The term “content” has been thrown around a lot lately, but what exactly does it mean? If you scroll through Instagram, we’re sure you’ve stumbled upon one, two or ten “content creators,” but what is it they’re actually doing? The simple answer: they’re taking pictures and crafting captions in the hopes that you’ll continue engaging with their posts. However, there’s much more to content development than meets the eye.
Here at Aspen and Fort Lauderdale-based public relations agency Durée & Company, we’re developing content just about every day. Because of this, we’ve nailed it down to a few simple steps. Before we dive into step one, let’s answer the easy question. What exactly is content development? Well, content development is researching, producing and publishing information to meet a strategic goal. That goal will either be to build a connection with an audience or to encourage some kind of marketing or sales outcome. Content development is, therefore, a vital part of your brand’s overall business strategy.
Not sure where to begin? We’ve listed four steps to make it easier for you:
Step One: Plan.
Just as you wouldn’t start building a house without blueprints, creating worthwhile content calls for a strategic plan. What exactly are you trying to say, sell or portray as a brand? Set aside some time to truly dissect your audience and understand what they want to see. Then, take a look at some key competitors – what are they saying? The more information you can gather before creating the actual content, the better. Once you’ve collected all the pertinent information regarding your audience and your brand’s voice, it’s time to map it out. This could consist of a marketing plan or a social media calendar.
Step Two: Create.
Once you’ve figured out what it is you want to say, you need to determine how. What’s on-trend – blogs, extremely stylized social media photos, behind-the-scenes unedited videos, interactive augmented reality? In today’s tech-driven world, there are endless ways to create content. No matter the medium, some things will always stay true. Most important: keywords. These will vary depending on your brand, but ultimately you should aim to utilize keywords with a decent search volume (amount of times people are ‘Googling’ this word) and relatively low competition (minimum output in this search.) We refer to this as SEO – search engine optimization – and, although we won’t travel too far down this rabbit hole, the optimization stage is ultimately designed to increase click-through rates. The goal: appear on page one of a Google search. Put yourself in your audiences’ shoes. Think about why they would search for a topic and what they would want to read in response to that search query.
Step Three: Redevelop & Reuse.
Content can be redeveloped and reused across multiple platforms. Modern-day brands most likely have a website, Instagram, Facebook page, Twitter account, LinkedIn profile, a blog, and the list goes on. There’s no need to create original content for every single platform. But it’s worth noting, Google oftentimes ‘dings’ repetitive content. That’s why redeveloping the content is crucial. Your audience may vary across different platforms and some may react better to video over written word or real photos over stock imagery. Take that into account when redeveloping your content. Perhaps that 1,000-word blog you wrote for your brand’s website could be redeveloped into a 15 second Instagram video, or turned into an infographic posted to Facebook. This is where you can get creative.
Step Four: Analyze.
Content development is never done. Once you’ve gone ahead and published content, monitor how your audience engages with it. Examine the backend analytics and determine what worked and what didn’t. Perhaps that video you created didn’t get as much engagement as you’d like. Maybe next time, stick to still photography. If your efforts are working, continue down the same path for future content. The best content development strategy is continuous and ever-changing. Don’t be afraid to pivot if needed.
Though these steps may make it seem easy, content development is constantly evolving. What’s working today may not work tomorrow. Not sure how to keep up with the latest content development trends? That’s where we come in. Give us a call! We’re here to tell your story and ensure as many people as possible are listening.
About Durée & Company
Durée & Company, Inc. is an award-winning, full-service public relations, marketing and special events firm founded in 1999. The firm has offices in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Aspen, Colorado. Durée & Company serves the corporate, agency and nonprofit arenas for local, national and international clients. Services include public relations, social media, marketing, content development, advertising, special events, branding, radio promotions and more. Durée & Company clients include well-known names in business, fashion, hospitality, travel, wellness and CBD, marine & yacht, art and culture, nonprofit organizations, legal and professional services and real estate. Durée & Company is a member of PR Boutiques International™ (PRBI), an international network of boutique PR firms. To learn more, go to https://dureeandcompany.com/, visit Durée & Company on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DureeCoPR/, Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dureecopr Twitter at https://twitter.com/dureecopr or YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/DureeAndCompany, or call 954-723-9350.
