Content That Matters: How to Build a Content Strategy for a Damn Good Startup

A damn good startup is one that, in addition to making a profit, also considers the well-being of employees, their customers, society, and nature. Even for a damn good startup, a content marketing strategy is crucial to its success and online visibility.

A good content marketing strategy can help a startup establish the brand, reach the target audience, and generate leads. The content plan is not substantially different than for any other type of business, but there are a few points that deserve extra attention.

In this article, we will give you some tips on what to look out for and what such a content plan can look like.

Always determine your target audience first

The first step in creating a damn good startup content marketing strategy is to determine your target audience. When you know who your target audience is, you can create content that is tailored to their needs and interests.

To define your target audience, you need to consider factors such as age, gender, location, interests, and behavior. Interest and behavior are particularly important here because you want the target audience to align with the purpose of the startup.

Create a Buyer Persona

Once you have determined your target audience, the next step is to create a buyer persona. A buyer persona is a fictional representation of your ideal customer. It includes information such as their demographics, goals, challenges, and buying habits. Creating a buyer persona will help you create content that resonates with your target audience. Again, of course, it goes without saying that you also want to formulate the beliefs and values so you know there is a match.

Buyer Persona Example

Here is an example of a buyer persona for a darn good startup that is both profit-oriented and at the same time doing good for employees, customers, society, and the environment:

Name: Olivia Johnson

Demographics:

Age: 32

Gender: Female

Occupation: Marketing Manager at a non-profit corporation

Education: Bachelor's Degree in Marketing

Goals:

1. Find products and services that align with her personal values and beliefs.

2. Support companies that prioritize social and environmental responsibility. 

3. Feel good about her purchasing decisions

Beliefs: Eating meat is unhealthy and animal-unfriendly.

Challenges:

1. Limited budget because of her non-profit job

2. Difficulty finding businesses that align with her values and beliefs

3. Lack of time to research products and services thoroughly

Buying behavior:

1. Do extensive research before making a purchase

2. Values recommendations from friends and family

3. Prioritizes social and environmental responsibility in her purchasing decisions

Values:

1. Social and environmental responsibility

2. Authenticity and transparency

3. Innovation and creativity

By creating a buyer persona like Olivia, a damn good startup can align its marketing and content strategies with the needs and values of its target audience. This helps attract and retain loyal customers who align with their company's purpose and values.

Doing a keyword research

Keyword research is identifying the keywords and phrases your target audience uses when searching for information about your product or business. Conducting keyword research helps you create content that is optimized for search engines and drives traffic to your website. There are many tools available that can help you with keyword research, such as Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush. But Chat GPT can also play an important role in finding keywords.

Develop a content strategy

Once you have defined your target audience, created a buyer persona, and done keyword research, the next step is to develop a content strategy. Your content strategy should include the types of content you will create, the topics you will cover, and the channels you will use to distribute your content. Some types of content you might consider creating are blog posts, videos, infographics, and posts on social media.

Always create high-quality content, because quality goes before quality

Creating high-quality SEO-optimized content is essential to the success of your content marketing strategy. High-quality content is informative, engaging, and valuable to your target audience. When creating content, make sure you use relevant keywords and phrases, add visuals, and that the content is easy to read and share.

Examples of content for a damn good startup

Here are some content suggestions for a damn good startup. Also, when it comes to content, it is important that in addition to commercial content, you also inform your target audience about your purpose and what you will achieve or have achieved in the social or community sphere.

1. Purpose and mission statement of the company: Share your company's purpose, core values, and mission statement on your website and social media channels. Be transparent about what your company stands for and how it intends to make a positive impact.

2. Employee Spotlight: Highlight your employees' accomplishments, personal stories, and contributions to the company. Showcase your company's culture and values through the people who work for you.

3. Social and Environmental Impact: Share your company's positive social and environmental impact through its operations, products, and services. Highlight initiatives or partnerships your company is involved in that support these goals.

4. Customer success stories: Share stories about how your products or services have helped your customers succeed. Highlight how your company's values and mission have played a role in delivering value to your customers.

5. Thought Leadership Content: Produce content that establishes your company as a thought leader in your industry. Share insights, trends, and best practices that are valuable to your target audience.

6. Behind-the-scenes Content: Share behind-the-scenes content that gives your audience an inside look at your company. Highlight the people, processes, and culture that make your company unique.

7. Community involvement: Demonstrate your company's commitment to the community through volunteering, charitable donations, or partnerships with local businesses.

By creating content that aligns with your company's purpose and mission, you can showcase your brand as a damn good company that is both profit-driven and human and socially responsible.