Random Tactics, Random Results
7 Rules To Developing A Successful Content Strategy
Have you ever played a game with someone that clearly had no idea what they were doing. Whether it’s sports, video games, or board games, understanding the rules and building a strategy is crucial to winning.
When I scroll through my social feeds flooded with inconsistent and incoherent posts from brands and organizations, all clamoring for attention I can’t help but notice one universal theme.
Zero strategy.
Throwback Thursday is not a social media strategy. Neither are funny memes or clickbait.
So, how do you break through the sea of garbage and connect with your target audience.
How do you compete with the over 24,000 videos on YouTube of people lighting themselves on fire for “The Fire Challenge”?
We’ve put together 7 rules for developing a successful content strategy so you don’t have to set your self on fire to get attention.
1. Clearly identify what you want to say, who your audience is, and what you want them to do. This will help inform your strategy and creative.
It’s about understanding the big picture and aligning all of your communications to inform, inspire, and ultimately motivate your audience to pursue some sort of action. Be clear. Be concise. Be consistent.
2. Pick the right channels. Know what to use where and how each asset will bring people closer to action.
Different deliverables are designed to do different things. Some are great for generating awareness, while some are designed to close deals. Some are better for social where attention is fleeting and some are better for events where you have a captive audience. Being aware of what works best in any given situation is crucial to building an effective strategy that achieves your ultimate goal.
3. Assess your budget and find the right balance between quantity and quality. Both are important.
Be realistic about what you have to work with and develop your creative approach accordingly. Take everything into account and look for solutions that provide you the best bang for your buck.
4. Good creative is authentic and connects with your viewers on a deeper level.
Quality, in my opinion, is measured by how well you do in this stage. Production value is important but don’t sacrifice good storytelling and establishing an emotional connection.
5. Be efficient and maximize your content by breaking it down and repurposing it across all platforms.
Reverse engineer your content library. Start with one core deliverable and break that down into teasers, trailers, quotes, and stills. Use that shorter content to grab people’s attention and drive them to your main video.
6. Plan ahead and schedule your content delivery across all platforms.
A large campaign can have hundreds of deliverables spread across a long period of time. Do your best to plan everything in advance so you’re not scrambling to figure out what to post on a daily basis.
7. Be prepared to engage with your viewers.
There is no alternative for engaging with people. Depending on the size and scope of your campaign, it’s essential to have someone monitor activity and take the lead on responding to comments, engaging influencers, and breathing life into the campaign.
Together, these principals are the foundation of any good content strategy but, the final piece of the puzzle is a trusted parter.
For more information on how Production House can help you develop, produce, an execute an effective content strategy please click here.