This is why we are blending storytelling with strategy
Are you ready to start taking action on your marketing? To create a content marketing strategy that works for YOU and of course engages/builds your audience? Of course you do! I am here, with a guide to help you create your best content marketing strategy!
All you have to do is, download our FREE content strategy template (HERE) and read along as you fill it out and get ready to implement! The secret sauce of content marketing is here and it has ALL to do with two things... storytelling and strategy. Let me explain....
Storytelling
Firstly, let’s start by exploring the key concepts for this week: storytelling and strategy. Let’s begin with storytelling.
Well, there are 4 categories of storytelling you can utilise to get those messages across that you want your audience to hear:
Your story: Your audience wants to get to know you, so aid their curiosity by telling them why you're doing what you're doing.
A story you have been told: Knowledge, tips, and of course stories are best when they're shared - so if you can apply a story you've been told to a content bucket or theme within your business... DO IT.
A story in the public domain: Sometimes the best way to relay a message that people can connect with is through a story that everyone knows, use a well-known story to connect back to you personally.
Hypothetical story: Need to get a message across and don't have a specific story to relate to? Use a hypothetical one
As we explain in one of our previous blogs about the importance of storytelling, telling your story as an entrepreneur is one of the most valuable things you can do that makes your platforms uniquely you!
Whether you are just starting out as a business owner, are looking to involve more of your personal life in your business, or are just searching for that fresh and unique angle - storytelling is what you need.
This is especially important for this year when we want to blend it into our content strategy - so going into your content creation for this year always think: more storytelling rather than more posts.
Strategy
Now for strategy!
Your content strategy is the way you approach your finding inspiration, creating, scheduling and posting your content on a week to week basis. It is so important to have a strategy that you can really get into and find inspiration in to allow your content to really say what it needs to say.
There are a few things, if you haven't already, that we recommend adding into your content strategy right now:
Video (especially if you’re on IG or TikTok)
Collaborations (with influencers/businesses/business owners that are aligned to your themes)
Add other channels that are right for you, you don’t have to use just Instagram
Sometimes your content strategy doesn't need too much changing, just more opportunity. So, try adding layers to the one you created last year.
A content strategy is there to direct your content and allow inspiration to flow when you may be a bit stuck on what to create next, so if you don't already have one, download our template guide here and get started!
You’d be surprised how much you’ll LOVE it!
How to form your content marketing goals and strategy
The goals, the plans, and the strategy are in full force, right?
If you don’t have it all worked out right now - I am here to tell you, it is okay.
Forming goals and strategies in your business is all a working progress and not something you have to have all worked out from the beginning of the year, month or quarter.
As you would have reflected the year previous from the inspiration you received in one of my previous podcasts. It is now time to start setting the goals and intention for what your content will look like for the year ahead, and while this can be an intimidating thought, we’re here to help you break it down.
Before you set your content goals…
Set your business goals first! Have you done this yet?
This will allow you to break down what content/marketing goals you will need for the year. If your goal is to launch a program, start 1:1 coaching or reach a certain revenue target - what content do you need to create and what type of marketing/content goals do you need to do to help you reach those biz goals?
When you know where you want your business to be and what goals you have for your business, it is easier to work out what you need to do on your content channels in order to achieve those goals.
For me, I want to build my email list - that is my top priority.
So instead of using IG as a selling platform, instead I will use it purely for connection and network building.
This is just one example of how to set your goals and carry them out, whatever your goal may be, make sure how you utilise your supporting platforms is steered towards reaching that goal.
What sort of goals do you want to set?
No matter what, you need to remember that your goals should align!! You can also use the SMART method to compose your goals. These are:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-Based
But what are the differences between marketing goals, content goals, and social media goals??
Marketing goals are your overall goals but can include content marketing, social media marketing, digital marketing etc.
Your social media goals and content marketing goals are really just a more detailed version of your marketing goals.
Some of these goals may include:
Increase website traffic by % (this will be a clear marketing goal)
Increase IG following by % (this will be a social media goal)
Increase blog views and podcast listens by % (this is a content goal)
Once you have all of these set out, you want to go into more detail on these goals, and what will help you get to where you want to be at the end of 2022.
WHAT you need to ask yourself "why does everything have to have a numeric value"?
Do you have a goal for XXX followers? Or XX number of people on your email list.
