One of the most important parts of content marketing and social media management is developing a comrehensive content strategy. There are a few ways to go about it. This is a short lesson, but a hugely valuable one – it condenses our content strategy formula from years of practice into a single page. 

1. Brainstorm all the questions that perspective and actual customers commonly ask 
2. Think about the things that you need your audience to know about your industry, business and product in order to want to purchase 
3. What unique value, insights or knowledge do you have to share?
4. What are the main topics that your audience is interested in (even if they are loosely related to your actual product)
5. What content could you share that would highlight the personality traits, values or aesthetic are you trying to showcase?

From this you will develop your ‘content pillars’ that you create content around. 

Eg. Hairdressing Salon 

1. Questions Customers Ask 
   1. What’s the best treatment for coloured hair
   2. How to stop your hair turning green in the pool 
   3. Should I break off my split ends
   4. How long does it take for a full head of blonde highlights 
2. What your audience needs to know about your industry / business / process
   1. Hair should be cut at least every 3 months to stay healthy 
   2. Benefits of protein treatments
   3. Experience of your staff 
   4. Before & after of hair rescue 
   5. How your product / service / experience is better than your competitors
3. What unique value, insights or knowledge do you have to share?
   1. Expert tips about hair care 
   2. Debunking myths around colouring and other professional treatments
4. What are the main topics that your audience is interested in
   1. How to keep your hair healthy and looking good 
   2. Hair styling for events & everyday wear
   3. Self-care and pamper time
5. What content could you share that would highlight the personality traits, values or aesthetic are you trying to showcase?
   1. Photos of the beautiful space 
   2. Playful gifs of the team working 
   3. Customer reviews highlighting how we go above and beyond for our customers 
   4. Celebrity inspiration of the ‘hottest new styles’ 
   5. Free treatment on customers birthday 

Then brainstorm specific pieces of content around these ideas. 

Content Pillars / Platforms	Instagram	Blog	Lead Magnet
Product Info	photos / videos showing the process or before and after facts about our treatments	10 things you should know about our Signature Keratin Treatment  Best hairdresser for blondes in Canggu	Guide: How to rescue dry brittle your hair from Bali water
Expert Hair Tips	Quick tips	Best hairstyles for humid bali weather  5 hair care tips every blonde needs to know	Ultimate guide to protein treatments for dry hair
Customer Experience & Reviews	Before & After photos  Customer reviews  Photos of customers in the spa  Photos of spa ammenities (coffee etc.)	The best hair treatment I had in Bali: My review of __ Salon	Giveaway: Enter to win a $100 gift voucher
BTS of the salon	animated gifs of the team  staff attending professional training	5 Bali stylists share their top tips for tropical vacations	N/A

Try this activity for your own personal brand, or for your hypothetical ‘dream client’ and see how many ideas you can brainstorm – then you would prioritise the most effective ideas for each content pillar.