Content Mapping - The New Money Maker By Engaging New And Existing Customers Using Content Maps

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May 26, 2022

Keith Peterson - I'm an expert IT marketing professional with over 10 years of experience in various Digital Marketing channels such as SEO (search engine optimization), SEM (search engine marketing), SMO (social media optimization), ORM (online reputation management), PPC (Google Adwords, Bing Adwords), Lead Generation, Adwords campaign management, Blogging (Corporate and Personal), and so on. Web development and design are unquestionably another of my passions. In fast-paced, high-pressure environments, I excel as an SEO Executive, SEO Analyst, SR SEO Analyst, team leader, and digital marketing strategist, efficiently managing multiple projects, prioritizing and meeting tight deadlines, analyzing and solving problems.

You've probably witnessed the impact of bad content mapping if you've ever gotten an unpleasant bulk email or seen an unrelated Facebook offer.

A marketer's biggest fear is sharing the wrong information at the wrong moment.

Consider how much time and effort you put into creating a piece of content just to have it fall flat—or worse, anger your readers.

So, how do you contact the correct people?

How are you going to turn that audience into paying customers?

COPYRIGHT_MARX: Published on https://marxcommunications.com/content-mapping/ by Keith Peterson on 2022-05-26T16:49:29.189Z

And how can you know what kind of material will appeal to your prospects?

Content mapping is the solution to all of these problems and the secret to content marketing success.

What Is A Content Map?

What is content mapping and gear icon linked to light bulb and image

The act of developing a content plan that addresses buyers at various phases of the customer lifecycle is known as content mapping.

Each component of a content map is intended to suit the demands of the consumer at a certain stage in their journey, with the ultimate objective of leading them to make a purchase decision.

First, the fundamentals.

A content map describes how each piece of content you create aligns with and supports the consumer journey.

If you're going through a customer journey mapping process, you should have a clear set of phases in mind, as well as a decent idea of which channels you'll most likely use for each stage.

A content map takes this approach a step further by allowing you to easily connect each piece of content to a stage of the customer journey and uncover chances to address the needs of your audience at that moment.

Why Is Content Mapping Important?

Content mapping enables you to prepare for the generation of content that supports the customer journey and delivers a more unified, tailored customer experience.

When it comes to content, one size does not always fit all.

They must fulfill diverse functions as prospects seek different information as they proceed through the buyer's journey.

To guarantee that your company's content is effective at producing leads, you must supply varied material that covers various themes that people are searching for at each stage of the process.

The technique of doing so is known as content mapping.

However, coming up with the real themes for a highly focused content strategy is not easy.

However, content mapping with the audience in mind might assist you in developing a plan in a more manageable way.

How Do You Plan My Website's Content Map?

A hand writing content and underlined it

You can easily see how your content matches with the buyer's journey that you are targeting by building a map for your content.

Any flaws in your content creation process will be exposed.

Based on your identified deficiencies, you will also be able to design your editorial schedule and future content plans.

To begin, you must understand your target audience.

Create content that engages readers and keeps them exploring the rest of your site.

You should also tell a tale and assess whether your present content is appropriate for your market or whether it should be revised.

Writing for humans rather than search engines is an important part of producing content and a plan for it.

How To Develop A Content Map?

Hands typing in a laptop with a coffee and phone beside

Develop Or Update Buyer Personas

Buyer personas should be used by every business to determine their target audiences.

When well-developed, they may be a significant resource for your content map.

A buyer persona is a fictitious representation of your buyer or purchasers.

It includes information such as:

Age, gender, locality, income, education, and other demographics
Job titles, firm size, and industry all have a role.
Values: What drives their decision-making?
Goals: What are they attempting to achieve?
Pain points, fears, and objections are examples of challenges.
Where do they seek information and insights?
Buying habits: When and where do they shop? How long is the decision-making process?

You'll be able to match the material to your consumers' tastes more readily if you create clear representations of who they are.

Document The Customer Journey

You can chart out your buyers' travels now that you know who they are.

Begin by defining your major funnel phases in this step.

Here are three common stages used by numerous businesses:

Awareness: Buyer is only now becoming aware of their concern and beginning to seek information.
Consideration: The buyer is completely informed of the problem and potential solutions and takes the time to weigh all possibilities.
Decision: Buyer has made a decision and is ready to commit to a solution.

These are only general descriptions of three frequent stages of the customer journey.

You should personalize them and include more crucial phases to show how your ideal buyer travels through their process.

Define What Content Works Best At Every Stage

Because each step is distinct, you must match the appropriate material to the appropriate stage.

Because someone in the awareness stage is unlikely to be ready to sign up or buy, highly promotional material is usually not a suitable fit for that stage.

Here are some suggestions for content and phase alignment.

Awareness - At this point, information and instructional material are crucial. This sort of material can take many forms, ranging from blog articles to explainer movies to purchase guides. At this point, you should concentrate on offering information rather than hard selling.
Consideration - Because each step is distinct, you must match the appropriate material to the appropriate stage. Because someone in the awareness stage is unlikely to be ready to sign up or buy, highly promotional material is usually not a suitable fit for that stage. Here are some suggestions for content and phase alignment.
Awareness - At this point, information and instructional material are crucial. This sort of material can take many forms, ranging from blog articles to explainer movies to purchase guides. At this point, you should concentrate on offering information rather than hard selling.

Create A Catalog Of Existing Content

You may accomplish this more quickly if you use a content marketing software platform that allows you to create an asset hub.

Choose one that can be searched and identifies numerous characteristics of the material, such as its category, format, and purpose.

Map Existing Content To Each Customer Journey Phase

Continue to use what you have to create your first content map.

Include things like the sort of content, how it helps people progress through the funnel, and the quality.

It's possible that part of your material will not fit on the content map.

If that's the case, don't include it now.

Instead, bookmark it so you can return to it later to improve it.

Identify Gaps For The Future Of Your Content Map

You'll have a better idea of what's lacking now that you know what you have. Examine the underrepresented phases in your funnel.

With this knowledge, you may enter content planning mode with strategic goals.

Remember to keep your content map updated as you add new material and your buyer personas alter and grow.

Conclusion

Delivering the correct material at the appropriate moment may do wonders for the success of your organization.

You're pleasing prospects at every turn by addressing their wants depending on their persona and lifecycle stage, increasing your chances of acquiring loyal clients, and converting them into brand ambassadors.

Content mapping is an essential component in creating a content strategy.

Create a content map based on your personas and funnel phases, and do research to better understand where your audience is and what interests them.

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