The hardest part is coming up with an idea. It’s just one piece of the whole.
The greatest challenge is often translating a brilliant idea into Content.
You’ve been there. You’ve been there because everyone has. This game-changing, brilliant idea for Content will propel you and your company into content-marketing stardom.
It will be a massive hit with your audience! Your sales will soar! Your boss will give you a raise!
The wheels begin to move. Different team members get involved. Some details need to be included. Although the Content is well-written, it doesn’t exactly match its purpose. It doesn’t seem to be thriving.
There are many reasons why an idea that seemed great initially can be a disaster. One thing is sure:
It can be challenging to go from an idea to creating and delivering results.
You can change that. You can maintain your momentum and help your team confidently move toward Content creation success.
It is easy to take this nugget of brilliance and make a strategy to transform it from concept to alignment to finally to Content.
You should include these nine essential elements in your content strategy for quality content.
A content marketing goal
Now think about your top content marketing goals. What does this piece of Content do to align with these goals?
Although it may seem obvious, people overlook this when excited about an idea.
A list of content marketing goals is a good idea. You can keep it handy by sticking a sticky note to your monitor. Think about lead generation, brand awareness, and thought leadership. Customer retention is another important goal.
Line up your content idea with one or more goals and ensure your team understands what you want.
Audience
Is this Content appealing to your target audience?
Look at your target buyer persona to see where they are in their buying cycle. This Content should be relevant to the target buyer, regardless of their current stage in life.
Look at what Content you have previously created for this stage of the buying process. What did you do well? What worked?
Does this piece of Content have a chance of succeeding based on your past success? Are you repeating the same mistakes that you made in the past?
The Content’s Value
No matter where Content falls in the buying cycle, it will still be valuable to your audience. It will solve a problem or provide helpful information.
Is this piece of Content valuable for your target audience?
Ask your target audience members if they find your idea attractive. You may gain a more realistic perspective, allowing you to pivot your idea.
Here’s an example of high-value Content from BuzzSumo. Their target audiences are content creators and marketers using influencer marketing. Because it is so helpful for the BuzzSumo audience, this piece of Content will be saved, linked, shared, and referred to heavily.
What (and how) the Content aligns with Sales and Product Management
Are you launching a new product for your company? Are you planning to sell a product? Is this Content compatible with the sale?
When you are in the throes of content creation excitement, it is easy to forget about marketing. Your content strategy must be in line with your product and sales teams. Otherwise, it will work better.
Marketing, sales, and product management are all misaligned. This can be seen in how customers perceive your brand and how they view your Content.