SiteCrafting, Inc.
11 May
Content May Not Be King, But It Sure Rules
If I strapped on a parachute and jumped out of a plane, you better believe I would go over how to land ahead of time. And there is a reason I am not the only one.
Although in that case it is painfully obvious that you need to plan in advance, it is just as important when it comes to content within your organization. It may not be life or death, but if you don’t have a content strategy for your organization or before you begin a campaign (or dive into social media), then your message will most likely crash.
Your audience does not engage with your brand, we cultivate relationships with clients and stakeholders by creating valuable content. Ideally we want people to interact and share content with others because good word of mouth is the best form of gaining consumer trust. So why is it that we often overlook content strategy when it is so vital? Imagine a delicious apple pie. Now imagine your company is that pie (maybe not so delicious now, but stay with me). You can slice out a piece for marketing, human resources, IT support, finance, etc. but there is typically no content slice.
Without its own slice it becomes easy to treat it as secondary because each person creates content when needed and moves along. Without a view from the top and with many departments and individuals generating content at various times, it is often wasted after one use, no matter how clever or creative it may be.
Examining from a bird’s eye view and planning strategically allows you to use each piece of content to add value for your audience. Begin by identifying what it is you want your audience to know. What is it that truly sets your company apart? Get specific. With clear objectives, a solid plan and transparent communication it is easy for your organization to maintain a consistent message for its content.
After you have identified the message you want to put out there, create a strategy for content around it, remembering to infuse your plan with unique content that includes the audience, inspires action and has personality. Content is also not simply text, it can be images and interactive elements as well.
By ensuring the content is impactful and strategically planned in advance you will increase the return on your effort because you can focus on what is working and what is not throughout, rather than always scrambling to find out what to do the next day.
So if you find yourself hesitating to create a content strategy simply remember that whether you're hurling yourself out of an airplane or revamping your brand, the entire experience changes for both you and your audience when you have a plan.
Although in that case it is painfully obvious that you need to plan in advance, it is just as important when it comes to content within your organization. It may not be life or death, but if you don’t have a content strategy for your organization or before you begin a campaign (or dive into social media), then your message will most likely crash.
Your audience does not engage with your brand, we cultivate relationships with clients and stakeholders by creating valuable content. Ideally we want people to interact and share content with others because good word of mouth is the best form of gaining consumer trust. So why is it that we often overlook content strategy when it is so vital? Imagine a delicious apple pie. Now imagine your company is that pie (maybe not so delicious now, but stay with me). You can slice out a piece for marketing, human resources, IT support, finance, etc. but there is typically no content slice.
Without its own slice it becomes easy to treat it as secondary because each person creates content when needed and moves along. Without a view from the top and with many departments and individuals generating content at various times, it is often wasted after one use, no matter how clever or creative it may be.
Examining from a bird’s eye view and planning strategically allows you to use each piece of content to add value for your audience. Begin by identifying what it is you want your audience to know. What is it that truly sets your company apart? Get specific. With clear objectives, a solid plan and transparent communication it is easy for your organization to maintain a consistent message for its content.
After you have identified the message you want to put out there, create a strategy for content around it, remembering to infuse your plan with unique content that includes the audience, inspires action and has personality. Content is also not simply text, it can be images and interactive elements as well.
By ensuring the content is impactful and strategically planned in advance you will increase the return on your effort because you can focus on what is working and what is not throughout, rather than always scrambling to find out what to do the next day.
So if you find yourself hesitating to create a content strategy simply remember that whether you're hurling yourself out of an airplane or revamping your brand, the entire experience changes for both you and your audience when you have a plan.
Above graphic by AOL
Deep Thoughts, Marketing
by Ali Franetich | 5/11/2011 2:09pm | Comments (0)
by Ali Franetich | 5/11/2011 2:09pm | Comments (0)
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