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Building a Content Marketing Strategy

(Full Guide + Examples)

GrowUp Founder

Muiz Thomas

Founder & Creator

21 min read

Published: 16th November 2023

No one needs reminding that content is king.

  • You wake up and watch short clips on social media.
  • You skim through a company’s update over lunch.

We’re constantly soaking up content.

In this post, I’ll talk about why you need a content marketing strategy, why most don’t work out, and how to create the RIGHT one.

Plus, I’ll share some real-life examples to get those creative juices flowing.

Table of Contents:

What’s a Content Marketing Strategy?

Simply put, a content marketing strategy ensures you’re not just creating content for content’s sake — but that each piece serves a purpose.

It outlines your ‘why’, ‘who’, ‘what’, and ‘where’.

Imagine you own a bakery:

  • ‘Why’ could be spreading the joy of home baking.
  • ‘Who’ might be families who enjoy baked goods. 
  • ‘What’ could be fun recipes or baking tips.
  • ‘Where’ could be social media sites where you get to share yummy pictures/videos.

P.S. content marketing isn’t just about blogs, social media, or videos.

Really, it’s about telling stories.

Your content should build a bond with people that when they’re ready to buy, they think of you first.

Why Have a Content Marketing Strategy?

Yes, you do!

Most consumers are getting savvy.

Old marketing tricks just don’t cut it anymore.

You need a well-thought-out strategy: when done right, it can bring in a yearly return of $984,000.

But sadly, many marketers — and even some top CMOs — brush aside the importance of a documented content marketing strategy.

But those who understand the value:

1) Reach Their Goals Quickly

On paper, all marketing efforts should bring you one step closer to your goal.

But without a strategy, you might make content for the wrong audience or try to use popular keywords when less popular ones could work better.

A content marketing strategy ensures everything you do is goal-driven.

2) Cut Costs

A clear strategy ensures you stop wasting resources on content that don’t align with your goals.

This means you’re only investing time and cash into content that has a high likelihood of delivering returns.

Plus, unlike paid ads which stops giving results as soon as you stop paying, a well-ranking blog post can continue to attract visitors and generate leads for years.

3) Spot Favourable Opportunites

Good content marketers always look for new chances to make content.

A good content marketing strategy should show all the ways a marketer can find news, trends, and ideas for stories.

Without a strategy, finding new opportunities can be messy and confusing.

4) Keep Their Team Accountable

Without a strategy, your marketing team won’t know how much content to make, where to post it, or how to use it again.

A content marketing strategy gives them a plan to follow.

It sets goals, makes a schedule, gives guidelines for social media, and more.

With a strategy, everything becomes easier.

Why Most Content Marketing Strategy Sucks?

Newsflash, but 90% of content gets no views.

It’s sad!

No one wants to spend time, cash and sweat on content that gives no returns.

But, if you’re aware of the most common challenges, you’ll be ready to tackle them head-on.

Challenge #1. Zero Personality

Most brands nowadays are scared to show their real selves.

But those who do…

…are making big bucks.

Why? Because customers want to connect.

Infact, 88% of people say they’ll buy more from a brand they trust. 

importance of brand trust to consumers

Image source

Trust gives you a fan base that loves and enjoys your content.

Challenge #2. Zero Value

A big problem with content today is that a lot of them just… sucks.

It’s just there.

It was either copied from somewhere, written by AI, or the writer just didn’t care.

You need fresh, thoughtful, and useful content.

Content that shows you really want to give your audience something good.

Challenge #3. Confusing Messaging

Half of online shoppers read 3-5 blogs before they buy stuff.

And what’s the key to making your content stand out?

Your messaging. 

  • If it’s too general, it won’t resonate.
  • If it’s too complex, you’ll lose your audience.
  • If it’s too simple, you won’t provide enough value.

But when done right — your content won’t just get traffic, but you’ll also get better and more conversions.

8 Steps to Create a Content Marketing Strategy

Creating a content strategy involves several steps.

But at the end of this guide, you should have a practical plan ready to put into action.

Step 1: Set Clear Goals

Think about why you want to make content and how it’ll help you reach your goals.

For example, you might want to:

  • Get more leads
  • Keep your customers happy
  • Get more people to try out your product 

Your goals should be measurable and have a deadline.

how to set SMART marketing goals

Step 2: Know Your Audience

Content is made to be enjoyed, so you need to know who you’re making it for. 

  • What do they like?
  • What problems do they have?
  • Where do they hang out online?

Try surveying existing customers.

But no more than 10 questions to get more detailed answers.

No customers?

Make a basic profile for each type of customer you’re aiming for. These are called “buyer personas.”

Just make sure they’re based on real data from users, so you’re not just guessing.

Step 3: Map Out Your Customer’s Journey

Once you know your customer, you need to think about the kind of content you’ll create and where it fits in their decision-making process.

