With the Coaching Guide for Content Creators, we want to provide assistance to anyone who is new to content creation. We hope that our content will help you.
Basics: Content plan and content strategy
The content plan and the content strategy are closely linked and it is best to do both in one go. Your strategy tells you how often you should publish what and when. Depending on the platform, this depends on the website's algorithm. Sometimes the number of clicks on the last posts determines whether you will achieve a good reach with the next post and sometimes it simply depends on the volume of posts. However, these parameters are always changing and you always have to keep an eye on them. Depending on the platform, you should find out in advance what is common at that time and adapt your content strategy accordingly.
But let’s start with the basics…
Coaching for content creators: What is a content strategy?
A content strategy is the plan that defines how content is created, managed and published to achieve specific goals. For you as a content creator, a well-thought-out strategy is crucial to consistently deliver valuable content that appeals to and retains your audience. It serves as a roadmap for you to achieve goals such as brand awareness, engagement or conversion rates and to be able to measure your success regularly.
The foundation of your content strategy: targeting your audience
Ideally, you have already completed your target group analysis and are clear about who your content offers added value to. (If you would like more information on this, read our other blog on the topic of content planning).
Once your target audience is clearly defined, it's all about setting concrete goals. These goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART). Based on the goals, an editorial calendar is created that determines what content will be published when and on which platforms. A well-planned content strategy helps keep publishing consistent and organized.
Practical example: Youtube garden channel
To make it easier to understand, we have developed a fictitious example to explain it using the example of “Youtube”.
Project Youtube – Gardening channel
Fictional target group: "Garden lovers aged 30-60 years"
This target group has a high interest in gardening, regularly searches for tips and tricks on gardening, plant care and design ideas. They live in urban, suburban and rural areas.
Target group analysis
Use YouTube Analytics to analyze demographic data like your viewers' age, gender, and location. Find out which gardening videos get the most views and engagement. Create personas like "Garden-Gabby," who regularly searches for DIY gardening projects and planting tips.
For a detailed guide on how Youtube Analytics works, just watch this video
Setting goals
Set realistic goals for growing your channel, such as:
Increase in subscribers by 25% in six months.
Increase average watch time by 15% per video.
Generate leads through YouTube links to gardening products or affiliate programs.
Then you plan your content. Since YouTube evaluates the quality of the content and how long and how many users watch your videos, you should focus on quality rather than quantity.
Content planning
Create an editorial calendar with varied formats:
Week 1: Tutorial on planting a herb garden
Week 2: DIY project: Building a raised bed
Week 3: Interview with a gardening expert about seasonal planting tips
Week 4: Product evaluation of garden tools
Consider seasonal trends and important garden maintenance times.
Content creation and optimization
Create high-quality videos that are professionally produced and well-structured. Optimize video titles, descriptions and tags with relevant keywords such as "gardening tips", "DIY raised bed construction", "best gardening tools 2024". Use motivating thumbnails and start each video with a strong hook.
Tips for creating videos:
The Hook: Every video needs a hook. Why should people watch your video? There are countless other options, so you need to create suspense right at the beginning so that the viewer stays with you and watches the whole video. If it's a longer video, repeat the process over and over to keep your audience hooked until the end.
Use call-to-actions (CTAs) such as "Subscribe to our channel for more gardening tips" or "Click the link in the description for detailed instructions" – you can include these CTAs anywhere in the video. Ideally at an exciting point so that the viewer doesn't click away.
Make sure you have good sound and picture quality to create professional and appealing videos.
Shorts and clips
Have you created long videos with detailed tutorials? Then consider how you can compile short shorts from the material and thus have additional content pieces to publish.
Promotion and distribution
Share your videos on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to increase visibility. Encourage your viewers to share and comment on the videos. Collaborations with other garden YouTubers and influencers can also help increase your reach and attract new viewers.
Measurement and adjustment
Use YouTube Analytics to monitor the performance of your videos. Track important metrics like views, watch time, engagement (likes, comments, shares) and subscriber growth. Analyze which videos are performing best and which are not and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Important KPIs:
Number of views per video
Average playback time
Engagement rate (likes, comments, shares)
Subscriber growth
Click-through rate (CTR) of thumbnails
Monitor the performance of your content and stay on top of it. It takes time to build up a certain audience - you have to be consistent in doing so. Don't lose sight of your target audience. By adapting your content strategy to your target audience, you are more likely to be able to expand your reach. Careful planning and continuous optimization will help you address the needs of your target audience and maximize the success of your YouTube channel.
Comentarios