Aside from entertainment, people search the web for answers, to resolve pain, and to solve problems. This article provides insights into the process of creating a content strategy.

As online marketers, our job is to offer content to help our visitors solve their problems. In return, we earn their respect, and possibly, an opportunity to demonstrate how our products and services can help.

Below are 3 simple steps to help guide your content strategy:

• Step One: Create your content (strategy) for your ideal customer.
  Yes, that’s right. You are not marketing to everyone, that would be frustrating and fruitless. You should just make content for those who would be your best, most loyal customers—your ideal customer.
  Your ideal customer is the customer who receives great value from what you offer, the way you offer it, and at the price you offer it. Simply said: This is the best customer for your products/services, and all your marketing and sales efforts should be aimed at them.
• Step Two: Empathize with your audience.
  We are all website visitors, so it’s easy to understand that we go online looking for answers, not marketing drivel. Truly, we don’t care about most of the stuff websites call content. Just write content that helps your ideal customer find that answer, resolve that pain or solve that problem.
• Step Three: Write for people in “plain English“.
  We can try to be cute, or clever, or even verbose, but all we really need to do is speak to the visitor as we would in a phone call, or in person. No complicated jargon, industry-speak or $20 words. There are no style points here. Just beautiful, easy to read simplicity. Aim for a readability score of 60 or better (a.k.a “Plain English”). FYI, this article has a readability score of 67.

Begin your content strategy with these 3 simple steps and you will find yourself released from the burden of wondering if you are making the right content. Your ideal customers will find the answers they need, and you will likely find them buying your products and services.