How to effectively plan a basic content strategy.

1. Content Strategy 101
by Daniel Cuttridge
of http://www.66dseo.com/

2. Content Strategy Is...
A Content Strategy is important
because you use what information
you have available on your target
market, your competitors and your
own goals to find the intersection of
what will work to achieve your
desired outcomes

4. About That Funnel...
Quality Content drives visitors,
retains them and brings them into
your funnel for a longer period of
time.
A successful Content Strategy
negotiates a number of goals and
allows you to create methods for
achieving them.

5. Content Strategy takes time and thought!

6. Set Your Goals...
By asking important questions you
can begin to decide on your goals!
Example:
What do I want the visitor to do after
they’ve read the content? Share?
Subscribe?

7. Goals Set!
Once you have asked every relevant
question you can think of, you can
start to think about how to achieve
these goals.
You can revisit this later and revise
as you get additional data.

8. The Types of Content
You Create Should
Align With The Goals
You’ve Set!

9. Map It Out...
Next, start mapping out your topics
based on what you do and what your
audience are interested in-
specifically in your area.
Ensure each sub topic is also mapped out.
You will notice common themes
occurring, these are the intersections
of your topics and your audiences
interests.

10. Mapped out and ready to go!

11. Goals > Topics
Make sure your topics will help
achieve your goals.
If you have a topic on productivity
and related subjects, list posts work
well. These posts are highly sharable
and so will fit with ‘sharing’ goals.

12. Research Yo!
Your competitors can be ‘spied’ on by
using SocialCrawlytics to find out
their most shared content.
If this is one of your goals, you should
do your due-diligence.

13. Use This New Data
To Re-Think Your
Topics and How Your
Goals Relate To
Them!

14. By and large.
Content
Strategy is
about thinking
laterally.

15. Is it S.M.A.R.T
You’re getting a good idea of what
your content should be now...
Now you should ensure your Content
& Goals follow the Business SMART
Rule.
Specific, Measurable, Assignable,
Realistic, Time-Related.

16. Measuring!
To Measure on a basic level you
should install Google Analytics.
Pay attention to visit duration and
bounce rate.
Mo’ bounce rate, Mo’ problems.

17. You Should Also
Consider Using The
SocialMetrics Plugin
If You Use
WordPress, To Track
Shares.

18. Structure.
In general your Content Strategy
should account for structured content.
You can do this by keeping each new
piece of content related to the last. In
effect creating a story and a real
conversation with your audience.

19. Create A Schedule.
Now you have everything in place,
create a schedule.
Use Excel, create a spreadsheet and
create columns for headline, topic,
goals, content type, length, ideas for
promotion and keyword ideas.

20. Use Keyword
Research To Come
Up With A Couple Of
Keywords To Target
For Each Post & To
Help You Create A
Headline.

21. Test It...
If you have the budget, test your
content by sending paid traffic to it.
Track how well it performs based on
your goals. If it does well you can
continue, but if it doesn’t perform,
revisit the initial strategy.

22. If Your Bounce Rate
% Is Higher Than The
Industry Average,
Your Content Could
Be At Fault!

23. Going Forward...
Before you consider your Content
Marketing strategy, keep in mind that
you must always measure and learn
from what data you have.
Doing this you can continue to go
back and refine your content strategy
until it’s perfect for your goals and
audience.

24. Conclusion:
A good Content Strategy will give you
a good audience, one that will grow
your business and create long-term
relationships with you.
When every other aspect of your
business is taken seriously, content
strategy should be the foundation you
build from for marketing efforts.

25. Credits:
Created by Daniel Cuttridge of 66 DING SEO.
Twitter: @dcuttridge
Web: http://www.66dseo.com/
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