Content strategy can seem superfluous and too-much extra work when we are busy creating and promoting our content marketing efforts. But, there are a few simple content strategy tools that any digital marketer can use to help publish compelling marketable content that connects with your audience. Here, I've tried to look at some of the best elements of content strategy (specifically, from the discovery phase) you can use to create a process-led, repeatable workflow to plan great marketable content.

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Content Marketing Show July 2014
Gateway-drug content strategy
elements you should use
Charlie Williams

2. Charlie Williams
@whitedotnet
Consultant

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I love content

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88% are using content
marketing this year
CMI report: Content Marketing
in the UK
http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/12/uk-2014-content-
marketing-research/

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42% have a documented
content strategy
CMI report: Content Marketing
in the UK
http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/12/uk-2014-content-
marketing-research/

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two common
requests

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‘We need content’

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‘Our content
isn’t working’

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They actually
need both

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The lightbulb
moment

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Time to get
digging

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CONTENT
STRATEGY
http://contentstrategy.com/book.html

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ANOTHER THING
TO LEARN?!

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MANAGING CONTENT
AS AN ASSET

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Don’t take
my word for it

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“…all great, spontaneous, and effortless-
looking content marketing strategies are
formed and scaled with a smart content
strategy at their core”
Robert Rose
Content Marketing Institute
http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/10/content-strategy-content-
marketing-separate-connected/

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You don’t have to
change your job

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Strategy to
make you
sharp as a tack

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CREATING CONTENT
THAT’S RIGHT FOR THE
BUSINESS

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WHY ARE WE
MAKING THIS

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Because We need
to make content
(nope)

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FIVE WHYS

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Five ways
Three whys

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An
example
http://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/microsites/googleplus-
for-small-businesses/

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DEFINE your
BUSINESS OBJECTIVES

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None?
MAKE YOUR OWN

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Increase website
traffic?

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Build brand
awareness?

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Launch a new
product?

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Again

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WHY ARE WE
MAKING THIS?

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Start
with
why
http://www.ted.com/talks/
simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action

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Victory
conditions

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Likes? Shares?
Links? Sales?
Subscriptions?

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Content
inventories

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Ie: what have
you got?

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Not just online

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What goes
in an
inventory?
ID (1.0, 1.1, 2.0)
Page
Title
Format
URL
Content type (landing page, etc.)
Owner
Metadata
Traffic/usage
Last update
Condition (keep/update/retire)

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templates
Content Inventory
www.content-inventory.com/content-
inventory-templates/
Maadmob
http://maadmob.com.au/resources/
content_inventory

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Unleash the
robots
Screaming Frog
SEO Spider
www.screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider/
Content Insight
www.content-insight.com

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User-centred
content marketing

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We are not the
target market

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Gather real
user insight

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FIND THE
BUSINESS EXPERTS

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WHAT DO USERS
WANT TO DO?

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WHAT ARE THEIR
PAIN POINTS?

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WHAT BARRIERS
STOP THEM?

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WHAT REAL QUESTIONS
DO THEY ASK?

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USER RESEARCH

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INTERVIEWS

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surveys
SurveyMonkey
www.surveymonkey.com
Polldaddy
polldaddy.com/
SurveyGizmo
www.surveygizmo.com

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SOCIAL DATA
Topsy
topsy.com
Social Mention
socialmention.com
BuzzSumo
buzzsumo.com
Social Crawlytics
socialcrawlytics.com

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Customer
services

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Sales teams

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Keyword
research

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Find your
user’s
language
SEMRush
www.semrush.com
Google Trends
www.google.com/trends
Keyword Tool
www.keywordtool.io
serpIQ
www.serpiq.com

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ALREADY
THERE?

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Gap analyses

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issues
Facing
Users
Content
you
have
Expert
topics
From User research
From
Content
inventory
From
Business
research

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So, why
content strategy?

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Content strategy
is your friend

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Why?

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Use it to define
business goals and
for user research

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Why?

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Process-led,
repeatable workflow

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More
resources
www.jonathoncolman.org/2013/02/04/
content-strategy-resources/
contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-
content/uploads/2013/11/
DocumentedStrategy_Final1.pdf
www.slideshare.net/jcolman/how-to-
build-seo-into-content-strategy-cs-
forum-2012
www.portent.com/data/content-
inventory/
moz.com/blog/how-to-build-a-
content-marketing-strategy
contentmarketinginstitute.com/
2010/10/strategic-pillars-content-
strategy/

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Thank you
Want to talk content? Tell me how I’m wrong?
charlie@white.net
@pagesauce
plus.google.com/+CharlieRWilliams/

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Photo
credits
Looking For Janis - https://
www.flickr.com/photos/
65107846@N08/6093592500/
Sam Catch - https://www.flickr.com/
photos/60779737@N00/3682165479/
Start With Why - https://
www.startwithwhy.com/ (Press Kit)