If you’ve ever tackled marketing for your biz, you would have heard the phrases:

 

Content is king 

Content is the backbone

Content is everything

 

The word “content” echoes through every successful marketing strategy.

 

It’s no surprise then that content became super important for businesses when the internet started gaining popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s. As companies realised the internet’s potential, they began using value-driven content to connect with people and attract more attention to their businesses.

 

They soon discovered that investing in creating content like blogs, videos and social media posts attracted more visitors to their websites, brought in new prospects and leads. made their brands more well-known, and ultimately increased sales. 

 

Content proved it really was everything!

 

 

But, not all content. Simply churning out images, captions and memes, without a clear strategy can lead to missed opportunities. Not to mention the waste of precious time and resources. 

 

Despite what some social media experts and gurus say, content creation is about much more than just posting random pieces every day to stay visible or to one-up the algorithms. 

 

It’s about creating a strategic roadmap that aligns with your business goals, engages your audience and drives results.

 

So hold on tight, because we’re about to dive into just that!

 

What Is Content Creation exactly?

 

To put it simply, it’s about generating topics that will resonate with your target audience – these can be the pains, wants, challenges or desires faced by your ideal clients Then skillfully creating written or visual content that brings those ideas to life. 

 

And let’s not forget, each topic should be carefully repurposed across multiple platforms and channels – whether it’s on your website, through email or across social media to ensure your content reaches the widest possible audience and delivers maximum impact.

 

Rather than just posting ‘something’ because you haven’t put anything on your socials or blog in a while, content creation is about being conscious and deliberate with what you are creating and the messaging it contains to consistently engage your audience and drive meaningful results.

 

This is where the challenge begins, so we’re going to lay it out for you step by step…

 

 

But first…

 

Why Is Content Creation Important to Businesses Today?

 

In the digital era, content creation is crucial for today’s businesses because it’s the backbone of how you connect with your audience, build brand awareness and drive meaningful results. 

 

In a world where people are constantly bombarded with information, creating valuable and engaging content is what makes your business stand out. 

 

It’s not just about staying visible; it’s about crafting killer messages that resonate with your target audience, fostering trust and guiding them toward becoming loyal customers. 

 

In short, content is what turns casual browsers into engaged followers and ultimately, into paying customers! So without further ado… 

 

 

How Do I Start Content Creation?

 

If we haven’t scared you off yet… thanks for sticking around.

 

We understand that content creation can feel daunting—trust us, we get it. However, since businesses trust us to create and produce hundreds of pieces of content across their socials, and admittedly other platforms too, we’ve refined a process that not only resonates with your desired target audience but is easy to follow too.

 

And lucky for you, we’re feeling generous, so we’ve added a few extra goodies that you can take or leave. Preferably take, please!

 

 

What Are The 7 Steps Of Content Creation?

 

Step 1 – Who

 

Before you even pick up that figurative pen to start writing, you need to know exactly who you are targeting with your content. You need to understand exactly who your target persona is.

 

And no, it’s not just about a generic description like “females, aged 35, living in an urban city, who like to take vacations…” That’s not enough.

 

It’s about doing the hard work upfront—digging deeper to truly understand who your ideal customers are, based on their wants, needs, desires, challenges and aspirations. You need to look beyond just demographics, psychographics and behavioural data. 

 

Yes, those are important, but not before considering the emotional aspect. While those big words might sound complicated, all this valuable info can actually be found within the metrics of your social profiles of followers and customers – you just have to look.

 

Understanding your audience is the first and most important step in crafting the kind of messaging that will resonate with your people and convert them into engaged followers or paying customers.

 

If you are a bit stuck on how to get started on this step, you are not alone! Many business owners find stepping into their potential customer’s shoes really challenging. So, we’ve assembled an epic free resource that will help you define your target audience and get those content ideas flowing.

 

 

You can download it right here.

 

Step 2 – What

 

Now we know who we are talking to, we need to establish what we are going to say to them.

 

This step involves uncovering content topics that will address the needs and problems of your target audience—the kind of things they’ll find interesting and helpful. The kind of content that will make them pause their scroll and take notice of what you have to say …and hopefully bookmark, save, share or subscribe!

 

Instead of just brainstorming, consider tapping into real-world insights. This is where we encourage using social listening to monitor conversations happening around your community or industry and pay attention to questions customers have asked in the past. You can also gather ideas through surveys or directly ask for feedback that reveals the challenges your target audience faces.

