By Alfred Lettang & Jerome Kalumbu

Content Strategy

Build products with smart, strategic content

Based on storybrand exercise and information hierarchy, write content drafts on a word document for each page.

Content strategy refers to the strategic planning, creation, delivery, and management of content to achieve specific business goals and meet the needs of the target audience.

Problem: Content that does't answer user and business problems and goals

Businesses often face several challenges in implementing an effective content strategy (eg. lack of alignment with business goals, inconsistent brand voice and messaging, insufficient understanding of user needs, lack of content governance and workflow, poor content discoverability).

Solution: Write content drafts

Practice is key to improving your content writing skills. Continuously seek feedback, experiment with different approaches. Adapt your content strategy based on the needs and preferences of your audience.

Checklist

  1. Start from landing pages
  2. Write users questions and business goals for every page
  3. Define pages sections and content priorities (Linear approach)
  4. Write content for page sections
  5. Don't forget calls to action, this is where you make money
  6. Use AIDA model to verify content

Tips: WordCraft by Rob Winters - WordCraft is a website with resources for writers wanting to improve their craft.

Tools: Download content strategy workbook templates

Process

1. Start from the key landing pages
Based on site architecture, create word documents for key landing pages.
2. User questions, business goals and KPIs
Write user questions and business goals at the top of each page.
Define your content objectives and the KPIs that will tell you whether you’re on the right track.
3. Use linear approach to define page sections
The linear approach allows us to focus on one stage at a time.
This will help ensure that your content is well organised and structured.
Each section should answer user question (eg. What do you offer? How will it make customer lives better? What does somebody need to do business with you? How does it work?).
Define page sections and align according to content priorities.
4. Page sections content
Break each section into subsections (eg. Section title, Subtitle, Primary message (value proposition), Content, Call to action)
Now, write content for each section.
5. Calls to action
Add primary and secondary call-to-actions
(Register, Buy, Call now...)?
6. AIDA model
Check your content pages with the AIDA model.
About AIDA model:
The four stages a consumer goes through before making a purchasing decision. The stages are Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action (AIDA). During these four stages, your content will ideally attract attention to your brand, generate interest in your product or service, stimulate a desire for it, and encourage action to try or buy it.
Content check: eg.
Section title - Attention, Value proposition - Interest, Content - Desire, Call to action - Action.

Review and test - iterate in response

Review checklist

  1. Did we answer users’ questions?
  2. Is the content lined-up correctly, based on priorities?
  3. Do we have primary call-to-actions (Register, Buy, Call now...)?
  4. Is the content easy to understand and read?
  5. Did we solve and address user problems?
  6. Caveman Grunt Test:
    Simple way to describe product & services (What do you offer? How will it make customer lives better? What does somebody need to do to do business with you?)

Cavement Grunt Test: The name “Grunt Test” comes from the founder of StoryBrand, Donald Miller. Your content should be so clear and easy to understand, that even a caveman should be able to grunt in agreement.

Takeaways

  • For each pages we have clarity on content draft based on user questions & business goals.
  • Create value proposition and one-liner for each pages
  • Content priorities
  • Call-to-actions
  • Content reviewed by "AIDA model" and "Grunt test"

Books

Links