content-strategy

Content Strategy - Build an Audience That Buys

Create a content engine that attracts, engages, and converts using Joe Pulizzi's Epic Content Marketing methodology

When to Use This Skill

Starting a content marketing program from scratch or revamping an existing one
Building an audience for your brand, product, or service
Creating a content mission statement to align your team
Developing an editorial calendar and content plan
Choosing content types and channels strategically
Measuring content ROI and proving value to leadership
Escaping campaign mentality for sustainable content

Methodology Foundation

Aspect Details

Source Epic Content Marketing (2014, 2nd ed. 2023)

Expert Joe Pulizzi - Founder of Content Marketing Institute, creator of Content Marketing World

Core Principle "Content marketing is about creating valuable information your customers are passionate about so they actually pay attention to you. By delivering consistent, ongoing value, buyers reward you with their business and loyalty."

What Claude Does vs What You Decide

Claude Does You Decide

Structures production workflow Final creative direction

Suggests technical approaches Equipment and tool choices

Creates templates and checklists Quality standards

Identifies best practices Brand/voice decisions

Generates script outlines Final script approval

What This Skill Does

This skill helps you build content marketing that matters—content people would miss if it disappeared. Instead of interrupting people with ads, you attract them with value.

You'll learn to:

Define your content niche - Be the best in a specific area
Create a content mission - Align all efforts around a clear purpose
Build your audience - Move people from visitors to superfans
Plan content strategically - Map content to the buyer journey
Execute consistently - The #1 factor in content success
Measure what matters - Prove ROI to leadership

The result: A content engine that builds trust, generates leads, and drives revenue.

How to Use

Prompt Examples

Help me create a content marketing mission statement using the XYZ method. My audience is [audience]. My topic is [topic]. The benefit is [benefit].

Analyze my content idea against Pulizzi's 6 principles of epic content. Here's the idea: [describe content]. Tell me what's missing or weak.

Create a content strategy for [business type]. Include mission statement, content pillars, channels, and an editorial calendar framework.

Help me find my content niche. I'm in the [industry] space, targeting [audience]. How do I narrow down to something I can dominate?

Build a content measurement framework that would satisfy C-level executives. My primary content goal is [lead gen/sales/retention/brand].

Instructions

The Six Principles of Epic Content

Every piece of content should be evaluated against these principles:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ THE 6 PRINCIPLES OF EPIC CONTENT │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ 1. FILL A NEED Useful in itself, answers questions │ │ 2. BE CONSISTENT Same quality, same schedule, always │ │ 3. BE HUMAN Your voice, your personality │ │ 4. HAVE A POV Take sides, express opinions │ │ 5. AVOID SALES SPEAK Less about you = more sharing │ │ 6. BE BEST OF BREED The best on your topic, period │ │ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

The Ultimate Test: Would your audience miss your content if it disappeared?

Step 1: Define Your Content Niche

The narrower your niche, the easier it is to become the go-to resource.

Bad Niche Examples:

"Marketing" (too broad)
"Small business advice" (too broad)
"Technology news" (too broad)

Good Niche Examples:

"Email marketing for Shopify stores"
"Pricing strategy for SaaS startups"
"Adventure travel with small dogs"

Finding Your Niche:

Question Your Answer

What topic could you create 100+ pieces about?

Where does your expertise intersect with audience pain?

What's underserved in your industry?

Where are competitors NOT creating great content?

What would you be excited to cover for years?

The Niche Test: Can you realistically become the #1 source on this topic?

Step 2: Create Your Content Mission Statement

The XYZ Method (Andy Crestodina):

"Our company is where [Audience X] finds [Content Y] for [Benefit Z]."

Examples:

Business Mission Statement

B2B SaaS "Our company is where startup founders find actionable growth tactics to scale without burning out."

Financial Services "Our company is where young professionals find practical money advice to build wealth before 40."

E-commerce "Our company is where home chefs find tested recipes and techniques to cook restaurant-quality meals."

Mission Statement Worksheet:

Content Mission Statement

Audience (X)

Who are we creating content for?

Primary persona:
Their biggest challenge:
What they're trying to achieve:

Content (Y)

What type of content will we create?

Format (blog, video, podcast, newsletter):
Tone (educational, entertaining, inspiring):
Depth (beginner, intermediate, expert):

Benefit (Z)

What will they get from our content?

Tangible outcome:
Emotional benefit:
Transformation:

Final Mission Statement

"[Company] is where [Audience] finds [Content] for [Benefit]."

Step 3: Plan Your Content Pillars

Content pillars are the 3-5 main topics that support your mission.

