Developing Your Content Strategy

Whether you're writing for print, Web or email, there are some content strategy basics to follow. A slight twist on the basic questions of traditional journalism – who, what, when, where, why and how – can help you structure almost any communication.

Who – Consider the demographics of the group you want to address. A targeted message will have the greatest impact on the target audience. Don't use rap references when speaking to baby boomers, and avoid pre-1980 cultural references when speaking to Gen X or Y.

What – Determine the goals of your communication first; this will help drive what you say. If your message is purely educational, approach it from an entirely different angle than if it is promotional.

When – What is the best time to send out the communication? Obviously if you have an event to promote, you'll need to get out the announcement in advance. But consider the season as well. Doing a mass mailing in early April could mean that your mail sits in bulk mail center a week or so longer as the post office deals with hundreds of thousands of tax returns. With email, some research indicates that Tuesdays and Fridays are the best days to send. Using send-time optimization can help you refine your email sends even further.

Where – Whether you are sending snail mail or email, having the most up-to-date and targeted list will increase the effectiveness of your message. Accurate mailing lists will help you save on printing and postage. Accurate email lists will reduce the risk of getting tagged as a spammer and help increase your open rates.

Why – Make sure that the message is timely and relevant to your audience. The more timely and relevant the message, the less likely the recipient will consider it junk mail or spam.

How – Choose the appropriate medium for the message. For example, a young demographic might be best served with an email or through social media or text messaging. An older group may prefer print. But don't make assumptions. One of the fastest-growing groups of Facebook users is women over age 55, so social media should not be purely the purview of the young. Not only that, an integrated marketing campaign that leverages print, email and social media could achieve even better results.

This blog post was originally published on the Priority Blog at priorityresults.com/blog. Priority Integrated Marketing is now BlueSpire Strategic Marketing.