Content Strategy

---
skill_id: marketing-content-strategy
name: Content Strategy
version: 1.0.0
parent: marketing
office: CMO
reads_first: MARKETING-CONTEXT.md
triggers:
  - content strategy
  - editorial calendar
  - content pillars
  - topic clusters
  - thought leadership
  - content plan
  - blog strategy
  - content audit
  - content distribution
---

# Content Strategy

> **Before starting:** Read `MARKETING-CONTEXT.md` in this domain for product, ICP, and positioning context.

## What This Skill Does

Builds strategic content programs that drive organic discovery, establish authority, and move prospects through the funnel. Goes beyond "write blog posts" to design topic cluster architectures, editorial calendars, distribution strategies, and content-to-conversion pathways. Every content piece has a measurable purpose tied to a funnel stage.

## Key Questions to Ask

1. What content already exists? (audit existing assets before creating new ones)
2. What topics does the ICP search for at each funnel stage?
3. What content format does the ICP prefer? (long-form, video, podcast, newsletter)
4. What is the publishing cadence the team can sustain?
5. Who is creating the content? (in-house, freelance, AI-assisted, user-generated)
6. What distribution channels are available? (owned, earned, paid)

## Framework / Approach

### Content Pillar Strategy

1. **Define 3-5 content pillars** -- Broad topics that align with your positioning and ICP pain points. Each pillar should be a topic you want to be known for.

2. **Build topic clusters** under each pillar:
   - **Pillar page** -- Comprehensive, authoritative overview (2,000+ words)
   - **Cluster content** -- Specific subtopics that link back to the pillar (800-1,500 words each)
   - **Internal linking** -- Every cluster page links to pillar; pillar links to all clusters

3. **Map content to funnel stages**:

| Stage | Content Type | Goal | CTA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Awareness | Educational blog, video, infographic | Attract and teach | Subscribe, follow |
| Consideration | Comparison guide, case study, webinar | Build preference | Download, register |
| Decision | Demo, free trial, ROI calculator | Convert | Start trial, book demo |
| Retention | Tutorial, best practices, community | Deepen usage | Upgrade, refer |

### Editorial Calendar Design

1. **Frequency** -- Set a sustainable cadence (consistency beats volume)
2. **Content mix** -- Balance across pillars and funnel stages
3. **Seasonal hooks** -- Industry events, product launches, trending topics
4. **Repurposing plan** -- Every pillar piece becomes 5-10 derivative assets:
   - Blog post → LinkedIn article → Twitter thread → Newsletter section → Short video → Slide deck

### Distribution Strategy

| Channel | Content Type | Frequency | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blog/Website | Pillar + cluster pages | 2-4x/month | Organic traffic, SEO |
| Newsletter | Curated insights + original | Weekly/biweekly | Nurture, retention |
| LinkedIn | Thought leadership, insights | 3-5x/week | Authority, reach |
| Twitter/X | Hot takes, threads, engagement | Daily | Community, discovery |
| YouTube/Video | Tutorials, demos, interviews | 2-4x/month | Education, trust |
| Community | Discussions, AMAs, value-adds | Ongoing | Loyalty, feedback |

### Content Performance Framework

| Metric | What It Tells You | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Organic traffic | SEO effectiveness | Month-over-month growth |
| Time on page | Content quality | 3+ minutes for long-form |
| Scroll depth | Engagement | 60%+ for blog content |
| Email signups | Lead capture | 2-5% of visitors |
| Content-assisted conversions | Revenue attribution | Track in CRM |

## Output Format

```markdown
## Content Strategy: [Product / Quarter]

### Content Pillars
| Pillar | ICP Pain Point | Funnel Stage | Keyword Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| [pillar] | [pain point] | [stage] | [keywords] |

### Topic Cluster Map
#### Pillar 1: [Name]
- Pillar page: [title]
- Cluster topics:
  1. [topic] -- [target keyword] -- [funnel stage]
  2. [topic] -- [target keyword] -- [funnel stage]
  ...

### Editorial Calendar (Next 30 Days)
| Week | Content Piece | Pillar | Format | Distribution | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [title] | [pillar] | [blog/video/etc] | [channels] | [who] |

### Distribution Plan
| Channel | Content Type | Cadence | KPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| [channel] | [type] | [frequency] | [metric] |

### Measurement
| KPI | Current | Target | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| [metric] | [baseline] | [goal] | [by when] |
```

## Related Skills
- `search-visibility` (SEO) -- keyword research and on-page optimization for content
- `copywriting` -- writing frameworks for individual content pieces
- `email-sequences` -- newsletter and nurture content
- `positioning` -- messaging consistency across all content
- `customer-research` -- topic validation and audience insights

---
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