If you are just blogging for fun then a strategy isn’t necessary. But if you want to give your blog the potential to go anywhere – make money and to reach as many people as possible – then you need to get strategic! And, since blogs rely on quality content to attract readers and keep them interested (and, eventually, buying from you!) then it makes sense to prioritize your content strategy.
What is a content strategy?
A content strategy is a plan of how you are going to use content to grow and market your blog. This consists of (a) the content you post on your blog (how often you post, what you write about, how far in advance you plan and create the content etc.) and (b) the content you use to promote your blog (for example, social media posts and emails to your mailing list). Eventually you’ll also have a strategy for creating content for paid products.
What type of content should be included?
Content isn’t solely restricted to text and articles. It can include videos, quizzes, images and many other things which make a blog more interesting than simply reading for hours.
Why is a strategy so important?
Survey a group of professional bloggers and you’ll probably find that they all work differently when it comes to planning their content. A small number may not plan at all, but for most planning is essential. There are a number of reasons for this.
Firstly, having a plan means you can be more strategic in what you’re creating. Instead of just publishing a new post on whatever random topic you feel in the mood to create, you can plan topics strategically based on product promotions, the time of the year etc. Planning ahead also helps make sure you post on a regular, consistent schedule, which is important for keeping readers interested (especially if you’re still in the growing stage).
And having a strategy also helps for those times when life is unpredictable. Maybe you really want to stick to a once-a-week posting schedule but you suddenly get sick. Having your plan, and having content created in advance, means that things won’t go totally off track.
What do you need to do after the strategy has been created?
Remember, a content strategy isn’t set in stone. You can update it at any time you feel is necessary or if you think you need to restructure and edit it to make it work better for you. It might be the case that after a month or two, there isn’t much interest in the quizzes or videos you are posting. These could be taken out or you can try other ways of promoting or scheduling out your posts that might attract more attention or keep people on your blog for longer.
