{"id":162448,"date":"2023-06-23T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-23T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=162448"},"modified":"2024-07-05T13:27:59","modified_gmt":"2024-07-05T18:27:59","slug":"content-marketing-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-marketing-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Create a Winning Content Marketing Strategy (+ Template)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">Not all content marketing strategies are created equal. Some help you achieve business goals, and others don\u2019t.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This guide will teach you how to create one that does the former, not the latter.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But first, the basics\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"intro-tok\" id=\"intro_tok\" style=\"display:none;\"><div class=\"intro-title\">Contents<\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"expand-dots\"><span><\/span><span><\/span><span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Definition\" data-section=\"content-marketing-strategy-definition\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a content marketing strategy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>A content marketing strategy is a plan for creating and distributing content to attract your target audience and influence their buying decisions. It answers questions like <em>who<\/em> you\u2019ll create content for, <em>what<\/em> type of content you\u2019ll create, and <em>where<\/em> you\u2019ll distribute it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, say you\u2019re creating a content marketing strategy for a shipping company:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Your <\/strong><strong><em>who<\/em><\/strong> might be college students (as they need to move stuff to their&nbsp;dorm).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Your <\/strong><strong><em>what<\/em><\/strong> might be useful blog posts, like the ultimate college packing list.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Your <\/strong><strong><em>where<\/em><\/strong> might be organic search (i.e., ranking in Google).&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Benefits\" data-section=\"content-marketing-strategy-benefits\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why do you need a content marketing strategy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Having a content marketing strategy improves your chances of content marketing success. This is according to data from CMI\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/b2b-2023-research-final.pdf\">annual B2B Content Marketing report<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1732\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/content-marketing-success-1.png\" alt=\"Having a content marketing strategy improves your chances of content marketing success\" class=\"wp-image-162666\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/content-marketing-success-1.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/content-marketing-success-1-393x425.png 393w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/content-marketing-success-1-768x831.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/content-marketing-success-1-1419x1536.png 1419w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When asked, 64% of people experiencing content marketing success said they had a documented strategy. Only 19% of those not experiencing success had&nbsp;one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having a documented content strategy also:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Helps content creators stay focused <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>If you want writers to create content that aligns with your strategy, they need to know what your strategy is.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Makes it easier to onboard new content creators <\/strong>\u2013 Hired a new writer? Just send them your content strategy for instant onboarding.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Saves you from creating pointless content <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>Every piece of content should contribute something to your business. You\u2019re just wasting time, money, and effort if it doesn\u2019t.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How to create a content marketing strategy\" data-section=\"content-marketing-strategy-creation\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to create a content marketing strategy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>People seem to massively overcomplicate this process. I read a few similar guides before putting this one together, and I couldn\u2019t follow any of them. They made it feel like the most complicated thing ever that would take an entire marketing department six months to complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I\u2019m going to keep things simple and show you how to do it by answering four questions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve even created a template to help, which you can download below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Download our content marketing strategy template<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1Sb60QcyliZQLGm69bTc1ruUSizQoWvHXaJdovT1bfSE\/copy\">Here\u2019s the Google doc<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s start at the&nbsp;top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Set a goal (\u201cwhy am I creating content?\u201d)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SMART_criteria\">SMART goals<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inc.com\/peter-economy\/forget-smart-goals-try-clear-goals-instead.html\">CLEAR goals<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-okrs\/\">OKRs<\/a>\u2026 the list of \u201cfun\u201d content marketing goal-setting frameworks is seemingly endless. Which one should you&nbsp;use?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How about none of&nbsp;them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t get me wrong. These frameworks have their uses, but the high-level goal of content marketing is pretty simple: influence your audience\u2019s buying decisions by showcasing how your product or service helps to solve their problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1138\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-to-do-content-marketing-1.png\" alt=\"Influencing buying decisions is the goal of content marketing\" class=\"wp-image-162668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-to-do-content-marketing-1.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-to-do-content-marketing-1-598x425.png 598w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-to-do-content-marketing-1-768x546.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-to-do-content-marketing-1-1536x1092.