Content Marketing Strategy for 2018 - Beyond the Basics

As we progress through 2018, content marketing continues to evolve from a novel tactic to a fundamental business strategy. With 91% of B2B marketers and 86% of B2C marketers now using content marketing, simply creating content is no longer enough to stand out. Success requires a sophisticated, strategic approach that aligns content initiatives with business objectives and audience needs.

The Evolving Content Marketing Landscape

Several significant shifts are reshaping content marketing in 2018:

• Content Saturation: Most industries now face overwhelming competition for audience attention
• Distribution Challenges: Organic reach continues to decline across social platforms
• Quality Expectations: Audiences demand higher-quality, more valuable content
• ROI Pressure: Organizations require clearer demonstration of content marketing value
• Format Diversification: Text-only content giving way to multimedia and interactive experiences

These changes require marketers to move beyond basic blogging and develop more sophisticated content strategies.

Strategic Foundations for Content Marketing Success

Before creating content, establish these critical strategic elements:

1. Purpose-Driven Content Strategy

Aligning content with business objectives:

• Business Goal Alignment: Connecting content initiatives to specific organizational objectives
• Content Mission Statement: Defining the unique value your content provides to your audience
• Strategic Pillars: Identifying 3-5 core themes that support your business goals
• Success Metrics: Establishing clear KPIs for measuring content performance

Best Practice: Create a one-page content strategy statement that clearly articulates how your content supports business goals and serves audience needs.

2. Audience-Centric Approach

Developing deep audience understanding:

• Audience Personas: Creating detailed profiles of your target audience segments
• Customer Journey Mapping: Understanding content needs at each stage of the buying process
• Pain Point Analysis: Identifying specific challenges your audience faces
• Content Preference Research: Determining preferred formats, channels, and topics

Best Practice: Conduct regular audience research through surveys, interviews, and analytics to refine your understanding of audience needs.

3. Competitive Content Analysis

Understanding the content landscape:

• Content Gap Analysis: Identifying topics competitors aren't adequately covering
• Quality Benchmarking: Assessing the depth and value of competitor content
• Channel Strategy Comparison: Analyzing where and how competitors distribute content
• Share of Voice Measurement: Determining your content visibility relative to competitors

Best Practice: Create a competitive content matrix that maps competitor strengths and weaknesses across topics and formats to identify opportunities.

Content Creation Strategies That Drive Results

With strategic foundations in place, focus on these content creation approaches:

1. Content Depth and Authority

Creating truly valuable content:

• 10X Content Approach: Developing content significantly better than anything else available
• Original Research: Conducting surveys, studies, or data analysis to generate unique insights
• Expert Collaboration: Partnering with industry experts to enhance credibility
• Comprehensive Resources: Creating definitive guides that cover topics exhaustively

Best Practice: For each strategic topic, create at least one cornerstone content piece that demonstrates your authority and serves as a hub for related content.

2. Strategic Format Diversification

Expanding beyond blog posts:

• Video Content: Creating tutorials, interviews, and explanatory videos
• Interactive Content: Developing assessments, calculators, and tools
• Visual Assets: Designing infographics, charts, and data visualizations
• Audio Content: Producing podcasts and audio versions of written content

Best Practice: Repurpose core content across multiple formats to maximize reach and accommodate different learning preferences.

3. Content Clusters and Topic Authority

Organizing content strategically:

• Pillar-Cluster Model: Creating comprehensive pillar pages supported by related cluster content
• Internal Linking Strategy: Connecting related content to build topical authority
• Semantic Keyword Approach: Targeting related terms that build subject matter expertise
• Content Hierarchy: Establishing clear relationships between introductory and advanced content

Best Practice: Map your content in a hub-and-spoke model, with comprehensive pillar pages linking to more specific subtopic pages.

Content Distribution and Promotion

Even exceptional content needs strategic distribution:

1. Owned-Earned-Paid Framework

Developing a comprehensive distribution strategy:

• Owned Channels: Optimizing your website, email list, and direct channels
• Earned Media: Securing coverage, mentions, and shares from third parties
• Paid Amplification: Strategically investing in promotion for high-value content
• Channel Integration: Creating seamless experiences across distribution channels

Best Practice: Allocate resources using the 40/40/20 rule: 40% to creation, 40% to promotion, and 20% to optimization.

2. Strategic Social Distribution

Moving beyond basic social sharing:

• Channel Specialization: Tailoring content and approach for each platform
• Community Building: Developing engaged audiences rather than just broadcasting
• Employee Advocacy: Leveraging team members' networks for authentic distribution
• Social Listening: Identifying conversation opportunities for content promotion

Best Practice: Focus on 2-3 social platforms where your audience is most active rather than maintaining a presence on every channel.

3. SEO-Driven Content Distribution

Optimizing for search visibility:

• Search Intent Alignment: Creating content that matches user search intent
• Featured Snippet Optimization: Formatting content to capture position zero results
• Schema Markup: Implementing structured data to enhance search visibility
• Content Freshness: Regularly updating high-performing content to maintain rankings

Best Practice: Conduct quarterly content audits to identify optimization opportunities for existing content.

Measurement and Optimization

Demonstrating and improving content marketing ROI:

1. Multi-Level Measurement Framework

Tracking content performance across the funnel:

• Awareness Metrics: Reach, impressions, and visibility measurements
• Engagement Metrics: Time on page, social shares, and interaction rates
• Conversion Metrics: Lead generation, email signups, and direct response
• Revenue Metrics: Pipeline influence, attributed sales, and customer retention impact

Best Practice: Create a content scorecard that balances top-of-funnel and bottom-of-funnel metrics appropriate to your sales cycle.

