The first step to mapping a content marketing strategy is taking stock of your resources. You simply can’t have a content strategy without committing time, money and people. I argue that you do this before you do anything else, even brainstorming. Know what resources you have and then determine what’s feasible.

The application of finite resources toward ostensible goals is the strategic part of content marketing.

You can’t be everything to everyone. Nor can you be everywhere at once. The good news is that neither can your competitors. No matter how strong they are, your competitors all have finite resources from which to draw.
The strategic thinker determines how her competitors use their resources. That information informs how she deploys her own resources. In terms of content marketing, this means analyzing the types of content and platforms favored by competitors.

For example, if her competitor has an active, robust website filled with useful how-to articles, she might decide to:

a)    Pour resources into her own website.
b)    Pour them into a different platform.

If she decides to build up her website, she might decide to

a)    Create a website with how-to articles. If she does this, she will need to distinguish her website by providing three or four times the volume of articles and the quality should be much higher than her competitors. This is a head-to-head strategy that requires massive resources to be effective.

b)    Create a website that offers different but equally valuable content. This could include daily news, articles that entertain, or an online forum where customers can gather to share knowledge and experiences with each other.

If she decides to pour her resources into a different platform, she will have to decide what platform and content will help distinguish herself from her competitors. Too many organizations copy their competitors when they should be actively distinguishing themselves. Content strategy is also the art of using content to position your organization differently in relation to your competitors.

Remember, it is better to do a few things well than many things poorly. A good content marketing strategy will help you determine what one or two things you can do really well given finite resources.