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, it\u2019s fine to lean into specific benefits depending on what you\u2019re trying to achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if your priority is to improve customer retention, you may want to focus your efforts on content that helps them get more out of your product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-clustering\/\">keyword clustering guide<\/a> is a good example of&nbsp;this.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If we check Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>, we see that this is quite a niche topic with just 500 monthly searches in the U.S.:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1264\" height=\"738\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image10-3.png\" alt=\"U.S. search volume for &quot;keyword clustering,&quot; via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\n\" class=\"wp-image-162462\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image10-3.png 1264w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image10-3-680x397.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image10-3-768x448.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1264px) 100vw, 1264px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>However, it\u2019s a task that many of our customers do all the time\u2014and many don\u2019t realize they can do it in Ahrefs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, if our priority is to increase authority and establish ourselves as the industry-leading source of search data, we can focus on publishing more studies like our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/also-rank-for-study\/\">analysis of 3M+ keywords to see how many keywords you can rank for with one page<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1417\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image7-4.png\" alt=\"Example of one of our studies\n\" class=\"wp-image-162464\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image7-4.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image7-4-600x425.png 600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image7-4-768x544.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image7-4-1536x1089.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Since publishing, it has earned backlinks from an estimated 621 referring domains (linking websites):&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1528\" height=\"740\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image1-3.png\" alt=\"Number of websites linking to one of our studies, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\n\" class=\"wp-image-162466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image1-3.png 1528w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image1-3-680x329.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image1-3-768x372.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1528px) 100vw, 1528px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s a lot of people referencing our&nbsp;study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Know your audience (\u201cwho am I creating content for?\u201d)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Given that you created a business to serve certain audience segments, you should already know the answer to this question.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if you have an all-natural pet food product, you\u2019re not targeting all pet owners because that\u2019s too broad. You\u2019re targeting health-conscious pet owners who care deeply about what their pets&nbsp;eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"2034\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/content-target-audience.png\" alt=\"Never target everyone with content marketing but target those who matter\" class=\"wp-image-162630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/content-target-audience.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/content-target-audience-334x425.png 334w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/content-target-audience-768x976.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/content-target-audience-1208x1536.png 1208w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>To give a real example, we\u2019re not targeting all marketers. We\u2019re targeting people who want to drive more search traffic to their websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is this oversimplified?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe. But <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessgrowth.marketing\/how-ahrefs-bootstrapped-to-100m--cmo-shares-marketing-secrets\">we\u2019re a $100M+ ARR company<\/a>, and it\u2019s served us just fine so&nbsp;far.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, you can always create a buyer persona if it helps. This is an imaginary person who represents the common characteristics of your ideal customer. Learn how in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-create-a-buyer-persona\/\">our guide to creating a buyer persona<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Understand where your audience hangs out online (\u201cwhere should I publish content?\u201d)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Given the number of places you can publish content on these days, this can be overwhelming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are just a few of the many options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Blog<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>YouTube<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Twitter<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reddit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Podcasts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>So which one should you choose?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Simple. The one where your audience hangs&nbsp;out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s look at a few ways to figure this&nbsp;out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">a) Trust your instinct<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Given that you created a business to serve a certain audience, you probably already have some idea where your audience hangs&nbsp;out.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, we know that SEOs get most of their information from blog posts and videos because\u2026 well, we\u2019re SEOs and this is how we learn things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">b) Ask&nbsp;them<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>There are plenty of survey companies you can pay to do this for&nbsp;you.