3 Reasons Your Content Strategy Isn’t Working
The screenshot on the right is an actual screenshot from a “Marketing Strategy” document that a client of mine received from an agency. This agency was tasked with managing the client’s social media, blog posts, and ads in the coming months and as part of their initial onboarding they provide the client with a strategy document along with some post mock-ups, for the client to approve.
This client, trusting my judgement after working on their branding, sent me this document to review. “What do you think?” he asked me. “Frankly… I don’t see a strategy,” was my reply.
I see this relatively often with other marketing agencies. There seems to be a very loose interpretation of what “strategy” means, and perhaps hoping that their clients don’t know either, they don’t work particularly hard to come up with one.
This is why so often I see social media accounts with posts that look like they were written in mere minutes, with no real overarching plan or goal. They essentially “post just to post,” and like the strategy document from this agency says, the “tactics” are simply to post 5 days a week.
Why do they do this?
I don’t know why agencies so often don’t seem to have a strategy in place for content, even if they claim they do on their pitches, but I want to help individual business owners understand what a strategy IS and how to ensure that they or their agency actually has one if they ever hire one.
A REAL STRATEGY
The story IS the strategy. We’re on a mission to unlock the transformative power of storytelling for brands so they can connect with & empower their audiences.
WHY YOUR STRATEGY ISN’T GETTING YOU THE RESULTS YOU WANT
#1 — There Is No Real Strategy
Like in the screenshot above, perhaps your (or your agency’s proposed) strategy is simply “post 5 times a day.” IS that a strategy? Unfortunately, it’s not. And contrary to all those social media experts on Instagram peddling the idea that “consistency” is what will get you results online, posting simply to post will not get you there. When it comes to strategy, quality is more important than quantity, and to ensure the quality it’s important to map out a legit strategy, that has goals, stages, content planning, etc.
For us at New Lore Co. that involves mapping out your brand narrative (more on that in point 3), establishing what types of content fit that narrative, and producing content that aligns with the narrative, furthers the journey you want your clients to come along on, and establishing clear guidelines for what the content is supposed to accomplish.
#2 — An Objective isn’t a Strategy
Sometimes brands (and even agencies!) confuse Objectives with Strategy. Imagine that your objectives (more sales, more follows, etc.) is your destination, while your strategy is your roadmap to get there.
You can’t set a goal of reaching 10,000 followers with no roadmap to get there, the same way you can’t set Madrid as your destination and not work out how you’re going to make it there. Is it on foot? By car? By sea? These are the details that you have to establish, and they may change a little along the way as you adjust your strategy according to metrics, but you must have a plan to get there.
With Merlili Bridal, as an example, part of our strategy involved establishing ourselves as the “Older Sister” archetype for our clients, and part of that meant being a judgement-free place for brides to come to learn about wedding dresses and how to navigate this important purchase. So lots of education, lots of showcasing our kind, welcoming, no-pressure consultants, and showing a diverse range of model sizes to continue building that sense that all brides were welcome regardless of size.
#3 — You Don’t Know Who You Are & Neither Does Your Audience
You may not be sure WHO you are, and unfortunately if that’s the case then neither does your audience. And when that’s happening, your content isn’t drawing your audience in or connecting with them in any meaningful, emotional way. When you know who you are (your archetypes, who you speak to, your values, etc.) and where you’re going (your plot), then it’s easier for your audience to recognize that and happily join you.
Think of your brand story as a road trip – you always want to know who your driver is and where you’re headed, and if you don’t know either of these things then you are very unlikely to want to jump in that car. In much the same way, the story you tell as a brand must explain both of these elements before you can ask or expect anyone to want to join you on your journey.
That’s why we help you establish all the parts of your brand story that gives you a clear picture of who you are as a company, who your audience is, and what kind of journey you are taking them on that will leave them transformed through your product or service. Then, and only then, can you put together a content strategy that is consistent, aligned, and recognizable. Proceeding without knowing all this is akin to shooting in the dark and trying to see what sticks – a waste of time and resources.
Below you can see just one slide from an actual narrative guide for client The Lazy Bear, where we outline the audience journey that their content needs to take them on.
WHEN THE STORY IS YOUR STRATEGY, YOU’LL START TO SEE RESULTS
We understand that in this time of fierce competition and commoditization it’s never been more vital that brands understand and arm themselves with the impact of a story well told. And when it is a story that rings true for your audience, a story that you can authentically and fully embrace and live in every facet of your business, then you will experience what it’s like to be able to reach your audience on an emotional level. And keep them engaged in your story, as willing and eager participants in your unique storyworld.
If you’re ready to harness the power of storytelling for your audience, let’s get started.