To answer this question, first of all, it is necessary to establish its difference with a content marketing strategy , a concept with which it is commonly confused. According to a publication by the Content Marketing Institute , which brings together the contributions of several experts on the subject, it defines them as follows:
Content marketing strategy
It is a marketing plan focused on the creation and distribution of relevant and quality content, to provide value and meaning to the brand, in addition to attracting and capturing a clearly defined target audience, in order to obtain clients and promote profitable actions in them.
In short, it is a series of techniques focused on boosting sales and strengthening the relationship between customers and brands through the dissemination of quality content.
Content strategy
It can be defined as the organization, planning, development and intelligent measurement of the content marketing strategy.
This is a plan based on web analytics tools and specific objectives, where, to define the format and information contained in each piece to be published, the following are taken into account:
Objectives to be achieved with the strategy in general
Brand history.
Targets that will share the content.
Engagement strategies
Characteristics and needs of the audience
Budget.
Other factors that ensure that the story, processes and language are appropriate for attracting customers and obtaining the desired conversion actions from them.
Rahel Anne Bailie , a Content Manager with years of experience in the field, sums up this concept brilliantly . For her, a content strategy is the compilation of all aspects of planning and managing content throughout its life cycle and based on business objectives. In that sense, it influences the development, production, presentation, evaluation, measurement and administration of the entire Content Marketing plan .
Although the difference between the two concepts seems subtle, it is not. Content marketing strategy focuses on determining the “why” it is necessary to execute a plan of these characteristics. While content strategies address the “how” it is going to be executed. However, they work in a complementary way and without the contributions of one or the other, good results cannot be obtained. Both are required to carry out what is going to be published, in what format and where (blog, specific social networks, Newsletters, etc.).
What is content strategy and its benefits?
The above allows us to conclude that it is based on delivering the correct content to the right user at the right time, based on strategic planning and intelligent management.
It is worth repeating that every good content strategy must have, at least, the following elements:
General objective.
Specific objectives.
Defined and segmented audience (Target).
Information gaps detected (what information does your target audience search for on the web?).
Content calendar.
Budget.
Performance indicators to measure the performance of the Content Marketing campaign.
Its implementation is essential to make the most of every penny in the budget and to achieve the best results from the content marketing strategy plan in terms of traffic, conversion, lead generation and other factors that are essential for a business to grow on the web and not keep its site as a mere space to post the company description and some advertising.
In this regard, the Content Marketing Institute's annual report revealed interesting data on businesses that execute a Content Marketing plan based on a well-planned and executed content strategy. Namely:
They are more likely to be effective at content marketing.
They feel less challenged with every aspect of executing a Content Marketing plan.
They are considered more effective in the use of all content marketing tactics and in the management of dissemination channels.
They are able to justify spending a larger percentage of their marketing budget on content marketing.
They more easily identify the ROI of a Content Marketing plan .
In conclusion, it is important to recognize that there is a big difference between the two concepts and to accept the relevance of the content strategy over that of Content Marketing, because without it, it is impossible to take safe steps and deliver to the target audience what they are really looking for.
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