2. Attribution Modeling

Understanding content's contribution to business results:

• Multi-Touch Attribution: Recognizing content's role throughout the customer journey
• Content Influence Analysis: Identifying which content pieces impact buying decisions
• Assisted Conversion Tracking: Measuring content that supports conversion paths
• Customer Journey Analysis: Mapping content touchpoints that lead to purchase

Best Practice: Implement Google Analytics' Model Comparison Tool to understand how different attribution models affect your content valuation.

3. Continuous Optimization

Improving content performance over time:

• A/B Testing: Experimenting with headlines, formats, and calls-to-action
• Content Refresh Strategy: Systematically updating high-potential older content
• Performance-Based Planning: Allocating resources based on content performance data
• Conversion Path Optimization: Refining the journey from content to conversion

Best Practice: Implement a regular content optimization calendar that schedules updates for your highest-traffic and highest-converting content.

Advanced Content Marketing Approaches

Several sophisticated strategies are gaining traction in 2018:

1. Account-Based Content Marketing

Aligning content with targeted account strategies:

• Account-Specific Content: Creating materials tailored to priority accounts
• Personalized Content Experiences: Customizing content based on account characteristics
• Multi-Stakeholder Mapping: Developing content for different roles within target accounts
• Sales Enablement Integration: Equipping sales teams with relevant content for account engagement

Best Practice: Create modular content that can be easily customized for specific accounts or industries.

2. Content-Driven Community Building

Using content to develop engaged communities:

• User-Generated Content Programs: Encouraging audience contributions
• Community-Exclusive Content: Creating special materials for community members
• Interactive Content Experiences: Developing collaborative content creation opportunities
• Community Feedback Loops: Incorporating audience input into content strategy

Best Practice: Allocate resources to community management and engagement, not just content creation.

3. Intelligent Content Personalization

Delivering tailored content experiences:

• Behavioral Targeting: Recommending content based on previous interactions
• Contextual Delivery: Adapting content based on user context and situation
• Progressive Profiling: Gradually learning user preferences to refine recommendations
• Dynamic Content Assembly: Automatically combining content components based on user needs

Best Practice: Start with simple segmentation based on clear user attributes before implementing more complex personalization.

Content Team Structure and Operations

Organizing for content marketing success:

1. Content Team Models

Structuring teams for maximum effectiveness:

• Centralized Model: A single team handling all content across the organization
• Hub-and-Spoke Model: Central team setting strategy with distributed creation
• Editorial Board Approach: Cross-functional oversight of content initiatives
• Agency-Editorial Hybrid: Combining in-house direction with external production

Best Practice: Match your team structure to your content volume, complexity, and organizational culture.

2. Content Operations

Implementing efficient content processes:

• Content Calendars: Maintaining strategic planning and production schedules
• Workflow Management: Establishing clear processes for content development
• Asset Management: Organizing and accessing content resources efficiently
• Governance Frameworks: Setting standards and guidelines for content creation

Best Practice: Document your content production workflow and identify opportunities to eliminate bottlenecks.

3. Content Technology Stack

Leveraging tools for scale and efficiency:

• Content Management Systems: Platforms for publishing and organizing content
• Marketing Automation: Tools for distributing and tracking content performance
• Collaboration Software: Systems for managing content development processes
• Analytics Platforms: Solutions for measuring content effectiveness

Best Practice: Audit your existing technology and identify gaps that limit your content capabilities.

Common Content Marketing Pitfalls

Even experienced marketers make these mistakes:

1. Strategy Without Execution

Developing plans that never fully materialize:

• Warning Signs: Elaborate strategies with minimal implementation
• Better Approach: Create minimum viable strategies with clear execution plans
• Practical Tip: Break strategies into 90-day implementation roadmaps

2. Creation Without Distribution

Investing in content that nobody sees:

• Warning Signs: High production costs with low visibility metrics
• Better Approach: Build distribution plans before content creation
• Practical Tip: Allocate specific promotion resources for each major content piece

3. Metrics Without Meaning

Tracking data that doesn't inform decisions:

• Warning Signs: Reporting numerous metrics without action items
• Better Approach: Focus on a few KPIs directly tied to business goals
• Practical Tip: For each metric, define a specific action you'll take based on the result

Looking Ahead: Content Marketing Trends for 2018

Several emerging trends will shape content marketing throughout the year:

1. Voice-Optimized Content

Adapting for voice search and audio consumption:

• Conversational content that matches natural language queries
• FAQ-structured content that directly answers specific questions
• Audio versions of text content for on-the-go consumption
• Voice app content for smart speakers and digital assistants

2. Visual and Interactive Dominance

Moving beyond text-centric approaches:

• Interactive assessments and calculators that provide personalized insights
• Data visualizations that make complex information accessible
• 360-degree videos and virtual experiences that immerse audiences
• Augmented reality content that blends digital and physical worlds

3. Content Atomization

Breaking content into modular, reusable components:

• Structured content approaches that separate content from presentation
• Modular design that enables recombination for different channels
• Intelligent content systems that adapt to user context
• Omnichannel content experiences that maintain consistency across touchpoints

Conclusion: The Strategic Imperative

As content marketing matures in 2018, success depends on elevating your approach from tactical execution to strategic integration. The organizations that thrive will be those that:

• Align content initiatives with specific business objectives
• Develop deep understanding of audience needs and preferences
• Create truly valuable content that stands out in a crowded landscape
• Implement sophisticated distribution strategies across multiple channels
• Measure content performance in terms of business impact, not just engagement

By applying these advanced strategies, you can transform content marketing from a cost center to a growth driver that delivers measurable business results.

Remember that content marketing is not just about creating more content—it's about creating the right content, for the right audience, distributed through the right channels, to achieve specific business goals.

This article was written by Nguyen Tuan Si, a content strategy specialist with experience developing and implementing content marketing programs across various industries and organization types.