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">c) See if they\u2019re using Google<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a pretty safe bet that your audience uses Google to discover content. In fact, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/videos.brightedge.com\/research-report\/BrightEdge_ChannelReport2019_FINAL.pdf\">a 2019 BrightEdge report<\/a>, 53.3% of all website traffic comes from organic search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means that publishing written content and using SEO to distribute it is a good content strategy for most brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, there are <em>some<\/em> niches where Google isn\u2019t a popular way to find information, so it\u2019s always best to double-check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enter the domain of a popular blog in your&nbsp;niche<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check its estimated organic traffic<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if you sell BBQ equipment, you can enter the popular grilling blog, heygrillhey.com:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1366\" height=\"736\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image9-5.png\" alt=\"Estimated monthly search traffic to a popular grilling website, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\n\" class=\"wp-image-162470\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image9-5.png 1366w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image9-5-680x366.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image9-5-768x414.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1366px) 100vw, 1366px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In this case, the blog is getting an estimated 759K monthly search visitors, so it\u2019s obvious people are using Google to discover content about this&nbsp;topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t know of any popular blogs in your&nbsp;niche?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how to find&nbsp;some:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/content-explorer\">Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enter a few broad topics related to your niche separated by the \u201cOR\u201d operator<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select \u201cIn title\u201d from the dropdown and run the search<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Filter for websites with traffic &lt;500K to exclude big brands<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to the <strong>Websites<\/strong> tab<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if we search for \u201cbbq OR grill,\u201d we see a bunch of niche blogs with plenty of traffic:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1497\" height=\"1196\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image4-2.png\" alt=\"How to find popular blogs in Content Explorer\n\" class=\"wp-image-162472\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image4-2.png 1497w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image4-2-532x425.png 532w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image4-2-768x614.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1497px) 100vw, 1497px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Choose your main content type (\u201cwhat kind of content should I publish?\u201d)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you know where your audience discovers and consumes content online, the type of content you need to publish is usually obvious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if people are searching Google, you\u2019ll want to create blog posts and distribute them there using&nbsp;SEO.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is what we do, and our blog currently gets an estimated 560K monthly search visits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1454\" height=\"696\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image12-4.png\" alt=\"Estimated monthly organic search traffic to our blog, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\n\" class=\"wp-image-162474\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image12-4.png 1454w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image12-4-680x326.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image12-4-768x368.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1454px) 100vw, 1454px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If, on the other hand, they hang out on TikTok or YouTube, you need to create videos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We do this too, and some of our videos have had millions of&nbsp;views:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1326\" height=\"658\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image6-2-1.jpg\" alt=\"Some of our videos have had over a million views on YouTube\n\" class=\"wp-image-162475\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image6-2-1.jpg 1326w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image6-2-1-680x337.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image6-2-1-768x381.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1326px) 100vw, 1326px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Are there other types of content you could create?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Absolutely. But blog posts and videos tend to be the most popular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They also:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t require tons of resources to create <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>You don\u2019t need developers, designers, or expensive tools. I\u2019ve written blog posts in the Notes app on my phone before, and you can create decent videos with your phone camera too.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Can attract consistent traffic <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>If you can rank them in Google or YouTube search, they\u2019ll usually get consistent traffic month after month. The same can\u2019t be said for platforms that rely more on \u201cvirility\u201d like TikTok.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Either way, the important part is to focus on just one content type to begin with. Once you\u2019ve mastered that, you can move on to other types and channels.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Template\" data-section=\"content-marketing-strategy-template\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Content marketing strategy template<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Just in case you missed the link at the start of the last section, here\u2019s a simple content marketing strategy template I created to get you started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1Sb60QcyliZQLGm69bTc1ruUSizQoWvHXaJdovT1bfSE\/copy\">Download as Google doc<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s an example of how it looks once completed:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-243\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-243 tablepress-responsive tablepress-ahrefs-width-full\">\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><b>Why am I creating content?<\/b><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">To influence our audience\u2019s buying decisions by showcasing how Ahrefs helps to solve their problems.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><b>Who am I creating content for?<\/b><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">People who want to drive more search traffic to their websites (business owners, affiliate marketers, e-commerce stores, etc.).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><b>Where will I publish content?