The thing about strategy and positioning, especially in content marketing, is this: Nothing you offer is inherently good or bad. What you offer—products and services—is only good or bad in relation to other products and competitors. You might have an awesome newsletter, but your competitor’s might be even more awesome.
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.
Content products are like beer in the sense that positioning them properly is important to their success. Consumers of information are as different as consumers of beer. Some beer drinkers just want a refreshing light lager the way some information consumers just want summaries and tips. Some beer drinkers want an imperial pilsner the way some information consumers want long-form magazine articles.
Position marketing and content marketing are so closely related on a strategic level that it’s a wonder more companies don’t see the relationship. It may be that marketing executives are pressed for time or that their education and experience is rooted in tactics, but when I talk to them about positioning, their priorities tend to start with the delivery vehicle. The content they actually deliver seems secondary.
Positioning is important because it helps a company differentiate itself from other companies in the market and therefore attract customers who identify with its brand. Content marketing and position marketing go hand-in-hand, because content is a powerful way to communicate differences in brands.
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