Crafting a Successful Content Marketing Strategy: A Step-by-Step Guide

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How to Develop a Content Marketing Strategy

When you find yourself running low on content ideas after sharing posts on platforms like TikTok, it can be helpful to develop a content marketing strategy. This document includes elements like keyword research, audience analysis, buyer journey funnel stages, types of content to focus on, distribution strategy, and performance metrics. While creating a content marketing strategy may seem overwhelming, it can greatly benefit your advertising goals by ensuring that your content aligns with your objectives. This approach increases your chances of success by catering to your audience's needs and preferences, rather than simply following trends or popular music on TikTok.

Below are 10 actions you can follow when developing an effective content marketing plan:

1. Set goals that are SMART.

Setting clear goals is crucial in determining the purpose and direction of your content marketing plan. Your goals should reflect your current position and where you aspire to be in the future. For instance, in the case of Sugarfairy, an online bakery in Calabar, Cross River, the goal is to transition from sporadic sales to consistent revenue by leveraging social media platforms to their full potential.

The business objectives outlined for Sugarfairy include increasing their Instagram following from 194 to 1,000 followers within the next two months, generating at least 100,000 naira in organic sales over the same period, and establishing a presence on TikTok and Facebook with approximately 500 followers on each platform. These objectives aim to address the current challenges faced by the company, such as inconsistent sales and underutilized social media platforms.

2. Audience Research

Understanding your audience is crucial for creating engaging content. This involves knowing who consumes your content, where they access it, their demographics, interests, challenges, and the type of content that resonates with them. Developing buyer personas, which are detailed representations of your ideal customers, can be beneficial. These personas can be created through methods like surveys, user interviews, and focus groups (Author, Year).

For example, Sugarfairy targets the working class and students as their main audience. Creating buyer personas for these two groups, considering factors like location since most sales come from local customers, is essential due to the perishable nature of the products being sold. Persona 1 could represent a student, while Persona 2 could represent a working-class woman.

3. Research Competitors

Identifying and analyzing competitors is a crucial aspect of developing a successful marketing strategy. Competitors can be categorized into direct competitors, who offer similar products to a similar target audience, and indirect competitors, who target the same market with different products. It is essential to study successful competitors in your industry to learn from their strategies and identify areas for improvement. Additionally, analyzing top players in other sectors can provide valuable insights. Conducting SWOT analyses of 3 to 5 competitors can help gather and comprehend relevant information (Author, Year).

In the case of Sugarfairy, direct competitors would include other bakeries in Calabar selling cakes and pastries, while indirect competitors would encompass food-related businesses. By conducting a SWOT analysis of competitors, valuable insights can be gained to inform strategic decision-making and competitive positioning.

Threats identified for Sugarfairy include the presence of competitors who had dedicated workspaces, separate from their kitchens, and the ability to offer educational services, which served as a significant revenue stream. Additionally, these competitors also provided catering services, posing a threat to Sugarfairy's market share and competitive position.

Opportunities for Sugarfairy include the observation that many competitors have been consistently posting content online, leveraging their established community of loyal customers to build trust in their brand. However, there seems to be a lack of visual content showcasing their products. This presents an opportunity for Sugarfairy to enhance its online presence by creating engaging content to foster trust with its audience, as few bakers are currently focusing on content creation for this purpose. Additionally, in markets like Lagos, content featuring behind-the-scenes videos of cake decoration, batter mixing, and order packaging has been found to be particularly captivating. This type of content has garnered significant attention and engagement, indicating an opportunity for Sugarfairy to explore similar content strategies to attract and retain customers.

4. Full Topic as well as Keyword Research

After gaining insights into your target audience and competitors, the next step is to understand what your customers are searching for online. Utilizing platforms like Google and YouTube can be a cost-effective method to achieve this. By entering relevant keywords related to your area of interest, these search engines analyze popular queries and provide suggestions for content based on user searches. This approach can help you discover trending topics and keywords to guide your content creation strategy effectively (Author, Year).