Framework:

             CONTENT MISSION
                   |
   ┌───────────────┼───────────────┐
   |               |               |

PILLAR 1 PILLAR 2 PILLAR 3 | | | ┌───┴───┐ ┌───┴───┐ ┌───┴───┐ Topics Topics Topics Topics Topics Topics

Example: SaaS Marketing Company

Pillar Topics Covered

Growth Tactics SEO, paid ads, content marketing, email

Product Strategy Pricing, positioning, launches, roadmaps

Team Building Hiring, culture, remote work, leadership

Pillar Planning Questions:

What 3-5 categories cover 80% of your audience's questions?
Do you have expertise (or access to experts) in each pillar?
Can you create 20+ pieces per pillar annually?
Does each pillar connect to your products/services?

Step 4: Map Content to the Buyer Journey

Different content serves different stages:

Stage Buyer State Content Goal Content Types

Awareness "I have a problem" Educate, attract Blog posts, social, podcasts, videos

Consideration "What are my options?" Nurture, differentiate Guides, webinars, comparison content

Decision "Is this right for me?" Convert, prove value Case studies, demos, trials, reviews

Retention "Did I make the right choice?" Delight, expand Tutorials, community, exclusive content

Content Mapping Exercise:

Content Map for: [Persona Name]

Awareness Stage

Questions they have: 1. 2. 3.

Content to create:

Consideration Stage

Questions they have: 1. 2. 3.

Content to create:

Decision Stage

Questions they have: 1. 2. 3.

Content to create:

Step 5: Build Your Editorial Calendar

Consistency is the #1 factor in content success. An editorial calendar ensures you deliver.

Minimum Viable Calendar:

Element Description

Publish Date When it goes live

Content Title Working headline

Content Pillar Which pillar it supports

Format Blog, video, podcast, etc.

Target Persona Who it's for

Buyer Stage Awareness, consideration, decision

Author/Owner Who's responsible

Status Idea, draft, review, scheduled, published

Cadence Recommendations:

Channel Minimum Frequency Ideal Frequency

Blog 1x/week 2-4x/week

Newsletter 1x/week 1-2x/week

Podcast 1x/week 1x/week

YouTube 1x/week 2x/week

LinkedIn 3x/week Daily

Warning: Don't commit to more than you can sustain. Consistency > frequency.

Step 6: Build the Subscriber Hierarchy

Move your audience up the pyramid:

                SUPERFANS
               /         \
              /  Advocates \
             /   Share your  \
            /    content      \
           /___________________\
               SUBSCRIBERS
              /             \
             / Email list,   \
            /  direct access  \
           /___________________\
                FOLLOWERS
               /           \
              / Social media \
             /  low engagement\
            /__________________\
             CASUAL VISITORS
            /                 \
           / One-time readers  \
          /_____________________|

Moving People Up:

Level Tactic to Ascend

Visitor → Follower Social follow CTAs, shareable content

Follower → Subscriber Lead magnets, exclusive content, newsletter value

Subscriber → Superfan Community, recognition, insider access, exceptional value

Key Metric: Track the conversion rate between levels monthly.

Step 7: Measure What Matters

The Three-Factor Score (Jessica Bergmann, Salesforce):

Did you bring in the right audiences?
Did you keep them engaged?
Did you move them to a next step?

What C-Suite Cares About:

Question How to Measure

Is content driving sales? Sales lift analysis, attributed revenue

Is content saving costs? Support ticket reduction, self-service usage

Is content helping retention? NPS scores, renewal rates for content consumers

Is content growing our community? Subscriber growth, engagement trends

Content Metrics Framework:

Level Metrics Purpose

Consumption Page views, downloads, listens Are people finding it?

Engagement Time on page, scroll depth, comments Are they consuming it?

Sharing Social shares, forwards, referrals Are they spreading it?

Lead Generation Email signups, form fills Are they converting?

Sales Pipeline influenced, revenue attributed Is it driving business?

Examples

Example 1: B2B SaaS Content Strategy

Company: Project management software for agencies

Content Mission:

"AgencyFlow is where creative agency owners find operational insights to run more profitable projects."

Content Pillars:

Project Management Best Practices
Agency Profitability & Pricing
Team & Resource Management
Client Communication

Editorial Calendar (Monthly):

8 blog posts (2 per pillar)
4 newsletter issues
2 case studies
1 webinar
12 LinkedIn posts

Measurement:

Primary: Email subscribers (target: 500/month)
Secondary: Demo requests from content (target: 50/month)
Tertiary: MQL to SQL conversion rate for content leads

Example 2: E-commerce Content Strategy

Company: Premium cookware brand

Content Mission:

"ChefGear is where home cooks find tested techniques to create restaurant-quality meals in their own kitchen."

Content Pillars:

Cooking Techniques & Skills
Ingredient Deep-Dives
Recipe Development
Kitchen Equipment Guides

Channel Strategy:

YouTube (primary): 2 videos/week
Blog: 3 posts/week (SEO-focused)
Instagram: Daily posts + stories
Email: Weekly recipe newsletter

Measurement:

Primary: YouTube subscribers and email list growth
Secondary: Organic traffic and recipe page conversions
Tertiary: Revenue from content-attributed purchases

Checklists & Templates

Content Strategy Checklist