The average internet user spends roughly six hours and 40 minutes online daily. For businesses aiming to build brand recognition and attract customers, they need to reach them where they are: on their screens.
That means developing an online content strategy that draws attention to your brand, whether through your website, social media channels, or affiliates. To help you convert new audiences into paying customers, here’s why a digital content strategy matters and steps you can take to build one that drives measurable business results.
What Is a Content Strategy?
A content strategy is the plan or framework that guides how a company creates or distributes content, whether through text, images, video, audio, or mixed media.
“Content is key when it comes to SEO [search engine optimization] and owned media more generally,” says Harvard Business School Professor Sunil Gupta, who teaches the online course Digital Marketing Strategy, part of the six-month Credential of Digital Innovation and Strategy. “This is why developing a content strategy is critical for making effective use of these techniques.”
Key Questions to Inform Your Content Strategy
Before you begin, gather the information you need to shape your approach. In Digital Marketing Strategy, Gupta recommends asking yourself the following:
- Who’s your target audience?
- What problems are you solving for consumers?
- What makes you or your product unique?
- What format and tone should your content take?
- Where will you publish and distribute your content?
- How will you refresh, measure, and optimize it?
Answering these questions won’t guarantee success, but it will provide direction. Existing documents, such as a brand audit or value proposition, can also guide your content strategy.
7 Steps to Create a Content Strategy
While many frameworks exist for developing a content strategy, the following steps cover the essentials you need to get started.
1. Define Goals and Objectives
Before pursuing any business initiative, you must clearly define your goals and objectives. These should align with your company’s mission and values.
Possible goals include:
Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your goals, benchmark your current performance, and track these metrics as you implement your strategy. This data will help you make informed, results-driven adjustments.
Check out the video below to learn more about how to measure marketing effectiveness, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more explainer content!
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2. Identify Your Target Audience
A business’s target audience is the group of consumers most likely to be interested in its products or services—and who the content should reach.
By understanding who they are, the challenges they face, and what motivates them, you can create content that truly resonates.
Consider key factors like:
- Demographic: Age, gender, occupation, income, lifestyle
- Behavior: Website habits, email open rates, purchase history
- Motivations: Primary reasons behind buying decisions
If you serve multiple audiences, tailor your content strategy for each group by addressing their unique needs and preferred channels.
3. Generate Topics and Conduct Keyword Research
Once you understand your audience, brainstorm topics that speak to their interests and align with your business goals.
In Digital Marketing Strategy, Gupta recommends focusing on customer pain points—issues your product or service helps solve. These often correspond to the keywords your audience searches for, which makes them vital for search engine optimization (SEO) and organic traffic growth.
Next, consider how to approach these topics from a unique angle. Differentiate your content by offering fresh insights or distinct perspectives.
“Remember that your competitors are also trying to attract your target customers,” Gupta says in Digital Marketing Strategy. “Therefore, your content should highlight your unique value proposition. This is your chance to convince potential customers to consider your product.”
4. Select Content Types and Formats
Historically, most digital marketers have focused on blog posts and e-books. While those formats remain valuable, today’s content landscape is far more diverse. Videos—both short- and long-form—are essential for social media visibility, while podcasts continue to grow in popularity.
“Content can be a blog post, a description on your website, a video, a podcast, an image, a testimonial,” Gupta says in Digital Marketing Strategy. “The options are numerous. And the choice depends on the format that best allows you to tell your story and is most suitable for your target customer.”
Choose the formats your audience prefers, determine how much detail each piece needs, and make sure they’re compatible with your chosen distribution channels. Most strategies should include a mix of formats for greater reach.
5. Build a Content Calendar
A content calendar helps you organize and track your efforts, especially if multiple people contribute to content creation, publishing, and promotion.
Include details such as:
- Content titles, topics, or target keywords
- Format and channels
- Roles and responsibilities
- Milestones, such as drafts, edits, and publication dates
- Target audience segments
- Supporting products or initiatives
A simple spreadsheet can work, but many project management tools offer collaborative content calendar features and integration with social platforms. Choose the option that best fits your workflow.
6. Create, Publish, and Distribute Content
Once your content is ready, share it where your target audience will find it. As Gupta notes in Digital Marketing Strategy, there are many channels available, including your company’s website, YouTube channel, or other owned media.
Start with owned platforms—your website or email newsletter—where you maintain control and follow SEO best practices to ensure your content is discoverable by search engines and users.
Your omnichannel marketing strategy ensures a consistent brand experience across online and offline channels, including paid marketing and public relations (PR) efforts. Clearly define the steps and responsibilities for creating and distributing this content to keep all channels aligned with your digital strategy.
After publishing, consider cross-posting to other channels where your target audience is active, such as:
- Social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Threads, X
- Video or live-streaming platforms: YouTube, Vimeo, Twitch
- Forums: Reddit, Quora, Stack Overflow
- Affiliate activities: Guest posts, takeovers, podcasts
7. Track Performance and Optimize
Even the most carefully crafted content doesn’t always land as expected. That’s why it’s essential to monitor content’s performance and make data-driven adjustments.
Use analytics tools to measure your results. Many platforms—like your content management systems (CMS) or social channels—offer built-in insights. Additional tools include Google Analytics, HubSpot, Semrush, Ahrefs, and Hotjar.
Choose metrics that align with your goals, such as monthly viewers, downloads, or clicks. Use these insights to refine future content and improve your overall strategy.
Related: Listen to Professor Gupta explain data analytics’ pivotal role in digital marketing on The Parlor Room podcast, or watch the episode on YouTube.
A Critical Piece of Digital Marketing
Your content strategy forms the foundation of digital marketing. Understanding each component ensures your content connects with your audience and communicates your value, rather than wasting resources.
To strengthen your content strategy skills and deepen your understanding of digital marketing, consider enrolling in the Credential of Digital Innovation and Strategy. This comprehensive, case-based program includes the course Digital Marketing Strategy, which explores how to:
- Build and manage a content plan
- Identify KPIs and goals
- Acquire and retain customers
- Allocate budgets effectively
Developing a content plan is essential, but it’s only part of a thriving digital business. Success requires leadership, innovation, and leveraging digital tools to grow and scale your business.
Are you ready to put your content strategy to work to further your company’s key objectives? Consider the Credential of Digital Innovation and Strategy, which includes the online course Digital Marketing Strategy, to learn how to leverage creative problem-solving tools for the modern business world. To find the right marketing program for you, download our free flowchart.