For instance, in the case of Sugarfairy specializing in cakes and cookies, leveraging YouTube to search for top results related to these products can offer valuable insights into popular content topics and keywords in the target market.

5. Examine Your Current Channels and Content

Which social media platforms are you currently using? Instagram? Website? TikTok? Have you identified which type of content generates the most revenue and engagement for your business? If you already have successful content published, it's essential to analyze why that content performed well on a particular channel.

For example, in the case of Sugarfairy, the primary channel used is Instagram (as shown below). A highly successful post featured a short video showcasing cakes from a 360-degree perspective. While another channel like WhatsApp has not been as fruitful in generating engagement and revenue. Analyzing the reasons behind the success of certain content on specific platforms can provide valuable insights for optimizing future content strategies.

6. Brainstorm ideas

After conducting thorough research on the needs and preferences of your target audience, it is important to engage in brainstorming to generate a variety of content ideas. Do not limit yourself to keywords; instead, focus on creating as many ideas as possible without worrying about refining them at this stage. The more diverse and creative your thoughts, the better. Once you have brainstormed a range of ideas, it is essential to consider the distribution channels through which your content will be shared. Determine the best platforms for your posts to reach your audience and decide on the formats that will be most engaging. Consider whether your content will be featured on your website, blog, or social media channels, and whether it will be presented as an interview, video, or in another format. It may be beneficial to adapt your content into various formats for different channels to maximize reach and engagement.

During an idea-sharing session for Sugarfairy, the following content suggestions were generated:

Easy cake decorating techniques.

Proper mixing of cookie batter.

Determining ingredient quantities for baking cakes.

Step-by-step guide on baking a cake.

Common mistakes in cake decorating.

Essential ingredients for baking cookies.

Experimenting with new recipes.

Recreating a cake from a renowned bakery.

Demonstrating cake delivery process.

Cake preservation methods.

Creative ways to enjoy cakes (dessert video).

Creative ways to enjoy cookies.

Making a fruit cake.

Crafting banana bread.

Cost estimation for novice bakers.

Making a cupcake cake together.

Collaborative cake creation.

Baking a cake without an oven.

Tips for successful cake baking.

These ideas can be adapted into various formats and shared across different channels to engage with the target audience effectively.

For Sugarfairy, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are recommended as primary distribution channels since these platforms are frequented by the majority of her target customers. However, it is also suggested to consider utilizing YouTube for longer video content and blogs for detailed posts. These channels are valuable for building content archives and can improve search engine rankings, consequently increasing the visibility of Sugarfairy's social media platforms. It is important to note that Sugarfairy operates as a bootstrapped company, meaning resources are limited, and emphasis should be placed on maximizing the available resources effectively.

7. Create a Group for Your Content Ideas

In this stage, it is essential to organize your content ideas into funnel phases, viewing the funnel as a progression from creating awareness to nurturing and converting potential leads. Using Sugarfairy as an example, I will outline the stages of the funnel for this specific case.

In the top of the funnel stage, individuals are exploring baking and cake decoration without a direct intention to purchase. Sugarfairy can cater to this audience by providing easily consumable content on platforms like Instagram Reels or TikTok, showcasing cake decorating techniques to engage and educate this segment.

Moving to the middle of the funnel, individuals here have identified their interest in baking, such as searching for specific recipes like chocolate chip cookies. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook allow for longer video formats, enabling Sugarfairy to create detailed content like walkthroughs of chocolate chip cookie recipes to cater to this audience.

As prospects reach the bottom of the funnel, they are ready to make a purchase and are likely reviewing Sugarfairy's offerings on the website, reading testimonials, and examining customer feedback. Sugarfairy can leverage user-generated content like reviews and client reaction videos to instill confidence and drive conversions among this group.

For post-purchase content, Sugarfairy can provide valuable information on how to maintain the freshness of cakes, fun ways to enjoy cakes or cookies, and innovative ways to maximize the product experience for customers who have made a purchase.

