Hey there! đź‘‹
In a previous article, I broke down why marketing teams are creating more content than ever, often without clear strategy or impact.
So, if more content isn’t the solution, what is?
It starts with aligning content with business goals and creating a strategy that’s focused, sustainable, and effective.
Building a strong content strategy requires structure. Here are the 7 steps I use to build a smarter content strategy:
Content isn’t just part of your marketing mix. It’s the foundation that supports paid media, events, partnerships, email, and brand campaigns. When done right, it strengthens every other channel, leading to higher engagement, better ROI, and more effective campaigns.
Before thinking about your content strategy, you need to understand business objectives. Spend time with senior leadership to uncover:
Action: If you don’t have clarity on business objectives, pause content planning and align with leadership first.
Once your business goals are clear, your content strategy should focus on defining your brand’s positioning and messaging.
Ask yourself:
If your messaging isn’t clear, your content won’t be either. Start with your messaging framework and customer personas.
Action: If your messaging isn’t clear, don’t waste time creating more content that won’t land. Instead, invest a few weeks in refining your messaging framework and audience insights. This will save time, effort, and budget.
Not all platforms are worth your time. If you’re spending effort on channels that don’t match your audience’s behaviour, you’re wasting time.
So, where does your audience actually consume information?
If you don’t know where your buyers go for information, you’re wasting effort on channels that won’t deliver results.
Action: Check your analytics and past performance. Focus your efforts on the 20% of channels driving 80% of your results.
Start by thinking about what your brand can offer that is truly interesting or unique: primary data or research, useful templates or frameworks, a distinct take on your industry.
Then, instead of trying to cover everything, structure your content around a repeatable, sustainable model.
In the past, I’ve used a few models like a primary topic per quarter or rotating through 3-5 core content pillars over the year. You’ll need to experiment a little to find what works for your team and audience.
Don’t forget content optimisation is just as important as content creation. Refreshing and updating high-performing content improves SEO, engagement, and saves time. Plus, it gives you relevant content to promote while working on new pieces.
Your marketing team is on the front lines of content creation. Get their input on what’s working, where they see gaps, and how workflows can improve. Involving them in the planning process builds buy-in and makes delivery smoother.
No matter the structure, every piece of content should align with:
(See how those foundational pieces make planning MUCH easier?)
Action: Choose a content structure to start with, document it, and track performance. Regularly review and refine it so your team and stakeholders understand the plan and its impact.
Most teams spend too much time creating and not enough time distributing.
At least 50% of your content strategy should go to distribution, not just creation. Don’t assume your audience will see everything the first time—make sure your best content gets the reach it deserves.
Not every piece of content needs to be a long-form blog. Think long and short-form written content, video, audio.
Action: Allocate time each week for content repurposing and redistribution. If you don’t have a distribution plan, your best content won’t reach its full potential.
Not all metrics are created equal. Instead of tracking everything, focus on 2-3 key metrics that align with your goals and demonstrate real business impact.
Here are some key areas to consider:
Action: Get serious about tracking. It’s not the most exciting part of marketing, but in three months, when leadership asks for ROI, you’ll be glad you set it up properly.
Even with a well-researched, data-backed content strategy, you still need leadership buy-in. The key to winning internal support? Bringing leadership into the process early, showing results that matter to them, and keeping communication clear.
âś… Speak Their Language: Different stakeholders care about different things. A VP of Sales wants leads and revenue, while a CEO may be focused on brand positioning or market expansion. Frame your content strategy in terms of these priorities.
✅ Get Early Buy-In: Don’t just present a finished strategy. Get input when defining business goals, share insights on what’s working, and ask for feedback before presenting a final plan.
âś… Show Quick Wins: If leadership is hesitant to invest in content, run a focused experiment. Instead of trying to change the whole system, prove the value of one initiative (e.g., optimising existing content for SEO, or repurposing assets for sales enablement).
✅ Make Content Visible Internally: Content teams often work in silos, but your work should be seen across the company. Use Slack, project management tools, or internal newsletters to share new content, updates, and wins so leadership and teams know what’s happening.
✅ Regularly Report Impact: Vanity metrics won’t convince leadership, but clear reports on how content supports lead gen, pipeline, and customer retention will. Keep reporting short, focused, and actionable with trends, wins, and planned adjustments.
Action: Tailor your plan to leadership priorities, maintain transparency with regular updates, and use internal tools to keep the company informed and engaged. A clear, visible strategy increases support and long-term success.
We previously looked at why marketing teams are stuck in the cycle of producing more content without seeing real results. In this article, I’ve outlined a better way forward—a content strategy that is aligned with business goals, focused on audience needs, and structured for long-term impact.
The shift from content overload to content strategy takes time, but it’s worth it, especially if it reduces stress and overwhelm for your team.