Stages of the Customer Journey

Here’s a breakdown:

  • Awareness: This is where you tell your brand story. Use blog posts, social media, and ads to educate or entertain.
  • Consideration: Here, you’re answering questions and solving problems. Use newsletters, how-to guides, and videos.
  • Decision: Show why you’re the best choice. Use case studies, reviews, and content that showcases your success.
  • Retention: Show how to get the most out of your product or service. Use in-depth content like knowledge base articles and ebooks.
  • Advocacy: Build an emotional connection to establish loyalty. Interact on social media and highlight customer success stories.

Remember, your audience will differ at each stage, so tailor your content accordingly.

Step 4: Audit Your Existing Content

Before you start creating any new content, you need to audit the old ones (if you’ve got any).

That way, you spot gaps and areas where you can improve.

When auditing, ask yourself:

  • What topics and keywords do well?
  • What content types get the most interaction and conversions?
  • Which channels bring in the most traffic?

Then, focus more on what works best for you. That way, you get to maximise your results and reach your goals more effectively.

How to Conduct a Content Audit

Step 5: Plan Content Production

Next up, you need a routine.

Some kind of plan that makes it easier to come up with content ideas 

Some best practices: 

  • Keep an eye on what’s popular with your target customers.

  • Find relevant, popular keywords using your SEO tool.

  • Think of content topics, keeping the customer’s journey in mind.

  • Decide what kinds of content you’ll make for each topic, like blog articles, eBooks, podcasts, etc. 

  • Fill in a content calendar for each week, month, or quarter.

  • Write, review, and edit content.

Step 6: Find the Best Channels to Promote Your Content

Think about:

  • the main places you want to share your content;
  • how well they’ve worked in the past;
  • and what you could do better.
content promotion strategies

For example, if your audience is always on Google, keep making SEO blog posts. But if they’re more into TikTok or YouTube, you’ll need to make videos.

Exploring new channels can also be a good idea. Try working with influencers.

Just make sure most of your resources go to places your audience spend time.

Step 7: Test and Refine

There’s more to content than just hitting “Publish”.

Lots of things can affect how well your content does, so you need to test it.

One common way is A/B testing.

This is when you run two versions of a piece of content at the same time, with one thing different in each, like the headline, image, etc.

If a particular version performs better, you can use that info to improve your future content.

This way, you’re not just guessing, but making data-driven decisions.

Step 8: Repurpose Your Content

People often say “a writer’s work is never done.”

This is especially true for content.

If your content is doing well, don’t let it go to waste.

For example, if you have a high-ranking blog post, try making a longer ebook that you can promote on social media. 

Remember, good content is a valuable asset that keeps giving back!

Real-World Content Marketing Examples To Inspire You

If you’re doing content marketing all the time, it can be hard to keep coming up with fresh ideas.

Here are some examples to get those creative juices flowing.

1) Blogs

When people think about content marketing, they often start with blogs. Blogs are a great way to share useful info and attract visitors.

Take Hubspot as an example:

Blog Content Strategy Example

They’ve used content marketing by:

  • Writing detailed blog posts on topics their audience cares about. 
  • Adding extra content like ebooks to their blog posts
  • Creating Inbound.org, a place for learning and sharing content that gets lots of visitors every month.

And it’s clearly working, as HubSpot’s growth and reputation show.

2) Videos

Videos can really help get your brand noticed, bring in leads, and boost sales. That’s why lots of content marketing includes videos.

Look at Old Spice, for example:

A few years back, they were falling behind their competitors. Then they had a great idea: ditch the old-fashioned image and go for something fresh.

And it worked!

They made a bunch of funny videos — some didn’t even mention Old Spice. 

The first ad got over 59 million views, and they helped the brand connect with a new generation.

3) Email

More than 340 billion emails are sent daily.

And for every buck you spend on email marketing, you could be making $36 back.

Not too bad, right?

It’s no surprise most brands are making email marketing a top priority. 

Here’s a great example of an email campaign from Venmo:

email marketing examples

Image source

They sent a friendly email full of info to users who hadn’t been active for a while.

The email was short and had everything users needed to know. 

Plus, the “Explore Venmo” button and the focus on benefits made the email feel like a warm welcome back, not a hard sell.

Pretty smart!

4) Visuals

Visual are super important for content cos they help you connect with people and get them interested in your brand.

Take a look at this meme from Someecards:

visual content marketing example

Image source

This just proves you don’t need fancy design skills to make great content. If it’s funny and smart, it’ll catch people’s attention.

A good laugh can make your brand stick in people’s minds!

So, don’t be afraid to think outside the box and use humor to your advantage.

5) Digital PR

News and PR aren’t always happy and positive. Sometimes, the sad and shocking stories get more attention.

But here’s a thoughtful campaign from Burger King that I love.

digital PR strategy example

Image source

They gave a shout-out to the little guys during the pandemic. 

They even turned their Instagram into a stage for other businesses in the hospitality sector to share their special dishes using the hashtag #WhopperAndFriends.

Talk about community spirit! And the best part? It didn’t cost them a dime.

Great Content Marketing Doesn’t Just Happen

It takes a lot of planning.

You can’t just write content and call it a day.

You need content your audience finds useful.

Know what they need and want, and serve it to them.

Remember, the goal is to not only attract them but also keep them interested.

Goodluck!

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