What Is a Content Strategy? (And Why "Just Post More" Isn't One)

You know that feeling of needing to build awareness for your business, but the energy to actually do it keeps shifting. You think of an idea, write something, maybe share it now and again, but that scattered feeling continues. Off and on, some content gets delivered, but you feel it could be better. You're right, it can.

Before we get into more detail, let's talk about content strategy versus a marketing plan, since I'm sure you've heard many different terms used for this. I once read someone ask whether a marketing company or freelancer ever left them more confused about their own business than before they were hired. Unfortunately, that can happen when someone uses jargon without fully explaining it in a way you can actually understand. The whole point is to teach you so you can do it on your own. Otherwise, confusion leads to overwhelm and sometimes to stopping completely.

Back to the definitions. Think of a marketing plan as a roof that houses a variety of different things: email campaigns, events you're holding, webinars, speaking engagements, everything that advertises your business. A content strategy, on the other hand, is more like how you decorate the house. What color scheme will you go with? For your business, it's about your audience and what you're saying to them.

A content strategy is also about having someone see the information you're too close to and the ideas that feel overused to you but are still valuable. Building it means taking all the ideas or content you've already developed and creating a regular process so you're not spending time feeling overwhelmed about what's next. It's all laid out for you to implement. It's the roadmap to get you where you want to go. No tolls required. But you may want to bring a snack as you implement it.

You feel overwhelmed by your content because you're focused on what you do best: running your business. You're the expert there. Navigating audiences based on what works for them is a skill in itself. My experience working in complex industries taught me how to simplify things because wording matters, and that's what a real strategy accounts for.

When you work with someone to build a strategy, it starts with brainstorming to get everything out of your head and become more organized. It's not about handing you a document, but about being a thinking partner who leaves you in a better place than where you started, with the momentum to keep moving forward. What starts with ideas ends with a detailed plan.

If you're ready to feel more focused on your content, I'd love to help you build your plan. But if you're not ready yet, or just want to get a feel for how it might work, try the Content Inventory Worksheet. As always, I'm here to help if and when you need it.