“Content is anything that adds value to the reader’s life.” -Avinash Kaushik, Google’s Digital Marketing Evangelist

In a world where consumers choose to connect with the brands they love, and where smart, savvy companies want to be included in that choice, getting the right message to the right customer at the right time has never been more important. As a shrewd marketer, you know there are many reasons to create a content strategy that helps you reach those most likely to buy.

Solid, original, self-published content needs to reach customers in order to inform, educate, entertain and guide them through their journey to the sale.

When content attracts and informs customers, it drives leads and sales.

But in order to create that solid, original, self-published content, it’s crucial to construct a foundational strategy from which to build your loyal following. Digital marketing success begins with a design blueprint from which all content will be generated.

Many companies are finding it difficult to sustain a viable, consistent process for content creation and often that’s due to having no written content strategy and/or marketing plan. All the signs point to very good reasons to have a content strategy but sadly, many companies are reverting to their old ways of advertising.

I’m not sure what it’s going to take to convince the key players that old school advertising just doesn’t work anymore. If the key players looked at their own shopping habits, they would most likely see that they’re bypassing commercials, scrolling past paid search results and ignoring banner ads.

Customers possess the same shopping behaviors so it stands to reason that adapting the company’s marketing and advertising plans to include content is the next best move.

5 Mega-Important Reasons to Create a Content Strategy

1. Content Drives Everything

Content is the centerpiece of your marketing and advertising:

• It’s what drives engagement on Social Media
• It’s what gets you found in search results
• It’s what drives organic traffic to your website
• It’s what makes or breaks your advertising success
• It’s what brings you inbound leads

2. Strategy Makes You Awesome!

Have you ever tried to achieve a goal without strategy? If you sat down right now and wrote out your goals, the very next thing you would think about is HOW to achieve them.

Achieving Goals = Awesome!

Quality content drives leads and sales….but quality content doesn’t just happen on its own.

3. Your Customer’s Attention Span is Less Than That of a Goldfish

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the average attention span of a human being has dropped from 12 seconds (in 2000) to 8 seconds (in 2015). This is one second less than the attention span of a goldfish.

Getting and keeping customers’ attention is no small feat. In a world of ever-increasing noise, a solid content strategy helps ensure production of higher quality content. High quality content attracts eyeballs because it stands out from all the meaningless messages. High quality content keeps the customer’s attention!

4. Illustrate WHY Your Customers Choose You
“People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it. The goal is not to do business with people who need what you have. The goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe.” -Simon Sinek

What you post isn’t as important as WHY you post:

• When you know your WHY, it’s easier to create content.
• It’s your WHY that establishes value in the buyers’ mind.
• When employees know your WHY, they’re inspired too.
• Jumping into Facebook and other social media without your WHY makes your message impotent.

5. Customers Do Not Consume in Silence

Customers are social. They socialize while consuming (and deciding to consume) your products and services. Your content is your calling card in these social situations.

Going a step further, your content plan should include strategies on how you’ll interact with customers while they’re socializing. Once you’ve attracted fans, how will you manage your brand’s community and who will be the voice of your business?

What’s Next Then?

Don’t let your loyal fans and most interested buyers get distracted and wander off to your competitor. Keep them engaged by drawing up your content design blueprint and build a brand that’s so good they can’t ignore you!