What are the 3 Components of Content Strategy?

When it comes to enhancing your online presence organically, content is king. However, creating content without a strategy in place can result in wasted time, resources, and ultimately, a lackluster outcome.

That is where content strategy comes in – a deliberate plan that defines everything related to content production to meet the needs of your target audiences and ultimately achieve your business goals. A successful content strategy consists of three key components – content creation, content marketing, and content performance.

The importance of digital marketing due to the impact of Covid-19, for businesses specifically, has increased drastically. Digital marketing categories previously invalid like content marketing have now drastically risen into prominence. In this blog, we will explore each of the three components of content strategy in detail. By the end of this post, we will also have the knowledge on how to implement a content strategy effectively in order to turn your business into a successful one!

What is content strategy?

Content strategy is the blueprint for creating, managing, and sharing content online. It involves figuring out what your audience wants to see, when they want to see it, and how to make it engaging and valuable. The blueprint functions as a map that guides you through everything you need to know about the goals and objectives of your content production.

In simpler terms, content strategy is like a recipe for cooking up a storm of great content. It is a plan that tells you what ingredients you need, how much of each, and when to add them.

You can also think of content strategy as the secret sauce that makes your online presence stand out from the crowd. By having that secret sauce and implementing it effectively, you can create a sustainable position for your business in the market.

Why is content strategy important in digital marketing?

In today’s digital world, a personalized content strategy is more important than ever. But why is that exactly? Let us break it down with some key facts and figures.

Did you know that businesses that have a documented content strategy are six times more likely to achieve their content marketing goals than those without a strategy? That is a pretty compelling reason to make sure you have a solid content strategy in place, right?

In fact, according to a 2016 CMI report, 88 percent of North American B2B businesses actively engage in content marketing. Despite this, 68 percent of businesses believe their content marketing efforts are ineffective, while only 32 percent claim that their content marketing initiative is yielding desired results.

“63% of content marketers use their content strategy to build loyalty with existing clients” 

– Content Marketing Institute

A recent study found that companies with a documented content strategy in place are 60% more likely to be successful in their content marketing efforts than those without one. That is because a content strategy ensures that your content is like a match made in heaven for your business goals and audience. With a solid content strategy, you can create content that drives results and helps your business thrive.

Now, with an understanding of what content strategy is and how it can benefit your business, you are ready to create a plan that drives results. So let us get started with it!

What are the 3 components of content strategy?

Content Creation

Content creation is the ever-evolving element that drives content strategy. For example, the first impression of your business to your customers is through the content of your website. Thus, even something as simple as web copywriting is important for your business as a whole. 

Content can mean anything. However, the content we will talk about are the ones used for digital marketing. This can be anything from writings for websites, blogs, and email newsletters, to illustrations for social media, promotional campaigns, etc.

Content creation for content strategy mainly focuses on two aspects. Now, we will take a deeper look into those two aspects!

Business Goals

While content is unique to each business, the creation process is similar for everyone. And the first step of this creation process is to set SMART business goals. Just in case you are not aware of what SMART goals stand for!

👉🏻 S Specific

👉🏻 M Measurable

👉🏻 A  Achievable

👉🏻 R Relative

👉🏻 T Time-bound

Target Audience Needs

The second step of content creation is to define your target audience. Understanding your target audience is the key to creating engaging and relevant content. Ask yourself this question – why will anyone interact with your content if it does not resonate with them? 

Content Marketing

The second component is content marketing. We often hear about the effect social media has on marketing in general. But how are content marketing and these specific marketing channels actually related? 

In simple terms, content marketing is the means to achieve a specific goal for your business using the created content. And these means include various channels like social media, email marketing, and search engines. These are also the best marketing channels to promote your brand in the current market.

“Content marketing brings in three times as many leads as traditional marketing and costs 62% less”

– Content Marketing Institute

An essential component of content marketing is the content calendar. Let us have a look at it!

Content Calendar

To ensure content distribution is consistent, you need to create a publishing schedule known as a content calendar.  A content calendar will include everything from what content you will create and publish to when you will create and publish that content. This allows you to plan ahead, ensure consistency, and avoid last-minute blunders. 

Content marketing is like being a chef who creates a delicious recipe that everyone wants to try, here using interesting and valuable content that people want to read or watch. 

Just like a chef plans out their recipes in advance, content marketers plan out their content in advance using a content calendar. Just like a menu, that ensures they have a variety of content to share with their audience over time.

Content Performance

Lastly, you need to know whether your content strategy was a success or a failure. You can measure the success of your content by using the following metrics:

Traffic 

Number of people viewing your content

Engagement 

Time spent with your content

Conversions 

Number of people taking an action after viewing your content

Social media reach 

Number of people viewing your content on social media 

Search engine ranking 

Position of your content in search engine results pages (SERPs)

Measuring content performance allows you to refine and improve your content strategy over time. In this way, you can always ensure well-performing and relatable content.

Building a Winning Content Strategy

In conclusion, building a winning content strategy is like constructing a strong foundation for a skyscraper. It requires careful planning, attention to detail, and a clear vision of what you want to achieve. By following the three key components of content strategy – content creation, content marketing, and content performance – you can very easily accomplish that. However, there is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to content strategy!

At Digitomark, we understand the importance of a personally tailored content strategy catering to the specific needs and goals of your business and provide one. The impact of it is the success of your digital marketing plan and your business.

Stay tuned to our blogs for more tips and insights on various market trends in the digital marketing space! 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do you start a content strategy?

To start a content strategy, you should first define your business goals and identify your target audience. From there, you can develop a content plan that outlines your content creation.

What is a great content strategy?

A good content strategy considers a key performance indicator (KPI) and then works to achieve it. It is a roadmap that plans out the exact steps that need to be taken in order to reach that goal.

What is the core of content strategy?

The core of content strategy is aligning content creation and management with your business goals and the needs of your target audience.

What is the impact of content strategy?

Content strategy attracts new customers.

What are the 3 S’s of successful content?

The 3 S’s of successful content are Substance (the quality and relevance of the content), Structure (the organization and presentation of your content), and Style (the tone and voice of your content).