The Content Strategy Process

The Content Strategy Process

We hear all the time that Google loves content (read our blog on how we use content to build successful websites) and the benefits of a good content strategy are extolled at every opportunity. But what exactly is a content strategy and how do we, here at TJS, create one for our clients?

In its simplest terms, a content strategy is the planning, creation and delivery of content, whether that be blog articles or multimedia posts on platforms such as Facebook or Instagram. An effective and successful content strategy will create engaging, meaningful and sustainable content that is well-structured and useful. Additionally, a good content strategy will result in content that will enhance user experience and set you apart from your competitors in Google’s eyes.

Client questionnaire

We compile a questionnaire for clients to answer which we use to paint a full and detailed picture of the company, and its existing and aspirational customer base. The answers to the questionnaire give us a really good insight into the company and its understanding of its customers.

Persona creation and audience identification

Using the data from the client questionnaire, we determine the needs of existing and potential customers and create personas or hypothetical audience profiles to include occupations, personality traits and important issues for site visitors. By understanding what these customers look like from a profile perspective, we can create content that each persona would engage with.

Keyword research

Drawing on the expertise of our in-house SEO specialists, and going hand in hand with the persona creation, we identify keywords pertinent to products and users, as well as search volumes. With the keyword research in place, we then work with our clients to prioritise the keywords, as some will be identified as a low priority. We will be left with a core list of phrases on which we base our blog articles.

Content calendar

Armed with the personas and keyword research, our content strategists are able to compile a series of article titles which are then built into a calendar. The calendar takes into account seasonal trends in individual industries, allowing articles to be published not only on a regular basis, but also at appropriate times of year.

Content creation

Once the calendar has been signed off by the client, our in-house content writing specialists will produce the articles. 

Why are content strategies so important?

When a website adds regular content that is responsive to the search terms used by the site’s prospective customers and clients, Google acknowledges the site’s expertise in its field. Consequently, Google will position the site higher in search results which results in more credibility and authority, which results in more relevant, targeted visitors. An effective content strategy, therefore, will increase organic visitor growth over time. The graph below shows the number of organic visitors to a website whose Digital Marketing includes a content strategy and calendar with us (figures from Google Analytics). Launched in July 2017, their consistent growth in organic traffic has been achieved through the generation of content that we know, from the keyword research we conducted, their target audience is searching for.

In the absence of fresh content, i.e. when there is no strategy or calendar in place, Google will prioritise your competitors!

Our targeted content strategies and plans meet the needs of our clients’ customer bases (existing and potential) AND Google. Our clients can have the confidence that every piece of content is designed to target a particular audience at a particular stage of the purchase process i.e. awareness, research, consideration, conversion or retention, and of course the client can intersperse articles with other company information whenever required.

If your business would benefit from a content overhaul and refresh, our experts are here to help and advise. Simply call us on 01507 525500 to find out more.