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How Do You Scale a Content Strategy for Optimal Growth?

Josh Slone
Friday, 12th May 2023
Julia McCoy
5 min read · Jan 11 2022
how do you scale a content strategy

To thrive in the highly competitive world of content marketing, you need a strategy for scaling your content. 

By consistently publishing high-quality content and ensuring it meets certain standards, you can cultivate a loyal audience and generate repeat business over and over again.

According to the Content Marketing Institute, learning how to create a scalable content strategy is a top educational priority for 64% of marketers.

But how do you scale a content strategy?

Scaling isn’t easy. Scaling stretches your resources thinner, especially if you’re trying to do more with the same tools, effort, and time investment you were using for a lower output.

That’s why, as soon as publishing frequency increases, it’s common to struggle to maintain consistent quality in your content. 

Why does quality matter?

Because:

  1. Search engines look for quality when ranking search results.
  2. In the ocean of the internet, audiences are looking for the pearls: unique and valuable content.

In this blog post, you will learn how to develop a content scaling strategy that will not just meet the growing demands of your business, but also the demands of search engines and your audience.

Table of Contents:

How Do You Scale a Content Strategy? 4 Key Components

There are four key components of a scalable content strategy:

  1. Data-driven planning: Analytics tools can help you identify trends, audience preferences, and areas for improvement. By leveraging data-driven insights, you can optimize the topics and formats of content to meet your desired goals.
  2. Focused goals: Set clear objectives for each piece of content you create. Whether it’s generating leads or increasing brand awareness, having specific targets helps guide your strategy and keeps your success measurable.
  3. Evolve with industry changes: Stay up-to-date with developments in both your niche market and the broader digital landscape. Adapting quickly will keep your content relevant amidst changing algorithms or consumer behavior patterns.
  4. Cross-functional collaboration: Encourage communication between departments such as marketing, sales, and customer service to gather valuable insights into what resonates with customers most effectively.

5-step content strategy framework from the School of Content

What Are the 4 Types of Content Strategy?

In order to create a successful and scalable content strategy, you need to understand the four key types of content: Attraction, Authority, Affinity, and Action. 

Each type serves a specific purpose in your overall marketing plan and contributes to driving traffic, building trust with your audience, fostering relationships, and ultimately converting leads into customers.

Attraction

The primary goal of attraction content is to draw new visitors to your website or blog. This type of content should be engaging and relevant for potential customers who may not yet know about your brand or products. To achieve this goal effectively:

  • Construct informative blog posts that respond to frequently asked questions in your industry.
  • Publish eye-catching infographics that provide valuable information at a glance.
  • Optimize all pieces with best SEO practices like keyword research and on-page optimization techniques.

Authority

Authority content aims at establishing you as an expert in your field by providing well-researched articles that showcase deep knowledge on specific topics within your niche. The main objectives include:

  • Demonstrating thought leadership through comprehensive content like guides or whitepapers.
  • Publishing case studies showcasing real-life examples of how you’ve helped clients succeed.

Affinity

Affinity-based strategies focus on nurturing relationships with existing audiences while attracting new ones by creating relatable stories around shared values or interests. Some effective ways to create affinity content include:

  • Sharing a behind-the-scenes look at your company culture and team members.
  • Highlighting customer success stories that showcase the impact of your products or services on their lives.

Action

The final type, action content, is designed to encourage users to take a specific step such as signing up for a newsletter, downloading an e-book, or making a purchase. This can be achieved by:

  • Creating persuasive landing pages with clear calls-to-action (CTAs).
  • Promoting limited-time offers or discounts through email marketing campaigns.

Incorporating these four types of content into your overall strategy will help you scale effectively while meeting various objectives like driving traffic, building trust with potential customers, fostering relationships within your community, and converting leads.

How Do You Create a Scalable Content Strategy?

Creating a scalable content strategy is essential for businesses looking to increase their online presence and draw in more website visitors. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide to doing it successfully.

1. Set Clear Goals

The first step in creating a scalable content strategy is to develop a sound plan that aligns with your business goals. This involves identifying your target audience and conducting keyword research into your niche.

2. Build a Skilled Content Team

Building a skilled content team is essential for successful content scaling. Hire talented writers, editors, and strategists who can help you create great content and maintain quality standards as you grow.

3. Create a Content Calendar

A well-structured content calendar helps you plan your publishing schedule, ensuring that you maintain consistency in terms of quality and frequency while avoiding burnout among your team members.

4. Automate Processes

Automating content creation can help you save time and increase efficiency. Use tools like project management software to streamline your workflow and ensure that your team stays on top of things.

