Can you guess how many businesses would have an effective content strategy? According to CMI, only 9% of B2B businesses are confident about their content strategy as ‘very effective.’
The problem lies in strategy development; either it is not documented or it isn’t created effectively.
Now, before you start researching ways to create an effective content strategy, we have something to tell you.
The right hire can save you a lot of trouble. Instead of researching strategy development, why not hire a content strategist who already knows how to do it?
Before we talk about the importance of a content strategist in your business’ marketing and what it does, let’s understand the terminologies first.
Content Marketer vs. Content Strategist
Content marketers draw on the wall with magic markers, while content strategists use fine pens.
– Robert Rose, The Content Advisory
You may have heard the quote if you’re in the content marketing profession for three or more years. But the question is, does the quote explain the difference between the two?
Not to those who have heard it the first time.
Let’s break this with an example;
Assume you’re a SaaS business, and you’re invested in the idea that content marketing is one of the best forms of organic marketing. You understand it influences the user and helps your business in becoming a brand.
So, what will you do if you have to grow your email list?
Probably you’ll create a blog and increase the publishing frequency to target more readers.
We won’t suggest it to you, though. It’s like hoping that frequent publishing will hit the bull’s eye.
Well, Hope is not a strategy.
– Anonymous
Here’s what you’ll need instead;
- Set the percentage growth in your mailing list you expect to see with your efforts.
- Create a lead magnet — probably an ebook, a course, or maybe a checklist.
- As soon as your readers start finding your lead magnet, they will exchange it with their email addresses to download it.
- So, what you’ll have in the end is — indeed, more email subscribers.
The map that you followed to increase your email subscribers is termed a content strategy.
However, the development & publishing of content, maintaining the audience’s engagement, and nurturing them will term as content marketing.
In a nutshell, a Content Strategist will tell the direction, and a Content Marketer will sail toward that direction.
Both professionals work together to achieve a specific goal.
What Does a Content Strategist Do?
Since we have already discussed how the role of a content strategist is different from a content marketer, let’s dive deeper and explore the responsibilities of a content strategist now.
Develops Content Strategies
As discussed, the content strategists are responsible for creating a blueprint with respect to the desired goal.
The strategy must begin with a goal first and then measure metrics or KPIs before identifying the primary channel to publish content. We also suggest that the individual must have a sound knowledge of multiple channels and what content format will work on that channel.
Conducts Gap Analysis
Irrespective of how brilliant a strategist you hire, no brand can implement a perfect strategy.
There is always something to improve.
A strategist must be capable enough to find those gaps in existing content of either competitors’ or self — to create an improved version of the piece.
Defines Brand’s Digital Presence
A content strategist is also responsible for maintaining the digital presence of the brand. One has to make sure whether the brand’s mission and values are aligned with the brand’s impression across all media channels and platforms.
Familiar with Developing Clear and Engaging Content
Along with creating strategy, conducting gap analysis, and maintaining the brand’s digital presence, a strategist must be familiar with developing clear and engaging content for the brand’s consumers.
People don’t read the content until they find it engaging enough, no matter how smartly the content is written.
Also, content needs to be simple enough to get more social shares among its audience.
Why a Content Strategist is Must for Your Business?
We all understand how dramatic results a proper content strategy can produce.
But in order to get accurate results, the professional must have a sound knowledge of content marketing, your business, and its audience.
A professional content strategist can yield excellent marketing results for your business. Some of them are as follows;
1. Delivers Higher ROI
Assume if your business has generated $2500 in sales by investing in $800 of blog content, then your ROI will be;
ROI (Percentage) = [(2500-800)/800] x 100
That’s 212.5%
And if you doubt that companies invest a minute proportion of their budget in content marketing, then it’s not the case.
According to Hubspot, 24% of marketers plan on increasing their investment in content marketing in 2020.
2. Eliminates the Need of Hard Selling
Do you ever pay attention to the promotional emails in your inbox?
Probably never!
It happens because nobody likes to be treated with sales messages 24/7.