Don't get me wrong, these are great goals. But they mean nothing if those people aren't aligned.
Start to ask yourself what that numeric value will give you and your business.
How to measure your goals
Have your overall goals and then break them down into quarterly goals.
Break. It. Down.
This makes it easier to achieve those goals because you know what you need to achieve in each quarter and you can even break that down for each month!! Measure those bad boys!!
Make sure you set time aside each month or quarter to reflect your goals. Always ensure you are on the right track and if you need to tweak the goals!
What does a content strategy look like last year or last quarter?
Guess what? Once you have your goals, you have done a lot of work towards your strategy! Here are the next elements you want to focus on!
The purpose: This is the exercise of having a purpose for each strategy and writing it in your strategy template. Is your podcast here to generate leads to your email list, to your social media? Maybe FB is just there for FB ads. Write a purpose for each!
Target audience: Who are they? Look at the metrics of each channel you are on, from there you can pull it together in a profile that shows you the specifics of who they are!
Platforms: Of course, you need to map out the platforms you will show up on as part of your strategy. The platform is the channels you use online to deliver your content, these include (and are not limited to):
Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Podcast
Blog
YouTube
Email marketing
The things you need to remember when it comes to your platforms are:
Don’t start off with too many (aim for x1 core platform and x2-3 supporting)
If you are struggling to post on the ones you have, reassess and scrap if you need
Some platforms take longer than others to develop
You want to have a mix of content people can “watch, read and listen to”
Core: This is the channel you introduce your key theme for the week (below) or you spend your most time on!
Supporting: The platforms you use to reach a bigger audience. A lot of this content can be repurposed from your core platform.
Themes: Your theme will be decided each week and will help you never run out of content! The theme you might discuss for the week on your core platform and repurpose to your other platforms. E.g. if you are a side hustler digital marketer your theme for one week might be “writing long-form captions for Instagram”.
So, you talk about this throughout the week. Check out my Instagram here and see how I use themes each week for inspo!
Pillars: Use the four content pillars, these will help you structure your social media posts so you aren’t running out of things to say, and you have variety. These pillars work along with the theme to help you outlay what each day looks like.
For example: You have a theme of “writing long-form captions for Instagram”
Days for Social Media Feed:
Monday: Inform (promo post about your Instagram course)
Tuesday: Educational post on writing long-form for Instagram
Wednesday: Educational/Engaging post about Instagram captions with a question for the audience around the topic
Thursday: Engage: A story around how you write content for Instagram
Friday: Fun timelapse of you create IG captions
Saturday: Fun (could not be related to the theme, the theme doesn’t have to be everyday, just some days)
Sunday: as above
DON’T FORGET - lay this out for your other channels and add some video into your content!
What are the pillars?
Inform: This is information around yourself, your business, and your offers
Educate: the tips and tricks you provide to add value
Engage: the conversations and two-way posts you provide so your target audience can join in
Fun: this is your entertaining posts, your behind the scenes, and your life events
Buckets: The main issues or topics you address e.g. if you are a side hustle digital marketer you might have a bucket for “social media” and one for “life balance and side hustle lessons”. You might also LOVE coffee so you always add coffee into your posts.
They are just reminders to you of what content you like to talk about AND the more “fun” buckets are ones that help you stand out to your audience and allow you to resonate with certain people.
Repurposing: Of course, then you want to lay out a plan of how you are repurposing content across your channels! For example, if you have a podcast (your core platform), you might repurpose your podcast content into social posts or a blog.
Be smart about how much content you write and what you repurpose! I have a whole guide of this to help you!
Where can we track a content strategy?
All sounds pretty easy, right? So, how do we put this all together? Well, guess what? I have a Trello template to help you lay this all out!
The content strategy template works to collate your:
Goals
Pillars
Buckets
Themes
Hashtags
Content ideas
Platforms
ALL of the things! All in one place for you to refer to! You can even use it to write your content in as a batching system!! Even better? It is FREE!! You can access this template right HERE!
Final Thoughts
While this may seem like a lot at first, once you get into a rhythm and flow (and utilise our template to help you) you'll be creating content that you absolutely love!
Blending storytelling and strategy is one way to make your content as unique and impactful as possible, so the next time you create, ask yourself: How can I add a story to this? How can I add a lesson to this? What is the purpose of this content? Be intentional!