If you're like most entrepreneurs who use content marketing to drive traffic and bring in leads, you probably put a lot of effort into perfecting each individual blog post, video, or infographic.
But there's an additional level.
Beyond just individual pieces of content.
Each piece you put out plays into a broader organizational goal.
Content mapping is a concept that involves taking a 10,000 foot perspective toward your content as a whole.
In a recent blog post, the Content Marketing Institute lays out five key steps in mapping out your content.
Map your content in 5 steps
Follow the mind-mapping process with these steps, and see how to do it with the topic of content mapping in each how-to example.
1. Select your topic. What subject do you want to gain people’s attention? You don’t need to start from scratch. Have you posted an interesting article on your blog recently? Does your magazine contain an article about which you would like to focus more attention? The subject also could come from a new content vehicle — a publication, a film, etc.
Specify the source of the topic’s content. Where does it link to your messages? Will you link to the main topic’s primary content on a page on your website? What about as a video on YouTube? This content’s home becomes the source file to which you will link in as many posts as you can. But always remember the golden rule: It has to be relevant.
2. Divide into five subtopics. Think about how relevant your subtopics are, but bear in mind that these subtopic posts may not be in a ready-to-share format.
3. Create four perspectives for each subtopic. Think, too, about the way to convey each perspective’s message. Will it work best as an interesting headline or a quote, or should it be an infographic or a photo collage? Or how about a snappy quote on video? In this step, you create 20 linking messages for the primary topic to draw in your audience. You also can use these later to create additional updates or content.
4. Specify the content types and channels. Of course, you won’t be able to create all your perspectives for the same channel. Think about how you want to distribute your messages. Take into account the specific characteristics of the network or medium you choose. For example, don’t place too much text on Facebook. And while your tone of voice on Facebook will often be informal, LinkedIn users expect a more formal language.
5. Schedule your posts over a longer period. Now that you’re ready to schedule your posts, decide on what period you want to focus attention on your topic and schedule updates accordingly. Vary the times of day at which you post. This way you’ll get the most viewers (unless your aim is a small audience and you’ve decided you want to repeat your message).
You can read more about content mapping, including actionable how-to advice for each step of the process, over at the Content Marketing Institute.
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