It’s a wonderful feeling when something just clicks. You know it’s meant to be because it’s so simple and seductive. You can’t imagine it any other way. That’s the way I feel every time I come up with a solid strategy.
A strategy is best when it is not overly complicated. It’s the true bond between your brand and a creative campaign. And that’s not something you can fake. People have a tendency to think strategy has to be complicated in order to work, when in fact it’s just the opposite.
Just KISS—Keep it Simple, Sexy. A strategy should be easy to understand by everyone at the company. It should be the guiding light for your content and creative. To keep it simple yet effective, follow these five tips below to unlock your successful strategy.
Keep it Personal
Keeping it simple doesn’t mean one-size-fits-all. Every company has different resources, weaknesses and opportunities. Know what sets you apart from your competitors. You first need to understand these aspects of your company before delving into strategy.
Keep it Real
The company’s goals should be realistic. Make sure your client or company you work for understands what can be achieved through content marketing and what their ROI will look like. Choose a few key metrics important to them (cost-per-lead, etc.) that you will track and use to measure your success.
Keep it Tailored
Know your audience. Don’t skip this step! Take time to research who buys from you and who potential buyers are. Pull apart their personalities and interests. From there, create four personas that exemplify your audience. Don’t forget specific industries, like construction, may have obscure audiences like stakeholders that you will need to include in your analysis.
Your audience is your compass. Without knowing who they are you will be lost and your content marketing strategy will go to waste.
Keep it Focused
When dealing with creativity, it’s easy to get sidetracked. One thought leads to another and next thing you know you’re cheating on your strategy! No matter how amazing that other idea is, if it doesn’t fit into your strategy don’t use it! Instead, create a document to save all your amazing ideas that don’t fit into your strategy for brainstorming sessions down the road.
Keep it Optimized
You should have a strategy document with tools, keywords, types of content etc. to ensure your content follows your strategy and is optimized as much as possible to reach your audience. This document should have details like when your audience is online and what type of content they share most (videos, pictures, quotes).
Everything about your strategy should be in this document. Remember, don’t overly complicate your strategy; go with what you know works and best represents your brand. Organizing your solid strategy in a document will help you keep it simple and effective.
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