Your guide to the content creation process

What is the content creation process?

This refers to the art of planning and creating content that is useful, accessible and effective for your audience. Successful content generation requires strategic planning to help you reach your business goals.

Below we unpack nine key steps to help guide you through the content creation process.

1. Research

First things first, get to know your audience. Find out who they are and what they like. Research your target audience’s demographics and online behaviours. Consider the following things to help lay the strategic foundation for your content creation.

• What kind of content grabs their attention?
• What content or social media platforms are they actively using?
• Do they generally prefer interacting with blogs, videos or social media posts?
• What type of content are your competitors generating?

If you want your audience to feel connected with your brand, you need to target your content towards them. Content creation should be intentional and align with the core interests of your audience.

2. Plan

You should plan goals that align with your overall business objectives. Some common high-level content goals can include things like, ‘rank higher in search engine results pages’. But consider using SMART goals to add a deeper layer. Below, we explain how to turn ‘rank higher in search engine results pages’ into a SMART goal.

Specific 

I want to boost my SEO performance and rank in the top three positions for [insert target keyword].

Measurable

I want to climb nine places higher for [insert target keyword] than our current position on the Google search engine results page.

Attainable

My competitors who have similar employee numbers to me, are already ranking for [insert target keyword]. With some effort, so can I.

Relevant

Ranking in the top three spots for [insert target keyword] will help more people in my target area see my business. This will help me increase leads and hopefully sales.

Time-bound

I want to reach my goal by the end of next quarter.

3. Draft

It’s time to start drafting new content. Think about what you want to say and share. Start developing your ideas and content formats. Don’t worry too much about getting it perfect at this stage. Just get your ideas out of your head and onto the paper or screen.

4. Edit

Edit carefully. Review and refine your content. Check that you’re being clear, engaging, speaking in the right tone, and being consistent.

5. Optimise for SEO

Don't forget about search engine optimisation (SEO). This makes your content easy to find on search engine results pages. For example, Google or Bing. Sprinkle in relevant keywords to make your content easily discoverable. Make sure your keywords align with what your audience might be searching for.

Learn more about the benefits of SEO for small business

6. Distribute

It's time to publish your creation. Share your content on platforms where your audience is actively engaged. Be consistent in your sharing schedule for maximum impact.

7. Promote your content

It’s important to entice and attract people to consume the content you create. Your target audience should guide your content promotion plan. Consider what times they use certain platforms. For example, if you’ve just posted a new blog and you know your target audience spends most evenings looking on Facebook, consider promoting your post via social media ads then.

8. Commit to a practical frequency

Keep it consistent. If you can commit to posting once a month, fantastic. Once a week? Wonderful. Being consistent helps your audience know when to expect new stuff.

9. Review and adjust as needed

Keep an eye on how well your content is performing. You can do this by checking metrics like the number of visitors, or the number of links clicked. If something works, do more of it. If not, try something new.

Build strong relationships through content creation

Content creation can be a great tool for building lasting relationships with your customers.

Below we explore some ways to help foster customer relationships and loyalty through content.

• Join social media groups and online communities related to your industry. Strategic and intentional social media content creation helps show that you're not just there to sell but to share valuable insights.
• Send regular email newsletters with valuable content. For example, product updates, helpful tips and exclusive offers.
• Host exclusive interactive webinars or online workshops to share industry insights, tips and best practices.
• Partner with influencers that align with your brand. Using influencer marketing can help extend your reach and credibility.
• Use interactive tools like polls or quizzes to make your audience part of the conversation.

Learn more about how to improve customer experience and boost customer loyalty

Leveraging content frameworks

A content production framework is a step-by-step plan for creating content in your business. It helps you and your team stay organised and create relevant content that not only appeals to your audience but also search engines.

When putting together a content framework, it’s important to include guidelines that can help increase content visibility, including:

• Incorporating keywords that match what your content is about
• Creating content that’s easy to read with clear headings and paragraphs
• Sharing your content on social media so other people can share and talk about it
• Cross linking to other pages on your website
• Making sure your content works well on different mobile devices.

An effective content framework can include signposts like:

• Call-to-action (CTA) structures
• How to start and end your content
• How to use headings
• How to display images
• How to link internal and external sources
• What tone to use
• What platforms to share on.

By using a content framework, you not only make the content creation process smoother and more efficient, but you’ll also maintain a consistent quality.

Learn more about how to plan an effective digital content strategy

Repurposing content for maximum impact

Repurposing content can also be an essential step in the content creation process for small businesses. This means taking what you already have and making it work in different ways. Some great ways to repurpose content include the below.

• Updating content with new studies, statistics and facts to help keep your information fresh and relevant.
• Adding multimedia elements like images or videos to breathe new life into your content.
• Converting your content into different formats. For example, turning a blog post into a podcast, video or infographic.

By repurposing your content, you not only save time but also extend the lifespan and reach. Think of it as upgrading and expanding the usefulness of what you already have.

Content creation is key to marketing for small businesses. It helps you build an audience that engages with your business. It also helps to increase leads and reach new customers. The key to success is all in the strategic planning. So, spend time jotting down your goals and getting clear on who your audience is. Take your time to develop a content creation process that suits your unique business.