Okay. So you’re out in the world, enjoying the warmth of the sunny streets in Paris. You come across the délicatesse of Croquet-monsieur. The rich flavors of its multilayered pillowy perfection evolve an idea inside your head. An all-inclusive French Bistro featuring food from the very streets of Paris! The idea is every  – the right communication strategy.

Exciting and fanciful ideas can be easy to come by, but executing them into a viable marketing plan can be a daunting task. Content to the rescue! Content Marketing in India is an effective promotional tool that all brands need to have in their arsenal. It helps your brand cut through the clutter and add an unearthed vitality to your ideas. A resourceful content marketing strategy fills colors in your basic thought structure and makes your idea come to life, right before your eyes.

Defining a Content Marketing Strategy

Relevant and interesting content is personal, direct and enriches a reader’s interest in your brand. Therefore, it’s important to do it right. For this you need to know the difference between a Content Marketing Strategy, a Content Strategy and a Content Plan.

• Content Marketing Strategy: Deals with the ‘WHY’ of the plan. Why are you creating this content? Why would the audience like it? It is a goal oriented plan that aims to drive commercially viable results.
• Content Strategy: Deals with all the content collaterals of your business including your website and social media portals. It determines the tone, the message and the scope of communication for your brand.
• Content Plan: It is the next step for both of the above strategies. It deals with the how, where and when of the execution of your content.

Planning a Content Marketing Strategy

A good content marketing strategy aims to generate at least one of these three commercial results:

1. a larger or better audience
2. reduced costs
3. increased revenues

Content Marketing in India can be divided into these 7 workable steps:

• Define the objective:

This is the key step that distinguishes a content marketing strategy from a content strategy. It is crucial to have clarity on your goals. The why of the strategy needs to be answered for this. What you are hoping to achieve will help you determine your story as well as your audience.

• Create A Buyer’s Persona

This step is concerned more with the who than the why. Who are you planning to target through your strategy? Where do they live? What do they prefer? What are their current purchase habits? Try to create an ideal customer persona before you move forward with your plan.

• Search Search Search

No substitute for the good ol’ research. Look into previous campaigns that your brand has conducted. What went wrong, what went right? Analyze your competitors. Conduct researches regarding your buyer’s behavior. Understand the demographic they come from. What are the current trends in the media? You can use tools like Feedly and Buzzsumo to further streamline your research.

• Develop the Story

Now, you can start with the brainstorming. Once you have determined the scope and personality of your potential buyers, you can think of ideas that connect you with them. You can use also different brainstorming techniques like Time Travel or Superpower.

• Determine your type

In which format do you want to execute your strategy? Today, Content Marketing in India is executed through numerous formats such as blog posts, E-books and podcasts. Each of these layouts have advantages and disadvantages of their own. Assess them to pick the one perfect for your brand.

• Determine your place

On which platform will you execute your strategy? On your website or on social media portals? You can also develop new platforms to implement your plans. Consider using an Editorial Calendar to simplify the process.

Let’s take a cue from Whole Foods. This all-natural retail chain is known to constantly come up with ingénue content marketing strategies. An important sleuth in its marketing tactics is its quirky and informative tumblr account. It’s filled with useful facts and clever recipes.

Devising an effective content strategy requires thorough research and perceptive execution skills. A Specialized Content Marketing Agency can help you cut through these chaos and find a unique identity for your brand. This not only improves your brand image but also helps you drive more sales and leads.