Before we explore the concept of content strategy, let’s start with an example. Suppose that a business has recently been established with the aim of producing and supplying cakes and sweets, and considering that the taste and shape of its cakes are very different from the products in the market, it intends to inform potential customers of this difference and encourage them to buy this product. New cakes, encourage.
This business decides to use digital content and internet space such as the web and social networks in addition to the conventional methods, such as advertising in the physical space and sponsoring in various exhibitions , for wider information about its product, and in a word, Go to digital marketing .
To use digital tools in such a business, we can imagine two different attitudes:
Project view of content for a certain period: When we look at content activities as a project, digital marketing tools and specifically, content marketing serve the initial product launch and launch. These tools may be used in certain situations to boost sales.
A strategic look at content as a permanent tool: in this case, the content production line is launched at the same time as the cake production line,and as long as the product is being offered, the content production process remains as a supporting process alongside the business. and helps its growth and prosperity.
Next, regardless of which of these two methods is appropriate; We will examine the characteristics of each of the two methods and of course we will not have any kind of judgment about the possible success or failure of each of the two methods.
HOW TO USE THE CONTENT
Occasional use of content for business development can be considered a subset of content marketing activity.
Probably the process to consider in using content marketing to boost cake sales or any other business is similar to the following path:
- Budgeting is done for advertising .
- It is determined what share of this budget is allocated to the digital space.
- Digital advertising budget is divided between different activities.
- Based on the determined budget, activities related to content marketing are defined and implemented.
Preparation of one or more advertisement reports , advertisement video clips, coordination with a number of influencers in social networks to publish some explanations and contents that we have prepared in advance, launching a site with several articles and then directing traffic by advertising in search engines and popular sites. , are examples of content marketing subcategory activities, although this list can be much longer.
It is possible that someone who has taken responsibility for content marketing for such a business, may decide to define and implement an Instagram campaign for this business, and for this purpose, an account for this brand is also defined.
Such work is not wrong in itself and can be positive. But we should think about whether we still want to stay on Instagram after the initial introduction and launch phase is over?
If it is to stay, planning for this form of presence falls under the category of content strategy. Because for long-term presence, required resources, goals and prospects and expected achievements must be decided.
But if the activity of the created account is supposed to stop or dim after the initial setup, the issue will be a bit more complicated. Because in the future, the same page with low activity, compared to active competitors, may be considered as a sign of a weak brand.
Whether such an impression will be created or not, and whether this concern is reasonable at all, is a question that the content strategist can judge according to the content strategy.
A strategic look at content
Brand owners may decide to keep content as a permanent promotional tool alongside their business.
In this case, content production and content management, and of course content marketing , are never going to stop; Rather, content is supposed to be considered as one of the assets of the business and is always used alongside other business resources.
The term Content as an Asset , which is common among content strategists, refers to this type of attitude.
In such a situation, there are many questions that need to be decided. Questions that content strategy knowledge addresses.
5 duties of a content strategist
In the following, we will examine the 5 main tasks of a content strategist together.
1- Determining the mission of the content
If you intend to consider content as the foundation of your business, you can no longer rely on simple promotional content.
A business that is supposed to be active for ten or twenty years or even more and has content by its side all this way, must produce content centered on the needs of the audience.
More precisely:
- Determine the persona of the content audience .
- Business assets and facilities and brand identity should be defined.
- Determine in which areas the content can meet the needs of the audience
There are many businesses that, despite having an active and long-term presence in the digital space, due to not defining the mission and content strategy, have become a collection of a few advertising materials and an occasion calendar; And they are constantly congratulating and offering condolences.
2- Budgeting for content
Unlike temporary activities, when you want to use content as a pillar of business in the long term, accurate and appropriate budgeting should be done for this work.
Content budgeting solutions should be discussed independently. But two of the most common methods are as follows:
- Allocating a figure for initial investment and then determining a percentage of income or profit for future years
- Compilation of the annual budget and its proposal by the content strategist to the management; Then the approved budget allocation
Note that here, due to the long-term view and the view of content as an investment, the initial budget may be a larger number compared to a short-term advertising campaign . In terms of accounting, if we have a documented and reliable content strategy, we can accept that the initial costs will be amortized in a relatively longer period.
3- Determination and selection of content distribution channels
When we talk about strategy , it means that we accept that there are limited resources and choices and decisions should be made based on strategic thinking .
Therefore, we should not assume that the more media we increase, the more successful we will be. It should be determined which basket of channels and media can form a suitable and efficient platform to communicate with our audience.
4- Planning for the content life cycle
The life of the content changes depending on the type of content and the platform we choose to deliver it to the audience.
The content strategist estimates the real cost of investing in content by predicting and reviewing the content life cycle .It also decides what fate the content will suffer after reaching the last point in the life cycle and what fate awaits it, or in other words, which of the states will it be republished , reconstructed , recreated or deleted .
Decision making in these cases can help to better estimate the required resources, essential expertise, number of members and expertise of the content producing team and other similar operational parameters.
5- Determination of success criteria
A content strategist can’t limit his work to just making a few recommendations. He must determine what the achievement of producing and using content as one of the assets of the organization will be in the short, medium and long term.
He must define the success criteria of the content and get the approval of the business manager or managers on those criteria.
Also, to define quantitative indicators, with the help of which, in the future, the success rate of the content strategy and of course the level of mastery and ability can be measured in a clear and objective way.
5W+1H technique
It is possible to use different methods and techniques to determine the tasks of the content strategist and achieve a specific and relevant structure. For example, by using the 5W+1H technique, which is often used to solve various problems, we can determine the tasks of the content strategist in the form of six main questions.
Why: Perhaps this is the most important question. In this part, the strategist specifies the content production philosophy and mission. The answer to this question can create a kind of intellectual harmony between the components involved in this market, from the producer and distributor to the manager and the customer.
What: Determining what content to generate, text, graphics, video, or a combination thereof. At this stage, the strategist must determine what products are to be sold.
When: At this stage the strategist must manage the timings. The interval between the presentation of new content, the time the content is exposed, the duration of an audio or video file, and the like are included in this section.
Where: At this stage, the strategist must determine where the content is going to reach the customer? Internet environment, television, newspapers, phone calls, face-to-face meetings, etc.
Who: At this stage, the selection of effective people in this market is discussed. Who is going to produce the content? Who are the customers and the target market of these contents? Who are the distributors? At this stage, the strategist must also specify the employment frameworks.
How: At this stage, the strategist must determine how to produce content, how to hire, etc. In this part, in fact, the algorithms , instructions and guides for the previous 5 parts are specified and developed.
