[Content] 3 Frameworks For Your Content Strategy

"Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat." Sun Tzu

They say “content is king”.

I say: content is mandatory for businesses with product-market fit (PMF).

If you haven’t secured your PMF yet, I recommend reading this article.

And to make content successful, you need a content strategy. 😎

"Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat." Sun Tzu

To help you design it;

Here are 3 frameworks:

1. Why content is important for demand creation

2. The 7-stage customer buying journey to create the right content

3. 5 levels of commitment (depth of content)

After reading this, you will:

• Understand the importance of content

• Have a plan to ideate the right content

• Know how to structure your content strategy

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Content for Demand Creation

To understand the role of content, you need to understand this concept:

🔴 Demand Creation for "passive buyers"

Most of your total available market is not ready to buy for many reasons:

- They are not problem aware
- They are not solution aware
- It's not the time to purchase
- They have other priorities

Yet they fit your ideal customer profile and could use your solution. But there is no point forcing them to have a call with a sales rep if they are not ready to buy.

That's where demand-creation activities and content come in:

• Online Lives and Podcasts

• Social video shorts

• Personal branding

• Co-branded partnerships

These activities can be done across channels:

• Linkedin posts

• Youtube

• Twitter

• Emails

• Website

• Tiktok and reels

It’s a set of awareness and authority activities that meet your audience where they are.

1. The first goal is positioning your brand as the best choice when buyers become active.

2. The second goal is to foster demand and turn passive buyers into active buyers (🔻red arrow in the graph).

Your audience after reading all your content for 3 months:

🟢 Demand Capture for "active buyers"

Have a system in place to turn active buyers into revenue. Get ready for peak demand phases linked to your industry’s seasonalities. Read the full post here to know more about demand capture.

🧠 Once you understand the importance of content, you need to know what to produce. Let’s have a look at the buying journey.

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7-Stage Customer Buying Journey Framework.

To know what content to create, you need to understand why and how your customers buy. It’s important for you to have a clear knowledge of 4 elements:

1. Their needs and problems

2. The kind of content they consume

3. The channels they use

4. The information they need to see

This information will help you to ideate persuasive content.

🧠 Your goal is to design at least one content per stage to help them from on into the buying journey.

To use the framework, I prepared a list of questions for you to answer:

🟢 A. Awareness

1. Push or Pull

The buying dynamic is different depending on the customers' state; they can be searching for a solution (pull) or in a passive state (push).

- Are your customers coming from inbound or outbound?
- Do they have a buying intent?
- Is there a need or problem pushing them to talk to you?
- Are they already using a solution similar to yours?

2. Need Recognition

To buy, customers need to be aware of their buying needs.

- Do they have a precise problem or pain point?
- What is the pain point level from 1 to 10?
- Are they aware of their need or pain?
- Do they have a dream outcome/ideal situation?
- Do they need education about your solution?

🔵 B. Evaluation

3. Offer Analysis

Customers will assess if your offer can solve their problem in a pragmatic way.

- What criteria do they use to analyse your offer?
- What are the mandatory elements they are looking for?
- How are they assessing your offer?
- Are they following a precise checklist? If yes, which one?
- Who are they reporting to for this analysis?
- Are they comparing the offer to other solutions?

4. Understand the Value

After analyzing your offer, customers will evaluate you and subconsciously build a "perceived value".

- Is your offer solving a problem painful enough?
- Are they satisfied by the offer's features?
- Is the dream outcome clear in their mind?
- Is the perceived likelihood of achievement high?
- Do they grasp the offer's value?
- If yes, because of what specific benefit/feature?
- If not, what is it they don't grasp?

🔴 C. Decision

5. Objections and Blockers

Once a customer understands the value, they will run a through a series of objections to eliminate the remaining doubts.

- What are the most common objections?
- Which objections are leading to deal breakers?
- What are the blockers? (independent from their will)
- Do you have an answer to each objection?
- Are they comparing you to competitors? If so, which ones?
- In their list of options, are you 1st, 2nd or 3rd?
- Does your price fit their budget?

6. Buying Triggers

Some messages, features, or benefits resonate more than others; they are "buying triggers" that lead to a purchase.

- What are the most common buying triggers?
- Are they emotional or analytical?
- Which buying triggers are the most persuasive?
- Is there an "aha" moment? What is it?

7. Signature

Even with a strong buying intent, a deal can be lost at the signature stage.

- What are the last blockers at the signature phase?
- Who is in charge of the last "yes"?
- Is there a buying committee?
- How long does it take to go from a yes to a signed contract?

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5 levels of commitment (Depth of Content)

Don’t jump straight into long-form content. Instead:

→ Use Snacks 🔵 to attract your audience
→ Foster intent with Short 🟢 & Long Form 🟡
→ Make your Intent Based 🟠 Content available
→ Personalize 🔴 in-depth content for "hot leads"

↳ Craft content for each stage of the buying process.

So you can avoid:

(TL;DR: Too long didn’t read)

1. Using Snacks to Attract Your Audience 🔵

Snacks refer to short and easily digestible pieces that capture the audience's attention quickly. This includes:

• Linkedin posts

• Youtube shorts

• Tiktoks

• Tweet (X posts)

• Instagram reels

• Substack note

For this kind of content, use a soft CTA to invite your audience to know more about your brand. You can also propose a free resource in exchange for an email or nothing.

Snacks act as the first touchpoint in the buyer's journey, sparking curiosity and encouraging the audience to seek more information.

Btw we launched Snackster.io to help our clients get snack videos.

2. Fostering Intent with Short 🟢

As prospects progress in their buyer's journey, their level of commitment increases. This includes:

• Newsletter and substack

• Short-form blog content

• Short Youtube videos

• Website About Us page

These pieces should provide valuable insights, address pain points, and offer solutions in a concise and engaging format.

3. Going further with Long Form 🟡

Long-form content comes into play as prospects move closer to making a decision.

• Comprehensive guides

• Infographics

• Whitepapers

• In-depth articles

• Generic case study

This content should offer in-depth knowledge and showcase expertise. It is essential to balance the level of detail, complexity, and richness to cater to different segments of your audience.

4. Making Your Intent-Based 🟠 Content Available

Intent-based content refers to material that directly addresses the needs and interests of potential customers. By understanding their pain points and preferences, you can align your content strategy accordingly. This includes:

• High intent blog

• Services Comparison

• More technical case study

• Long videos

• Company deck

• Pricing pages

This content should turn potential buyers into a revenue pipeline as they approach the buying decision.

5. Personalizing 🔴 In-Depth Content for "Hot Leads"

Once a prospect exhibits high levels of interest and engagement, they become "hot leads." At this stage, it is crucial to tailor content specifically to their needs:

• On-demand case study (for high tickets)

• Tailored presentation

• A data room with relevant content

• One-on-one consultations

• Tailored Action Plan

• Dedicated event / online presentation

This level of customization is essential for high-value deals in the last stage.

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Alright, folks, that’s how you build a content strategy.

If you want to go further, DM me “content” on Linkedin or by email (pierre@reddotgrowth.com).

Recommend this substack to a friend if you like it ❤️