What Is Core Content? And Does It Matter?
When you’re planning your editorial calendar, there are some things to really take note of. One of them is the type of content you’re putting out. Not all types of content are the same. Different types of content provide different values and leave readers with a different feeling. And on top of the pyramid for your business is core content.
Core content is the type of content that connects directly to what your business can offer. In a brand hierarchy, core content sits at the very top as it unites your brand’s entire messaging structure to support your vision and provide value. To visualize this, it is the overlapping part between what your audience cares about and the value your business can provide
Why does core content matter?
Core content directly ties your content to your brand or business goals. An example of this would be your vision statement. This content may not be meant for your audience and aimed at your team instead. A vision statement brings all your efforts together and keeps it on track with the bigger goal. Following your vision statement means success for your brand.
So illustrate the importance of this vision statement, imagine a company without one. What happens to the team and their efforts without a long-term goal that is guiding the way? How long can a brand survive if they are not consistent with their long-term goals and their tasks don’t lead to something bigger? My guess is not that long, because a core content such as a vision statement is the essence of a brand.
On the other side of the spectrum, building strong core content that is unique and hard to replicate gives you a competitive edge when you’re trying to attract new users and build links.
This is predominantly because generic web page content is a dime a dozen. I bet you can get at least 5 articles that are talking about the same points. Most of these companies would just reconstruct their sentences and pretend that they are providing value to their readers.
This means that the chances of others in the same industry linking to your article are slim to none. Having hard-to-replicate content also means that you’ll stand out from your competition being known as the brand that does things differently. This will undoubtedly earn you the links/backlinks and the traffic to your website. Bringing potential clients one step closer to a conversion.
Finding your specific core content
I am sure that at this point, you’re probably asking how to find your brand’s specific core content. Keep in mind that this whole process is a rough idea that can and should be improved and tailored according to the industry you’re in.
The first and most important thing to do when finding your core content is to tune in to what your target audience is saying. It doesn’t need to be super in-depth research, it’s more for you to understand the bigger picture and market trend. You can simply use Google or LinkedIn to conduct a simple survey. Look for the conversations that your target audience is having, the comments that they’re leaving and the issues they’re facing.
The second thing you can do is to talk to your customers. Be a human when you approach them because they’ll be intimidated if you’re not. Dig into what they’re saying in regards to their struggles. And you know what you’ll find in return? Your brand’s unique selling proposition. The reason why your product attracts them and why they chose to come back to your product over and over again.
From then on, tailor and draft out your editorial calendar to address each of these problems or the ones that are specifically aimed to convert readers. Each of these elements signifies a bridge between the value you can provide or the problems you can solve and what your target market desires from you. Clear the bridge and make it as smooth as possible for your audience to come to you.
Applying content strategies to core content
When you apply the content strategies to your core content, there are bound to be butterfly effects that follow. Think of it this way, this content must be interconnected to make your brand work, each core content piece informs you and the audience of what is to come next on the journey to building a powerful network.
Brand Messaging
The value you can provide and your long-term business goals. That’s what your brand message should encompass. Your brand message should be the first priority as it is the biggest item that carries the most weight. The rest of the content such as persona, themes, design, or even UX comes after and will naturally fit in well.
Additionally, it can also include your mission statement, vision statement, value proposition, as well as a position statement. A mistake that happens way too often in creating core content is that businesses include their tagline in it. The reason we would say no to that is that this message will often ebb and flow with the trends whereas your vision/mission is the heart of the brand that trickles down to the operational level.
Developing your persona
The next step after having your brand statement is to develop a persona that your brand is going to adopt. As mentioned above, audiences and people get intimidated by large corporations and would rather talk to a real human as opposed to a robot. Humans have experiences, robots don’t. Humans have emotions, robots don’t. This is part and parcel of why being a ‘humanized’ brand will initiate better conversations among your consumers.
Website production & user experience
A key to molding a great user experience is to understand who your users really are. Not just that, understand why they’re coming to your website as opposed to millions of other websites? The truth is the people only come to your website if they believe they can gain something from you.
Creating a great website requires a tremendous amount of technical skills and strategy. It begins with keyword research, all the way to the development of it and taking it to live. Your website is another area where you can promote your core content without the need to hold back. It will cost you more if you don’t include the messaging work for your brand because this is where the brand experience comes full circle.
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