Words by Leloko Bokang Lesedi

Do you have your own blog or ambitions to start an online magazine? Well you need know…. it’s all about content!

A content strategy merely refers to the planning, development and the management of content in the media. This means that before any show can be made, before any magazine can be published or before starting a website; each has to have its own content strategy. The content strategy is cardinal in determining the longevity and sustainability of the media as well as providing insight that enables the sites to better cater to their niches’ needs.

A good content strategy usually begins with a lot of research. RESEARCH! RESEARCH! RESEARCH! Sounds tedious doesn’t it? Not all work is fancy and exciting, but this is equally as important. This research has to be very thorough and informative. Research on the market you wish to speak to. Ask yourself some of these questions; who are they? What do they do? Who do they do it with? What are they speaking about? What is trending in their lives? Such questions will help solve a lot of riddles in terms of knowing what you market likes and what they need. Research the social platforms that are popular within your target market. Find out what they use and why they use it. This helps in establishing a clear channel of communication with the consumer.

When all the research is done, then we cordially move to the content pillars. Content pillars basically reflect how the content will be divided. This is done after establishing the core values of both the products and the clients. Content pillars also reveal the amount of attention each content type is going to receive. These content pillars should align with what the brand stands for and what the market represents. They are vital in determining the content that is to be put on any type of media or platform.

With the content pillars established, now you can focus on the type of content that is going to be placed on each platform and why. These content types and the amount of content on each type will be determined by insight from the content pillars. These content types merely break down what the content pillars have generalised. With all that done, now its time create a sort of synergy between all the platforms chosen and how each contributes to the success of the other.

Follow Leloko on Twitter @LelokoKamele

 Digify is an innovative training journey developed by Livity Africa, with support from Google and IAB SA, aiming to create the next generation of job-ready digital upstarts. Meet our first Digify crew based in Johannesburg. For more updatesm visit digifyza.co.za  or follow us on Twitter @livityafrica  #digifyza.