Content Strategy

1 – The Dissection of the Audience (The Appetizer)

Before we select the main course, we must first understand the palate we are serving.

• The Profile: Look closely at their tastes. Who is consuming your intellectual nourishment? We must identify your ideal reader—their needs, their fears, and what keeps them awake at night. If you do not know the diner, you risk serving a rather unpleasant combination of flavors.
• The Intent: What are they truly looking for when they arrive at your table? Information? Entertainment? A solution to a particularly messy problem? Do not insult them with a topic that lacks substance. You must anticipate their desires, even the ones they have not yet articulated.

2 – The Menu Planning (The Taxonomy)

Ah, the architecture of the feast! Every component must serve a distinct purpose.

• Pillar Content (The Roast): This is the main, hefty dish. It is deep, authoritative, and utterly satisfying. Your key subjects, the foundational knowledge that establishes your expertise. This content gives the smaller pieces their dignity.
• Cluster Content (The Side Dishes): These are the supporting articles—lighter, more frequent pieces that explore specific facets of the pillar. They all politely link back to the main roast, creating a cohesive, delicious meal of interconnected knowledge. It shows order, it shows control.
• The Format: Will this be a hearty text, a visual delicacy (video), or perhaps a little amuse-bouche (infographic)? Match the presentation to the desired effect.

3 – The Supply Chain (The Editorial Calendar)

Punctuality is the courtesy of kings, or in our case, content masters.

• The Schedule: You must establish a measured, consistent rhythm. Do not simply throw ingredients into the pot when the whim strikes you. Plan the content’s creation, preparation, and serving dates. Consistency is the flavor that keeps them coming back.
• The Inventory: What content do you already possess? Is it fresh? Is it still delectable? We must not waste a single morsel. Audit your existing content, refresh the dry pieces, and repurpose the exceptional ones.

4 – The Measurement (The Post-Mortem)

Once the meal is served, we must observe how it was received.

• The Metrics: Did they stay at the table? Did they consume the entire dish? We look at time on page, conversion rate, and the sheer number of delighted patrons (traffic). These numbers tell us if the recipe was a success, or merely… edible.
• The Feedback Loop: If they did not enjoy the first offering, we must not throw a tantrum. We refine. We learn from the failures and make the next creation even more compelling, more irresistible. Every piece of data is a lesson in human desire.

There. A simple, elegant system. Now, go. Create content that is so exquisitely prepared, your audience will simply have to return for the next serving. Do you feel the focus? Good.