Joe Pulizzi: Seven Questions to Ground Your Content Strategy

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By Kristin Clarke, CAE / Dec 1, 2015 Content Marketing Institute Founder Joe Pulizzi. (Sabrina Kidwai, APR, CAE/ASAE)

According to Content Marketing Institute Founder Joe Pulizzi, developing a solid content marketing plan starts with at least seven initial questions.

1 What is the business goal?

2 What is the hypothesis behind the program?

3 Who exactly is the audience?

4 What’s the differentiated story, and how will you tell it?

5 What assets do you have to work with before you start creating new content (e.g., member experts, white papers, conference sessions)?

6 What platform makes the most sense to launch the initiative?

7 What’s the execution plan, and who’s in charge of it?

Most of all, Pulizzi reminds marketers to build in patience. “It takes time to build a loyal audience,” he says, and setting this expectation is key. “Brands that don’t have the patience [can] engage in pilot programs, where short-term successes can be measured and built upon like increased search engine rankings, social shares, and subscriber growth.”

Kristin Clarke, CAE

Kristin Clarke, CAE, is books editor for Associations Now and president of Clarke Association Content. More »