Documented Content Marketing Strategy (DCS)

In Fact!

Submitted Wed, 3/6/2024

A documented content marketing strategy (DCS) is a comprehensive roadmap that outlines how your business aims to achieve its goals and objectives through various content marketing methods. Having a well-documented strategy ensures alignment across your team and provides clarity on what, why, and how your company communicates. It also provides a benchmark to check progress. Let's go over the essential elements of creating a robust documented content strategy:

1. Overall Mission:
• Start by answering the fundamental question: "Why are we investing in content marketing?"
• Whether it's lead generation, brand awareness, or credibility building, clearly articulate your purpose.
• This mission statement will guide the rest of your strategy.
2. Target Audience Personas:
• Understand your audience deeply. Who are they? What challenges do they face?
• Create detailed buyer personas that represent your ideal customers.
• Tailor your content to resonate with these personas.
3. Content Types and Formats:
• Decide on the types of content you'll create: blog posts, videos, infographics, podcasts, etc.
• Consider the formats that work best for your audience.
• Remember that video, images, and blogs are popular choices.
4. Content Mapping:
• Map your content to different stages of the buyer's journey: awareness, consideration, decision.
• Ensure you have content that educates, engages, and converts at each stage.
5. Brand Story:
• Develop a compelling brand narrative. What makes your brand unique?
• Use storytelling to connect with your audience emotionally.
6. Channel Plan:
• Determine where you'll distribute your content: website, social media, email, etc.
• Optimize for the channels your audience frequents.
7. Measurement and KPIs:
• Define success metrics. Are you tracking website traffic, leads, conversions, or engagement?
• Set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to evaluate your strategy's effectiveness.

The documented content strategy is a guide for your entire organization not just the marketing team. Distribute it widely, get buy-in, and execute consistently and persistently.

As seen on my LinkedIn post at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/documented-content-marketing-strategy-dcs-eric-newlon-mzdpc