Content Marketing: how to set up an effective content strategy?

Content marketing consists of creating and distributing quality content, useful and on a regular basis, to a specifically targeted consumer audience.

The goal of content strategy is to convert your prospects into customers. This approach makes it possible to attract your target by showing them your expertise, while leaving them the decision to make contact (inbound marketing). To achieve this, you obviously need to develop a thoughtful content strategy. We show you how to do it!

Why is it important to have a content strategy?

Content marketing has become an essential communication channel to attract potential customers. The return on investment can be significant.

Ide agency found that in 2019, 57% of marketers say they gained customers through their business blog. With the craze for devices like Boatel or Ad block, we notice that the consumer is more and more resistant to direct canvassing.

In 2019, 90% of consumers say that online content has had a definite impact on their purchasing decision, according to CMO Council.

While outbound marketing can, in some cases, be useful to your marketing strategy, inbound marketing is often seen as less aggressive and more consumer-friendly.

With the production of content with high added value, it is the customer who is in control of the commercial relationship. He does not feel manipulated or rushed towards the purchase decision. He is the one who chooses to “SEO BRISK” with you, based on your expertise, demonstrated through your blog articles.

The steps of a good content strategy

Content creation cannot be improvised. To get results, you have to give direction to your content strategy, depending on your target and the image you want to convey.

Identify your readers

The first thing to do is to identify your target readers who are likely to become prospects. To know exactly who you are addressing, we advise you to create person (fictitious characters corresponding to your target type).

Do not hesitate to create as many as you have targets. In the case of a B2B activity, do not forget that you are also addressing humans, your targets are the managers and employees of the company you are targeting.

Set up clear sheets with all the information and typical characteristics of your target:

• His identity: surname, first name, age, sex, profession and CSP, family situation, place of residence;
• His hobbies: sport, music, reading, etc.;
• Their problems and frustrations: what are the expectations of the person in relation to your offer? What frustrations or problems does it respond to?
• Details on what your personae may think of your offer: what it can bring them, the objections it may raise;
• How do your personae get informed? What social networks are they on?
• Describe a typical day for your target and their consumption habits: work, family, food shopping, etc.
• Identify the keywords your target is likely to use to find you.

Define aims

You have to set specific goals. Ask yourself why you want to produce content. The main challenge of a content strategy is to generate qualified leads (prospects to convert). However, you can pursue a more specific goal such as:

• increase your sales;
• obtain new customers;
• build customer loyalty;
• publicize a new service / product;
• Improve your traffic from search engines; etc.

To measure the evolution of its objectives and your ROI, it will be necessary to set KPIs (Key Performance Indicator in French). These allow you to quantify your objectives. For example: get 10 quote requests per day on my website. KPIs should be realistic and re-evaluated as your strategy develops.

Create your editorial line

The editorial line is the common thread of your content strategy. It is obviously developed according to your target (personas), you will have taken a good step forward in your SEO for b2b, your objectives, but also according to the brand image you want to convey.

Building your editorial line consists of:

• identify the general themes to be addressed;
• The subjects to be treated according to the interests and problems of your targets;
• The tone and editorial style to adopt: educational, humorous, institutional, etc.;
• The frequency of publication;

Find topics to talk about

A web content strategy thus aims to attract your target audience by offering them answers to their questions … for free. Your articles, as well as the content of your website (or landing page), must therefore take up issues that your targets are likely to ask themselves. To produce effective content, ask yourself first about its relevance: why is this subject interesting? Who is affected by this subject?

To find relevant and useful topics, several solutions exist:

• Keyword research: carry out a keyword audit around your main theme. You will see that some stand out and can become attractive content.
• Use content curation tools to keep up to date with hot topics in your branch, e.g. Paper.li or Feely. Attention, it is not a question here of repeating what another has already written, but of giving your point of view around the subject to make it content with real added value.
• Use tools like answer the public or 1.fr, which offer topics to discuss, in the form of questions, based on your main keyword.