 

For further inspiration, leverage tools like Google Analytics and the Google search question box to identify common queries related to your audience. These insights will help you create content that truly resonates with your audience and aligns with their interests and needs.

 

 

Step 3 – When

 

Alright, we know who we are talking to and what we are going to say. Now it’s time to put that all into an actionable plan.

 

What we mean by that is deciding on the formats and channels that are best suited for your content, message and end goal. Having a mixture of text, graphic and video posts will keep your channels fresh and help connect you to your audience in a variety of ways. Remember, not everyone likes to consume content in the same way. But it’s also important to test and test some more!

 

Be sensible about how you plan your content. Make sure you align your material with key business dates, any product or service launches and relevant seasonal topics.

 

Keep your marketing goals in mind when you are putting your plan together. Ensure each piece of content is designed to help you achieve those goals – whether it be creating awareness, engagement or conversions.

 

 

Step 4 – How

 

Ok, we’ve researched, brainstormed and planned, now it’s time to do some doing!

 

This is the step where you bring all those awesome ideas to life. It’s how you are going to get eyes on your brand messaging and start engaging with your audience.

 

Remember that authenticity and originality are what your audience wants to see. Keep this in mind when putting your content together, whether it be writing a blog post, designing an infographic, filming a reel, or an email campaign.

 

You also want to ensure that your content is informative, engaging and aligned with your brand voice so that your audience sits up and takes notice the moment they see your stuff in their social feeds or inbox.

 

 

Step 5 – Optimise

 

There is no point spending all this time creating awesome content unless you get a good return on it.

 

While there’s no magic formula that guarantees instant engagement the moment you hit publish, there are steps you can take to give your content the best shot at success. It’s all about taking the time to review and optimise.

 

This is a step that many people miss as they are so excited to release those great ideas, but it can help your content go even further, so don’t skip it!

 

Optimising is all about improving your user experience and increasing visibility. Start by quality checking what you have produced is well crafted. Then, boost its power by including relevant SEO keywords, meta tags, meta descriptions and engaging titles. Publishing a social post? Consider adding a paid boost to reach more people and expand your audience.

Taking the time to optimise can significantly improve your visibility and click-through rates.

 

 

Step 6 – Distribute

 

We finally made it to the step you’ve been waiting for – it’s time to distribute! 

 

Now, gone are the days when we would just write one piece of content and call it a day. To make your topic reach more people, it’s important to distribute it across your main marketing channels. 

 

Here’s a breakdown of what we find works best:

• Social Media Content – Great for growing awareness, building a community and connecting with new people.
• Website Content – Geared towards SEO and UX to convert visitors into subscribers or customers.
• Email Marketing Content – Brilliant for nurturing subscribers into loyal customers.

 

But don’t stop there!

• Paid Advertising – Amplify your content’s reach with targeted ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram or Google Ads. This helps get your content in front of people who might not see it organically.
• Content Collaborations – Partner with influencers, other brands or third-party platforms like industry outlets or LinkedIn to share or republish your content, tapping into new audiences.
• Video and Podcast Channels – Repurpose your written content into videos or podcasts to engage with audiences who prefer consuming content in these formats.

 

By leveraging multiple distribution channels, you can ensure your content reaches its full potential and connects with your audience wherever they are.

 

Send that great work out into the world now. Publish and promote it across all of your channels.

 

 

Step 7 – Review

 

We are not done yet. Publishing is not the final layer of a content parfait. You have to add the cherry on top to truly maximise the deliciousness of content success!

 

Another easily forgotten, but key step is reviewing your content. By using the analytics tools available you should measure the performance of your content. Track engagement metrics like views, shares, and time on page to understand what works and what doesn’t.

 

Then, use the insights you have gained to refine your future content strategy and improve its overall effectiveness.

 

 

Make It Happen!

 

There you have it, the 7 steps to creating the kind of content your audience will be tripping over themselves to consume.

 

It all begins with truly understanding who your audience is and ends with analysing the performance of your content to ensure it’s doing what it should be doing. By following the simple steps we’ve just laid out, you can create meaningful and impactful content that not only reaches your audience, but resonates with them too.

 

Content creation is certainly a job that your team can handle, but do you really want to?

 

Wouldn’t it be nice to have an experienced content strategist take the whole task off your hands?

 

No more guessing if you are doing things right, just relying on the proven strategies of a marketing expert.

 

SO WHAT SOCIAL is your expert.

 

If you want epic content that creates great returns, we can make it happen. Chat with our team today to get started.