Great Content Strategy Doesn’t Start With Content
These emails joined oh so many others in my spam folder last week.
“Could you point me to the appropriate person to talk about this? If not, could you suggest someone?”
“Ensuring OSHA reporting compliance should be the highest priority for all employers right now.”
The first point blank asked me to do their job for them. The second one was a definite miss because I don’t have any employees. Your inbox probably looks the same, stuffed with messages trying to reel in a real client. What do they all have in common? They were written by people who launched right into what they wanted to say before they asked the most important question: Who needs to hear this?
A recent Forbes Advisor study found that the key to content success isn’t more content and it isn’t better content. It’s audience research. The survey said, “By understanding the audience deeply, marketers can tailor their content strategies to deliver more engaging and effective messages, enhancing the likelihood of campaign success.” If you want a content strategy that performs, of course you need solid content. Not clever words. Not empty promises. Content that knows exactly who it’s talking to. Here’s what researching first and writing second will do for you:
Keep you focused on what matters most.
Let’s be clear, we’re talking about what’s important to your audience, not you. I worked with a tech company that spent a lot of time talking about their world class expertise and the rigorous process they implemented to create their cutting-edge solutions. What they didn’t do was invest even more time connecting the dots to show how their products would deliver on the one thing their audience cared about most: data security.
You probably don’t want to hear this but your audience doesn’t want to know how the sausage is made (OK, they might if you actually make sausage). Yes, you need to back up your promises with proof points. But at the end of the day, your audience needs to believe that the thing you have to offer will solve the thing that keeps them up at night. Great content does that. It’s relevant, it’s customer-focused, and it inspires trust.
Give your message a gut check.
Did you catch that little word in the last sentence?
Trust.
Imagine if a stranger wandered into your office and asked you for $20,000 before they even sat down and introduced themselves. Hard pass, right? You don’t know anything about them, and they definitely haven’t earned your trust.
When you push out content -whether it’s a blog or podcast or social post – you’re asking your audience to take a chance and make the choice to trust you. You can be sure their mind’s eye is giving you side eye because it’s a safe bet that your competitors are also saying, “Oh hey, trust me!”. The difference is, you did your homework. You know what your audience values and your offer is aligned. You know asking them to change their behavior isn’t an easy lift for anyone, so you reassure them. You put what they care about repeat in a way that says, “I see you and I’ve got you.” It’s not slick or shiny. It’s authentic, personal, believable. This is your North Star for every bit of content you create. And it won’t be just any old content…it will be great content.
Pinpoint your true prospects.
As you read this, are you shifting how you think about your audience? Maybe your definition has expanded. If so, go find ways to engage with those new sectors! On the flip side, you may discover the smart move is to niche down. I can tell you from personal experience that this is a scary thing to do.
Over the years I’ve worked with tiny companies and huge corporations in more industries than you’d want me to list. I saw myself as a “been there, seen that” generalist, believing I would otherwise lose out on new projects. In reality, that narrative exhausted me and confused my prospects. But when I intentionally narrowed my audience I started to attract more of the small business clients I love to work with and more of the work I love to do.
Wouldn’t you rather talk to a hundred uber-qualified prospects instead of a thousand who kind of, sort of, maybe fit your ideal client profile? Whether you decide the numbers should scale up or down, knowing precisely who your audience is (and isn’t) creates guard rails to help you stay in your lane. You trade distraction for laser focus on the people who matter most. The result? Great content that tees up wildly successful content strategy.
What does your audience really need to hear from you? What’s one shift you can make in your writing to deliver that message?