5. Measure Results

Analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) like organic search traffic, bounce rate, and social media shares to determine which tactics are working best – then refine your strategy based on these insights.

By having this knowledge, you can ensure that your content will be effective in reaching your goals.

5 strategic enterprise content strategy roles according to CMI

How Do You Scale a Content Team?

Building a competent content team is key to expanding your content strategy. These key steps will ensure your business can consistently produce amazing content that moves the needle.

Hire the Right Talent

The first step is hiring talented individuals who can create compelling content. These are people who specialize in writing, editing, visual production, and social media management. Make sure they are knowledgeable about your specific industry and don’t simply possess generic skills.

When hiring for these roles, prioritize candidates with experience in your industry or those who demonstrate an ability to quickly adapt.

Establish Clear Roles and Responsibilities

To avoid confusion and inefficiencies within your growing team, establish clear roles and responsibilities from the outset. Make sure each member understands their specific tasks as well as how they fit into the larger content marketing process. This clarity will help streamline workflows while fostering collaboration among teammates.

Implement Efficient Processes

  • Foster open communication: Encourage regular check-ins between team members so everyone stays informed about project progressions or potential bottlenecks.
  • Leverage technology tools: Use project management tools like Trello, Asana, or Notion to streamline workflows and improve collaboration.
  • Establish a review process: Implement a standardized review process that ensures all content is proofread, edited, and approved before publication.

Prioritize Professional Development

Ensure your team is equipped with the latest industry knowledge by investing in their continual learning. This can include attending conferences, enrolling in online courses or workshops, or providing access to relevant resources such as the latest SEO research. 

By prioritizing professional development, you’ll empower your team members to grow alongside your business while producing increasingly effective content.

To scale a content team, you must have an understanding of the resources available to create and manage content. By leveraging these resources, you can develop strategies that will help grow your team in size and scope as needed.

How Do You Scale Digital Content?

Scaling digital content involves increasing your publishing output and consistency while maintaining quality standards. For instance, instead of publishing a blog post once per week, you might scale up to two or three posts per week.

Here are some effective strategies for scaling your digital content:

Conduct Keyword Research

Finding relevant keywords that align with your target audience’s interests is vital for driving more traffic. Use tools like Ahrefs Keywords Explorer, Moz Keyword Explorer, or Google Ads Keyword Planner to identify high-volume terms with low competition levels.

Based on these keywords, create compelling titles and body copy that answer questions and address pain points from your target customers.

Create Evergreen Content

Evergreen content refers to content that remains valuable over time, regardless of trends or changes in the industry. Since it is not time-sensitive and remains relevant over a long period, evergreen content is an excellent investment for scalable strategies.

Examples of evergreen content include how-to guides and listicles.

By focusing on producing evergreen articles, videos, or podcasts, you can ensure that your work continues to attract traffic and generate leads long after its initial publication.

Use the Skyscraper Technique

The skyscraper technique involves finding popular pieces of existing content in your niche and producing something even better by adding new insights, visuals, or data points — essentially “building” upon what already exists out there.

Repurpose Existing Content

To maximize the value of your current resources without having to create entirely new pieces from scratch, consider repurposing existing content.

Repurposing is a great way to increase your output without sacrificing quality. Consider turning blog posts into videos or infographics, or create shorter video clips of your webinar series. This can help you reach new audiences and keep your content fresh.

Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC)

Customer reviews or social media posts featuring your products/services can be an excellent way to expand your library without investing significant time and resources into creating original material. Encourage users to share their experiences by offering incentives like contests or discounts.

Invest in Automation Tools

AI-powered apps like Content at Scale can help you write and publish more content in less time. You can also try Hootsuite for social media scheduling or MailChimp for email marketing. All these solutions help you automate repetitive tasks, reduce errors, and save valuable time.

How Do You Scale a Content Strategy? With a Plan of Action

Scaling a content strategy requires a deliberate and methodical approach that focuses on your business goals, target audience, and available resources. 

First, conduct thorough research, define clear objectives, and establish a strong foundation of content creation and distribution processes. 

Then communicate and collaborate with all stakeholders, including the content team, marketing, and sales.

It is important to continuously evaluate and adjust your approach based on feedback and metrics, and leverage automation where possible to streamline workflows and maximize efficiency. 

Finally, be sure to stay adaptable and agile in the face of changing market conditions to stay ahead of the competition and maintain relevance with your audience. 

By following these guidelines, you can create and implement a successful content strategy that grows with your business.

Written by Josh Slone

See more from Josh Slone
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