<\/b><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">The Ahrefs Blog (because my audience uses Google to search for information).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><b>What type of content will I create?<\/b><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Blog posts.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-243 from cache -->\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Beyond content strategy\" data-section=\"beyond-content-strategy\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Beyond content strategy (things that don\u2019t matter)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re thinking the strategy above misses \u201ckey\u201d elements you\u2019ve seen in other guides, you\u2019re right\u2014and it\u2019s intentional. A content marketing strategy should be simple and focus on the big picture (who, what, why, how), not everything surrounding it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s explore why these elements are undeserving of your focus at the strategy stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Brand story\/positioning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A brand story summarizes how your brand came to be, talks about its purpose, mission, and values, and wraps it all in an engaging narrative (i.e., story).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.innocentdrinks.co.uk\/a-bit-about-us\">a great example of one<\/a> from Innocent Drinks:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1032\" height=\"595\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image3.gif\" alt=\"Example of a brand story from Innocent Drinks\n\" class=\"wp-image-162477\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Could having a brand story like this help to influence your content strategy? Sure.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is it absolutely key for creating a winning content strategy? Absolutely not.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Competitor research<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s no point in creating some big, overwhelming competitor research document before working on your content strategy. It\u2019ll just slow you down and muddle your brain. Instead, do competitor research as you go like we did&nbsp;above.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Content calendar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A content calendar tells you what you\u2019re going to publish and&nbsp;when.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s an example of our old&nbsp;one:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1001\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image13-3.png\" alt=\"Content calendar example\n\" class=\"wp-image-162478\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image13-3.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image13-3-680x425.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image13-3-768x480.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image13-3-1536x961.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Having a content calendar has its benefits, but trying to create one at the strategy stage is like trying to plan a trip itinerary before choosing a destination. You need to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-planning\/\">plan your content<\/a> first.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Content distribution plan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you understand where your audience hangs out and choose a content type based on that, you\u2019re already halfway there on the distribution front.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sure, there\u2019s more you can do to get eyeballs on your content. That\u2019s why I wrote <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-distribution\/\">an entire guide to content distribution<\/a>. But I suggest focusing on planning and creating content first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Content pillars and clusters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/topic-clusters\/\">Topic clusters<\/a>, otherwise known as <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-hub\/\">content hubs<\/a>, are interlinked collections of content about a&nbsp;topic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how they\u2019re structured:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1918\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/topic-cluster.png\" alt=\"How topic clusters work\" class=\"wp-image-162631\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/topic-cluster.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/topic-cluster-355x425.png 355w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/topic-cluster-768x921.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/topic-cluster-1281x1536.png 1281w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Again, these make sense, but trying to figure these out at the strategy stage is like trying to organize a bookshelf before you buy any books. (Yes. I\u2019m big on analogies. Sue&nbsp;me.)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Content audit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-audit\/\">content audit<\/a> is where you analyze the performance of existing content to find opportunities for improvement. They\u2019re useful, but not yet. You can\u2019t audit content you don\u2019t&nbsp;have.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Business plan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>C\u2019mon now. If you haven\u2019t got a business plan, I think you have bigger problems to worry about than creating a content marketing strategy. Don\u2019t&nbsp;you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What next?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now you know what you\u2019re doing, you need to plan how to do it. Learn more in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-planning\/\">our guide to content planning<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This guide will teach you how to create one that does the former, not the latter.&nbsp; But first, the basics\u2026 A content marketing strategy is a plan for creating and distributing content to attract your target audience and influence their<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[],"coauthors":[336],"class_list":["post-162448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-content-marketing","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Create a Winning Content Marketing Strategy (+ Template)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We share how to create a content marketing strategy to help attract your target audience and influence their buying decisions.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-marketing-strategy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Create a Winning Content Marketing Strategy (+ Template)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Simple and straightforward.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-marketing-strategy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\" 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