publish it in the first place. Otherwise, it’s not really an article-driven strategy.

Without a content strategy, you have a content production chain that no one really cares about. When you deliver the right message to the right potential customer at the right time, you achieve the desired business result!

It sounds simple enough, but for the content of your information to be relevant and engaging to your target customers, you need to be able to « join the conversation going on in their own minds » in a powerful emotional way, guided by the AIDA technique.

Good content requires a content strategy

Content is the element of your website that requires the most effort. It communicates all aspects of your business to people: informing them about your services, generating their interest, giving them instructions and information on how to use your site, collecting information, rewarding brand loyalty, and getting the word out about your business. But why does content need a strategy, just find a good copywriter? Unfortunately, crafting good content is not as simple as that, it needs a content strategy.

A content strategy realistically defines the process of creating every written word that appears in your web communication, and even extends to blogs and social media presences. First, you need to formalize the messages you want to communicate through your website: Why is your company the right choice? What are the best features of your business and products? How can people access you and your business?

Next, it’s about analyzing your current content, brand guidelines, and style guides to strip through useful and relevant information and remove outdated content. By developing a content strategy, you crystallize the desired tone and style of your virtual communication. This allows you to create new content and review your product descriptions.

How can you use content strategy to your advantage?

There are three key categories of content that your strategy needs to consider and implement for your business to benefit:

• Conversion offers: Providing content that delivers real, compelling value with a clear and powerful « call to action » to boost conversions from your audience.

• Awareness: Provide informative content that positions your company as the expert in your industry. Content should be relevant and engaging to your target customers and should demonstrate your business expertise within your industry.

• Educational information: Provide content that explains how your business is able to solve the problems and business challenges of your target audience. This information can take the form of tests or demonstration systems, testimonials or case studies of your previous projects. One tip is to determine your customers’ top « problems » in their business and explain how applying your products and services eliminates those problems and brings the desired benefits to their own business.

Next, you need to understand how a structured approach to these types of messages should be part of your content strategy to successfully develop and disseminate information.

The digital approach: The best content strategy

Just think of television, radio, seminars, presentations and other content. These have been used for a very long time for commercial and marketing purposes. Content is therefore not the new weapon of the market. Shareable content has always been used. In today’s digital world, the main transformation is that people consume content in real time, wherever and whenever they want. Your content marketing plan should meet your client where they want to be met and where they are. If it reaches the consumer and is shareable, you’ll notice that it serves your purpose 24/7.

The marketing content strategy includes the following means of communication:

• Blog posts;
• Downloadable e-books;
• Videos;
• Images;
• Computer graphics;
• Customer contribution;
• Books;
• Recorded webinars and many other forms of content.

How to set up an effective content strategy?

Here are some simple tips that can help you create or improve your website content strategy:

Break down the process into several steps

By dividing the process into several steps, managing the process will be easier. Any good article strategy involves breaking down the process into steps. It will be easier for you to stay on track if you set your goals and follow a well-established practice.

Here are some steps to follow:

• Research;
• Analysis;
• Strategy;
• Content creation.

Don’t be afraid to be creative

If you really want a good article strategy, you shouldn’t be afraid to be creative. Learn and try different formats. The goal is to create consistent, meaningful, sustainable and engaging content.

Have good content

Of course, you need to have good content and use a variety of platforms in order to make your business more successful. The content of your site must convince the consumer to buy your product or service. The content must not only be good, it must also be accessible to the public. In this day and age, you can easily go beyond traditional content strategies.

Remember, without a good content strategy, you won’t get far. Your strategy will help you identify what already exists, what you need to create, and why exactly you need to create it in the first place. If you’re not able to develop your own strategy, there are plenty of content writing teams on the market that will give you a hand. Whatever you do, make sure you choose a team that is affordable for you.