8. Plan Your Resources

To effectively implement the content strategy for Sugarfairy, it is crucial to prioritize tasks based on feasibility and impact. The most important aspect for success is to focus on consistent and quality content creation aligned with the identified goals. Planning the execution of these tasks is essential to ensure timely and organized delivery of content.

Creating a content calendar will help structure the strategy and outline key details for each content piece. Below is an example of how the content strategy can be organized in a calendar format:

Keyword	Type of Content	Funnel Stage	Channels for Distribution	Title of Content	Editor	Status	Assets Needed	Publish Date	Distribution Strategy
Cake decorating	Instagram Reel	Top of the Funnel	Instagram	"Quick Cake Decorating Tips"	[Editor's Name]	In progress	Images, Videos	[Date]	Share on Instagram feed and stories
Chocolate chip cookie recipe	Long-form Video	Middle of the Funnel	Facebook, YouTube	"Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe"	[Editor's Name]	Pending	Video footage, Recipe Images	[Date]	Post on Facebook and YouTube channels
Customer testimonials	User-generated Video	Bottom of the Funnel	Website, Social Media	"Client Appreciation Video"	[Editor's Name]	Ready for review	Client testimonial videos	[Date]	Share on website and social media platforms
Cake freshness tips	Blog Post	Post Purchase Content	Website	"Keeping Your Cake Fresh: Tips and Tricks"	[Editor's Name]	Final edits	Images, Infographics	[Date]	Publish on website blog section

By organizing the content strategy in a calendar format as shown above, it becomes easier to track progress, assign responsibilities, schedule publication dates, and plan distribution strategies effectively.

9. Create Content

It is crucial to prioritize the needs of the target audience when developing content for a product. In a competitive landscape where attention is valuable, the content created must be engaging and valuable to the users. Clarity is key in written content, avoiding ambiguity and favoring simple, straightforward phrases. Utilizing storytelling techniques can enhance the engagement of the audience. It is important not to stress if a concept is not immediately clear, as continuous learning and improvement are essential in content creation.

10. Last but not least, Distribute Forever!!!!

Once you have created content, it is essential to publish it consistently to ensure visibility to the audience. Leveraging one platform to promote content on another, such as using WhatsApp to drive traffic to an article on Instagram and vice versa, can help increase reach and engagement. While paid advertisements can protect content and boost visibility, it is advisable to refrain from this strategy if resources are limited or if you are at the initial stages of content creation. Repurposing content is also a valuable strategy, allowing you to reuse it within 3 to 6 months by breaking it down into smaller, more digestible pieces for increased exposure and engagement.

Bonus Take Measure the Results

As per the quote by Peace Itimi, it is crucial to evaluate all aspects of your marketing efforts to determine their effectiveness. Based on the insights gathered, the following key metrics are essential for evaluating the success of your marketing strategies (adapted for a blog or website scenario):

Organic search traffic: Monitor the volume of traffic coming to your site through organic search results, indicating the effectiveness of your SEO strategies.

Session duration, dwell time, and bounce rate: Assess how long visitors stay on your site, their engagement levels, and the percentage of users leaving after viewing only one page.

Social media engagement: Measure the level of engagement (likes, comments, shares) on social media platforms to gauge audience interest and interaction.

Conversions: Track the number of visitors who complete a desired action (such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter), reflecting the effectiveness of your content in driving conversions.

Lead generation: Evaluate the generation of leads through forms, subscriptions, or downloads, indicating the success of your content in capturing audience information.

Keywords position: Monitor the ranking of your targeted keywords in search engine results pages to assess the visibility of your content.

Backlinks: Track the number and quality of backlinks to your site, indicating its authority and relevance in the online domain.

Sales: Measure the revenue generated from your marketing efforts, reflecting the direct impact on business growth.

Authority in topical issues: Assess your credibility and influence in specific areas of interest, indicating your expertise and thought leadership on relevant topics.

By implementing a robust content strategy, you can cultivate a loyal customer community, enhance brand recognition, and establish authority in your field, potentially leading to collaborations with reputable entities.