In fact, one of HBR’s articles states that customers are likely to buy from brands that give them ‘decision simplicity.’
Decision simplicity is the ease of gathering trustworthy information on different options available in the market.
And who can do it for you?
Hire a content strategist that couldn’t just listen to your prospects’ problems but can also offer decision simplicity to them.
3. Improves Business Reach to New Customers and a Larger Audience
In the world of the Internet, content travels faster than word of mouth. However, content has to be valuable enough to get shared with others.
Imagine you have got an SEO keyword research tool, and your content strategist decides to create a video content on it to share the tips titled as ‘how to choose the right keywords for your blog post.’ There are higher chances that shares on that specific video will skyrocket.
Even according to Wyzowl, people are more likely to share video content than other forms of content.
4. Improves Trust and Influence on Your Audience
Understand it this way, you go to the supermarket to buy a diaper for your toddler, but you’re not sure about the size to purchase.
More confusion!
Now what if there’s assistance available in that supermarket, the personnel attend you and help you make the right choice.
Will you buy again from that supermarket?
Of course!
Similarly, when brands solve their audience’s pain points via content, they are likely to win the consumers’ trust. Moreover, trust formation also influences consumers’ decisions and improves advocacy.
All you need is a creative thinker who can identify your audience’s pain points, its solutions, and a suitable content format.
5. Transforms Your Company into a Brand
Okay, who doesn’t like to buy a new pair of running shoes?
Of course, everyone does!
But will you purchase from a local company that you’ve never heard of or buy from Adidas or Nike?
Obviously, Nike or Adidas. After all, you know the brand.
Invesp says that 59% of shoppers prefer purchasing new products from a brand they trust.
Following that, consistent valuable content development leads to trust formation.
6.Makes You Stand Out from Your Competitors
Have you noticed that Coca-Cola and Pepsi both have similar offerings — soft drinks — but none of them are similar or short of buyers?
HOW? Because the companies stand out in their way.
Content marketing gives the same privilege to brands. The market is too broad, and no company can target everyone. With the help of the right content strategy, you can define the specific audience segment that you want to serve and become a pioneer for them.
A good strategist understands the practice of identifying the content gaps among the content shared by your competitors if any. Such gaps lead to authority formation and make you stand out from your competitors.
7. Improves Page Traffic & CTR
Google is the first go-to option for anything that you need an answer for. But can you imagine how many Google searches happen in a day?
It’s 3.5 billion searches every day!
And if we talk in the language of traffic, the first position gets 33% of Google’s Search Traffic.
Chitika, the online ad network, dived and found the average traffic share of top 10 Google search results in its study — given below.
But what are the chances of receiving clicks on your search result? Well, here’s what Search Engine Journal found for the top 10 search results.
All of it can be achieved by strategizing, creating, and publishing the right content.
8. Improves Brand Awareness and Reputation
If we notice closely, then this point is an extension of the above point.
Google’s first page records 91.5% of Google’s traffic, which is not a bad return on investment at all.
And more traffic simply means more visibility.
Since Google already prioritizes the value provided in the content, the game becomes easy to an extent. The brands that offer value tend to build a reputation and ranking simultaneously.
9. Improves Conversions
According to CMI, content marketing has six times more power than traditional marketing to convert people into leads and leads into customers.
Therefore, if you use the right content strategy, the chance of getting more conversions improves automatically — without increasing your investment cost.
10. Improves Lead Generation
In the end, every business needs lead to grow its business.
According to CMI, small businesses that blog get 126% more lead growth as compared to businesses that don’t.
However, random blog content without a goal can never achieve accuracy. The content planning must be strategic enough to see the results talking.
Conclusion
Content strategy is an effective tool in the arsenal for brands, and it isn’t going anywhere until the next decade. And since content marketing is in demand, content strategists will keep evolving, learning, and implementing new techniques to grow a business.
However, even though content strategists have a huge role in developing an effective content strategy, the efforts of content producers and content marketers shouldn’t go unnoticed. Remember, it’s a team that brings results. If you need any help regarding content strategy for your business, you can book a consultation call with our experts – it’s free!