The Show Must Go On

Following our webinar with Cube Video on the importance of a good content strategy during uncertain times, we have put together some tips on how you can develop content that works for you and your business. This strategy will help you navigate the coronavirus lockdown, as well as life post-pandemic.

What is a content strategy?

You may hear the words content strategy and think, hold on, I don’t have one of those, but you definitely produce some type of content to communicate with people that are important to your business one way or another. Your website copy, your blog, your social media, any adverts or even emails you’re sending with company updates are part of your content strategy as a business.

A content strategy is where you develop a plan to write, create and produce content for your brand on a regular basis. This can include content to be hosted on your website and content created to be published on third-party websites. It also covers different kinds of content, such as blogs, videos and graphics. In essence, it’s a master calendar that lets you know your content focus for the foreseeable future.

How do you develop a content strategy?

There are a few steps to take when building a content strategy. We’ve outlined these steps below:

Start with the why

First, you look at what content you’re developing and the channels you’re focusing on. Following this you need to establish whether this content needs to be amended it to fit in with what is currently going on. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What has changed in the day to day operation of my business?
• Am I doing anything new?
• Are my clients affected by the crisis and what can I do to help?
• Am I supporting any local organisations?

Think of why you should communicate with your clients, investors, supplies or any other important stakeholder. Develop four to five key messages that concisely communicate what is happening for your business and focus on building content around those.

Start with your own channels

You need to ensure that all the organisational channels reflect your current position. This should be the case all the time but it’s now more important than ever. Your owned channels are the ones where you have full control over the content. These include: your website, your blog, your social media channels, your newsletters, any internal channels you’re using (e.g. Slack) or any advertising space you may have booked. Build a timeline of when and how you will update each channel to help keep you on track.

Increase your share of voice

You can make your messages go further by using external channels, which can include national or trade media, or influencers. The media is constantly looking for case studies of businesses who are diversifying to overcome the Covid-19 crisis. However, it doesn’t all have to be pandemic-related. Business and trade journalists are still looking for stories in their niche and are looking for input from industry experts. While your competitors may have quietened down, it’s your turn to take this opportunity and build your voice.

Using influencers in your content strategy can also provide another avenue on social media. However, you have to make sure that the influencer’s values align with your values as an organisation. You also want to make sure any content used is relevant and sensitive to the current situation.

Types of content

Hopefully our webinar gave you some idea of what other brands are doing to communicate with their audiences right now, as well as the types of content they’re using. Your content doesn’t have to be glamorous or really expensive to produce. Sometimes doing a Live video on your social media can have more of an impact than a professionally produced video. Think of who your audience is and how they consume information because it all comes down to that.

Re-purpose your old content

This is the time to revamp any old content and make it relevant now. For example, if any of the blogs you wrote in the past can be applied to the current situation, get editing and re-distributing.

Outsource and ask for help

Rome wasn’t built in a day and it definitely wasn’t built by one person alone. Don’t be afraid to outsource you’re content work to others. If, for example, copywriting isn’t one of your strengths then think about working with someone externally to help you get a better perspective of what you’re trying to communicate. If you’re nervous about approaching the media or talking to influencers, or don’t know where to start with your social media content, think about engaging the services of a PR agency. Also, reach out to your network and ask for help if you know someone might have the expertise you don’t and offer to return the favour at a later stage. After all, we’re all in this together!

Hopefully these hints and tips with help you turn the theory into practice and develop a successful content strategy. Feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions or would like to brainstorm any ideas with us!