In a time when misinformation causes panic and fear, it’s important to make sure you’re offering your audience information that is credible and beneficial.
As a small business owner, your online presence and messaging need to reach your target audience at the right time. It is critical now, more than ever, to approach your messaging with a plan.
One way to put this into action is by writing blogs and developing efficient blog content strategies, which can pull data, cultivate ideas, and provide value to your audience.
Behind every great business lies pieces of information that connect to your audience. Below, we’ve outlined the top 3 steps to creating a blog content strategy that works to your advantage.
Step #1: Your Audience
It doesn’t matter how great your content is if it’s not reaching the right people.
It’s crucial to reach the right audience so you know what tone to use, and how you can get and keep them engaged. Delivering content that is aware and gives your audience the answers they need will create impactful content that attracts a loyal audience.
One way to do this is by finding out what your target audience is trying to accomplish. For example, a person trying to find out how to retire should be looking for ways to save money, not reading about the best retirement destinations.
Center your blog around your audience, and the content you provide should give your audience what they are looking for. Show your reader you care by giving them what they need before they realize it.
One way you can improve your perceptiveness is by doing thorough research on your target audience. They want to feel like they can trust that you will have the answers they need when they’re experiencing issues. Showing your audience that you understand them, and are an expert in your field, will establish your website as the first place they can look for a valid solution.
Part of understanding your audience is understanding what they’re seeing when they’re searching for services like yours—perception plays a huge part in finding out what your audience wants.
Put yourself in their shoes, and do a quick Google search to see what your competitors are talking about. Researching helps you form an idea of how competitors are missing the mark in your industry.
Seize this opportunity to fill in the conversational gaps by providing solutions to problems no one thought to talk about. People love it when you solve problems they didn’t even know they had. From there, you can start gathering information and ideas on how to separate yourself from the competition.
Now let’s move on to getting your content organized.
Step #2: Editorial Calendar
What’s an editorial calendar?
An editorial calendar is a publishing schedule that allows you to plan your content ahead of time. Use these calendars for blog posts, emails, and other publications or marketing events that you need to keep track of.
Using editorial calendars for daily, weekly, and monthly duties allows you and your team to stay focused and meet deadlines. They’re visual reminders of the course you need to take to keep your messaging consistent with your goals.
Planning and writing blog content can be nerve-wracking, but having a calendar gives you more than just control—it allows you to be flexible when planning out your content. For example, if a new project comes out of the blue, your editorial calendar can be adjusted to invite space for new ideas and fresh content into the mix, without losing track of your other content ideas.
A consistent posting schedule is just one component that goes into increased search visibility, yet is powerful when done right.
When using an editorial calendar, you can strategize your content by researching which blogs or keywords drive to your site with specific tools.
Create content that consistently gets your audience from point A to point B, without having to push out blogs every day. If you have valuable content, push away, so your audience is one step closer to their wants.
Having an editorial calendar saves you time by keeping you organized and not getting overwhelmed by multiple projects and posts. Being organized can empower you to produce high-quality content, which allows for more leads from your audience and, ultimately, conversions.
Step #3: Blog Layout
Blog layout organizes your messaging, which leads to a journey of clarity for your reader.
Layouts help you learn more about your audience and how they like to receive information, leading to you becoming a trusted resource in your field. For example, if your audience prefers quick, straightforward information, add more videos on your blog post to keep them engaged. If your audience prefers more lengthy, information-packed blogs, then you know you can add a couple more paragraphs with factual details that cater to their preferences.
Here are three elements to consider when setting up your blog layout:
- Font & Images
- Descriptive subheadings
- Accessibility on all devices
Using bold font or larger images in your blog makes essential things stand out. Bullet points, headers, and the call to action are words that should be intensified so your reader can stay engaged and take action.
Descriptive subheadings give your readers a summary of the content they are going to read. Subheadings help add engagement to your readers’ experience through scannable tidbits that encourage them to read the whole section. A good subheading will have concise and persuasive information that draws the reader to learn more or take action.
Accessibility is important to your blog layout because it gives the reader a chance to view your content from anywhere. Share accessibility allows your readers to share your content with ease, helping you gain traffic to your site.
Blog layout is not the solution to the problem but one less hurdle you give your audience making it a vital part of a successful blog content strategy.
Step 4: Blog Research
Part of having a good content marketing strategy is doing keyword research.
Keyword research helps you understand your audience and the type of content they are looking for, and what they’re trying to avoid. Research helps you pinpoint pieces of content that will be effective in increasing traffic on your website.
Most people do not read online content; instead, they scan over it. Learning how your audience soaks up information online helps you provide swift solutions, allowing your reader to find what they need in an instant.
BOOM. Challenge solved.
Well, at least one part of the challenge. Research leads to problem-solving and showing your audience you have a personalized solution to their needs.
People love to feel listened to and enjoy personalized content. Doing research shows that you care, and delivering results based on their interest and influences, shows your readers you resonate with them because you are putting in the work first.
Wrap Up
People seek information on how to improve regularly. Your blog should get them to grow and learn. Making sure you have a blog content strategy that is focused on your audience’s needs is essential and builds value. Value builds trust. Trust leads to loyalty, and before you know it, you’re building deeper connections with your clients.
Share your blogs on social networks to see what works and what doesn’t. Be the brand your audience remembers helped and guided them in a time of need.
Stay consistent to drive connections that matter.
Wayward Kind is tremendously good at helping people grow authentic and influential foundations with their clients. Let’s grow your foundation.
We can help you master your digital marketing strategy with CRO tips. Our team of strategists are experts at understanding you and your audience. Whether it’s setting up Google Analytics, or creating great landing pages, Wayward Kind is all about action. Ready to convert to a mindful marketing strategy? Contact us today!
