Do you know what it takes to reach the top search result? A killer content strategy! Now that 2022 is just around the corner, it’s time to revisit your last year’s plan and make the necessary changes. Or, if you’re starting, create one!
Continue reading to learn the 10 steps you can follow to build your content strategy for the upcoming year.
1. Know your audience
Before pondering over content ideas for 2022, look back at your customers and create an outline of their demographics. Make sure you know what your ideal buyer persona looks like, what they do, what their interests are, and most importantly, where they invest most of their time and capital.
Complete knowledge of your audience gives you a clear idea of the kind of content you should be producing and how to present it to them.
2. Decide your format
If you think you can dominate all existing customer service platforms, you’ll only end up overwhelming yourself and your team. The best approach is to be present everywhere but choose one platform for consistent activity.
Get to know which format attracts most of your customer attention and provide valuable content for it. Among the common platforms include web content, email, and various social media channels.
3. Brainstorm ideas according to trends
Following trends never go unnoticed, especially by millennials. Create room in your content strategy to accommodate the trends that take over the internet. This way, your audience finds you and your products relatable and is driven to show interest in you.
Feedly can help you find trendy topic ideas, and BlogAbout can help you generate captivating titles for them.
4. Invest in a CMS
CMS, or Content Management system, is the perfect way to create, manage and track your content. The material you produce is useless if you can’t analyze the user engagement and customer interaction you receive. WordPress, HubSpot, and Wix can help you provide websites that offer a delightful customer experience and enable you to track the right KPIs.
5. Target the right keywords
Here’s a thing about content, if it is not Search Engine Optimized, it’s useless! When you can’t get readers for your writing, there’s no point in creating it. Modifying your SEO is the most pleasing way to aim at the top spot or be visible at the Search Engine Result Pages.
Target keywords that have little competition but high search volume. It’s easy to find them out via legit keyword research tools such as AnswerThePublic, or keyword.io. For web content, install the Yoast SEO plugin into your WordPress website.
6. Create your unique voice
There’s already an unlimited amount of content out there! How will you ensure that you stand out? You can catch your audience’s eyes only if you have a distinctive voice. Narrow your niche down, and create helpful content that solves your customer’s problems. Define what makes your service unique, and set a tone, be it formal, conversational, or simply informative. Presenting your content in a consistent manner can increase your revenue by up to 23 percent!
7. Design your content calendar
Setting a schedule creates wonders! You have pressure to meet the deadlines that keep you going, and you also establish a consistent online presence. Additionally, publishing your content at specified times contributes to SEO.
It can provide you with a big picture view of what your content looks like and help you plan accordingly. In your content calendar, you specify which platform you’re uploading content on and at what times to ensure maximum audience engagement. You can find dozens of templates online to help you!
8. Provide valuable free content
The foremost priority while creating content should be providing accurate information on which your readers can trust you. Make sure there is enough free material for them that offers them value beyond your products.
Create how-to guides, openly describe what you have in store for them, and deal with everyday customer problems through your content. Addressing FAQs is a must!
9. Repurpose old content
Occasionally, you might want to recreate some ideas that did not receive enough attention earlier. Repost your previous uploads with additional notes and show your journey to your audience by throwback content.
When running out of ideas, behind-the-scenes content can help you maintain your consistency. Moreover, don’t forget to make room for user-generated content in your content strategy for the following year.
10. Never stop experimenting!
Perhaps an essential part of your content plan includes letting your creativity wild and bringing up innovative ideas. Produce what others can’t by applying different approaches and seeing what produces the best results. We all have to acknowledge that there is no fit-for-all rule that determines what may attract your customers. It’s human nature to show interest in what looks different from others, so it’s best to try new formats and types of content until you find the best match!
The endnote:
Building your content strategy for 2022 will assist you a lot in optimizing your social media and website presence throughout the year. Great content requires a lot of planning, and if done appropriately, has the potential to generate more leads. Get your custom-made content marketing strategy at Beacon Innovation!
