Gone in the blink of an eye, 2021 is coming to an end, and 2022 is just around the corner! With the festive period fast approaching, many of us are starting to plan for the new year to kick-start our content marketing in January.
We all know that the SEO of our websites and social channels is essential, but it’s not just about putting out content for the sake of doing so. Content marketing should be part of a broader strategy to get users across different devices, platforms, and browser types back on your site or onto one of your pages where you can convert them into leads. So, if your content marketing has been a bit spontaneous this year, or you’ve just been throwing out blogs or social posts without really thinking about the why, this is the perfect time to start thinking about your content strategy for 2022.
Not sure where to start with building your content strategy for 2022? Don’t worry, we’re here to help; read on to learn more about creating a content strategy for your business.
What is a content strategy, and why do I need one?
Your brand’s content strategy is the complete plan for how you’re going to build your brand’s presence online. This includes the vision of what you want to achieve through content marketing and the different types of content you need and when they should be created or shared with your audience.
Who’s your content for?
Before creating a content strategy, it’s important to define who will benefit from it the most. For example, if you are looking to build more brand awareness through social channels, then it might be helpful for you to have a content strategy that focuses on creating engaging and informative blog posts.
However, suppose your main aim of building your website is to help users complete an action such as making a purchase or signing up to receive new product updates. In that case, it might be a better idea for you to focus on producing content that helps your users. It’s vital to know who your audience and potential customers are. You should know their likes, dislikes, how they speak and the language they use. You can find out information by social listening or using tools like answer the public.
Also Read: The ultimate marketing guide for start-ups
So, before you dive into creating a content strategy, consider your objectives, your audience and what you want to get from your content marketing. This will help you make decisions around your content strategy, too, for example, where to show up and the type of content to post.
What are the different types of content?
There are so many different kinds of content, for example:
- Blogs
- News articles and press releases
- Infographics, videos, and presentations
- Guides or eBooks with downloadable pieces such as worksheets or checklists
- Social media posts
The above list is certainly not exhaustive, but they are all examples of content you could create. The critical thing to remember with your strategy is it should help you achieve the goals and purpose of your business in 2022. That’s why it’s important to know what you want from your content before thinking about the type of content you want to create.
How to create a content strategy
So, where to begin with creating your content strategy? The answer is anywhere that you want to start. If you are looking for inspiration, then here are some helpful questions that can help kick-start your strategy development process:
- What do we hope our readers will get from reading this content?
- When would be the best time to publish this content, and where should it show up online?
- What type of posts is best for this audience?
- How do the pieces of content work together to achieve our goals in 2022?
- Why is it essential to have a content strategy now, and how can I start implementing one into my business today?
Answering these questions will help you plot out the different types of content that will work for your audience and your content objectives.
Also Read: How to create your own LinkTree page on your website.
Once you’ve defined your goals for 2022, it’s time to think about how these will be achieved through different types of content and when they should be created – this is where your weekly or monthly editorial calendar comes in handy. Your editorial calendar is essentially a schedule that outlines all the content that you want to publish, along with the day of the month when it should be posted. So, for example, if your blog posts are written on Mondays, this will help you stick to a schedule and give you an idea of how much content to create each week or month.
Why is consistency so crucial for a content strategy?
Consistency is probably one of the most important elements of a content strategy. By showing up reliably for your audience and sharing quality content, they’ll begin to trust you and see you as an expert in your field. Therefore, making you the go-to for information in your niche.
What is a content gap, and how do I fill it?
A content gap is an area of your business that you could be filling with valuable information. For example, if you are a wine company that doesn’t have any blogs about pairing wines with different food, this would be something worth creating some content around. It offers value to your audience and presents you as an authority in your field.
How often should I post?
We get asked this all the time. There’s no magic answer, but here are some guidelines to follow:
- Aim for somewhere between one and three blog posts per week.
- Try posting at the same time every day so your audience knows when they can expect new content from you.
- If you want to post more than three times per week, try focusing on one or two days of the week and then creating content for the other days. Remember, though, that consistency is key!
Ultimately, whether you post something every day or once a week, do whatever is sustainable for your team. If you can commit to posting three times a week, you have the content and resources, and you know it will happen. Then that’s better than telling yourself that you’ll post daily but find it too much and end up losing your consistency. Once you’re posting regularly and consistently, you can always dial up the amount you post to your blog or social media.
How do I know if my strategy’s working?
Many different metrics can be used when measuring your content marketing efforts. These include the number of subscribers, social shares, or blog visits.
Also Read: How to get more blog traffic.
Test things out, like trying out different kinds of content that you think your audience and potential customers will like. From this, you’ll get a better gauge of what they like and what they don’t relate to.
The best time of year to start your new content plan
There’s no time like the present. Whilst you can begin your new content plan at any time, it’s easier to do it earlier in the year rather than later. Many people wait until January because they think that everyone else will be creating content around this time too – but you can beat them all by starting a little bit early!
Content marketing tips that will help you succeed in the New Year
Here are our three top pieces of advice for successful content marketing in 2022:
- Create a content plan – find out what your goals are, who you want to reach, and how you will achieve these through different types of content.
- Set yourself some deadlines – whether that’s posting every day of the week or once a month, knowing when your deadline is can help keep everything on track.
- Track results – you’ve probably heard this a lot before, but it’s essential. This is how you know what you’re doing works or doesn’t work. Impressions, clicks, and shares are some of the more common metrics being tracked by marketers today so use these as your guide to see if what you’re doing is working or not!
- Bring a content marketing agency one board – Oh hi there!
If you’re not sure what your content strategy looks like, or if it’s been a while since you’ve updated it – now is the time to take some steps towards improving it. The best way to start this process might be by thinking about where your customers are and how they engage with different types of digital media. Start by asking (and answering) a few questions:
What platforms do they use?
Do you know which devices they tend to browse websites on?
When is the optimal time to capture their attention? And so on…
Once you have an idea of their preferences, then work backwards from there until you figure out who your target audience will be in 2022 (or at least for the next few years). This should help provide direction and focus when creating new blog posts or social media updates that can drive more traffic back into your site.
Planning a cohesive and thoughtful strategy is essential when building a brand that resonates with consumers in today’s competitive market.
Need some help getting started? Here at Suki Marketing, we don’t believe in creating content to ‘tick the box,’ we create content that connects with your audience. So, why not contact us to see how we can help with your content strategy for 2022?
