Your Brand Needs a Content Strategy Because Google Loves Big Brands

Online marketing has changed. It’s all about building your brand now.

Most small business owners are so lost in the rat race that they don’t realize this, but if you don’t take the time to build your brand, your digital marketing is wasting money.

Despite the brightness of the AI eruption, digital marketing and brand building are still all about content, and brands that produce great content consistently win.

So, what’s happened in the year since AI broke?

Marketers and agencies panicked. Then, we collectively started thinking with our heads again and realized we’d just been given a tool that increases competition and gives you an edge if you understand how to use it correctly.

Refocus on Your Content Strategy

Speaking of AI, so much new content is being produced that people have to detox from tech. It’s exhausting for the eyes, ears, and brains. And your content is shoved farther down if you’re not taking it seriously.

So, think about your content strategy, or lack thereof.

You need a new content strategy if you’ve never had one, or you’ve seen your online content getting lost, your search rankings dropping, or you’re not receiving as much online attention as you used to.

In essence, if your revenue or leads have dropped, you’ll want to look at your online content strategy immediately to find your pain points.

Several agencies can help. I recommend a small or boutique agency with a few clients that can prioritize your online brand and value customer service.

An SEO or content consultant can easily do this for you, and most will do it for a small fee that won’t break the bank. LinkedIn has several content professionals who offer services as effective as any agency promises.

In fact, there’s a chance that agencies are hiring these guys, too, and then charging you for the service.

Go straight to the source. Connect, meet, and strike a freelance deal with an expert. You’ll get great work at freelancer prices, not agency prices.

What Is a Content Strategy?

Your content strategy is a plan using every type of content and marketing channel relevant to your business to produce an expected outcome.

Here’s the thing: I think that’s too structured of a definition. I’m not even sure I like the term “content strategy.”

In fact, some influencers do this without a content strategy at all.

They’re just inherently good at it, and it comes to them so naturally that their brand just keeps growing and growing.

And that’s why I hate the term “content strategy.” Because, again, it’s really all about building your brand, whether you’re a small business, a mid-sized business, or even just an individual.

This is why your content strategy should include written, audio, and visual content. It should be comprehensive and well-rounded so that you can mingle with your audience in the way they prefer to communicate.

But overall, and this may sound cliché, people have to find an emotional connection to your content.

What Can You Expect From a Content Strategy?

Your content strategy helps your brand grow, meaning you’ll potentially outrank your competitors in search, social media, YouTube, and among consumers. As your brand grows, your revenue will, too.

So, a well-planned content strategy will help you build your brand, compete for topics in searches, and possibly get used as a reference in generative search answers.

All these are attention-getters that create a warm feeling that makes people think of you when they need something your business offers.

But you can expect a few other things from your content strategy that happen behind the scenes of those I’ve just listed.

For one, your content strategy moves slowly. In business, sales, revenue, and ROI are expected to happen overnight, literally.

I can’t begin to tell you the number of rooms I’ve been in where execs or business owners expected me to create a strategy, write a blog or two, and post some social media with the hopes of making a profit within a few hours of these being posted.

Some small businesses rely on their online initiatives going viral because they need to start generating revenue, or the company will fail.

Don’t get me wrong; that happens. But it’s increasingly harder as audiences are inundated with more and more and more content by the hour.

And because content strategies move slowly, they’re not static. You may have to pivot frequently. These changes are necessary because trends change, preferences change, and new apps or ways of messaging your audience develop suddenly. Or a new competitor may pop up out of the blue.

All of these factors affect your strategy and may force you to change tactics.

Something else to remember about content strategies, especially for marketing teams, is that you may be present at the start of the strategy but move on before its goal is reached.

How To Develop a Content Strategy

Developing a content strategy can be as simple as asking ChatGPT to create one, or it can be complex and involve detailed audience research and a human touch.

Guess which one I’m going to recommend?

Whether you have AI create a content strategy, you do it yourself, or you work with a content strategist, these are the basic steps. Remember, each of these is an entire discipline and art form.

Step 1: Define Your Why — Start with a basic question: Why does your brand exist? If your answer is “to make money,” dig deeper. Your content needs to resonate on a personal level with your audience, or they’ll recognize that it’s disingenuous immediately.
Step 2: Know Your Audience — Who are they? What do they love? What issues keep them up at night? Understanding your audience is key to creating content that sticks. Remember, you’re not trying to be everything to everyone. Find your niche and speak directly to them.
Step 3: Audit What You’ve Got — Take stock of your existing content. What’s working? What’s dull and not delivering? This will give you clues on what to keep, what to toss, and what to improve. This is also where you can reassess your SEO to see if it’s helpful.
Step 4: Set Goals That Don’t Make You Yawn — Your goals should be specific and achievable. Remember, your content strategy can always change if you achieve your goals or if it does not work. Your goals should be more than just “increase traffic.” Think along the lines of “create a community of engaged, returning visitors who can’t wait to share our content.” It helps to make the goals measurable and have numbers or metrics in mind.
Step 5: Plan and Create — This is the part I really enjoy: plan your content types—blogs, videos, podcasts, infographics—and begin creating. This is where you’ll employ the details you uncovered in step 2. Remember, consistency is your new best friend.
Step 6: Distribute and Analyze—You cannot sit back and wait for people to discover your content. You must push your content out on social media, email blasts, and newsletters. Then, analyze your results, tweak your strategy, and keep the conversation going.

Developing a content strategy isn’t hard, but it does require experience, patience, dedication, and an understanding of how your brand and your audience interact.

Why Do You Need a Content Strategist?

A content strategy is how you’ll successfully grow your brand. But if it’s so easy, why work with a content strategist?

Because focusing on running your business should consume your time, not fretting over keywords and content calendars.

Think of it like delegating a responsibility to an employee. Only this employee is an expert specialist who may not work on-premises and costs significantly less over the long term. A great content strategist will deliver ROI quickly, grow your brand, and ensure all of your content appeals to your audience and meets Google’s increasingly stringent standards and preferences.

For more information on using content to build your brand, read these articles: