It’s not always easy to stay on top of the structure and organization of your website. Often, website owners skimp on using the right tools to organize their sites. So, what do you do in such a scenario?
The answer is simple: Use a content map. For those unfamiliar with the term, a content map is to bring the vision of your website to fruition. In other words, it’s proof of how you mapped out your site in your mind.
There’s more than one type of content mapping, which is why it’s not easy to understand at first glance. You should stick to the basics and create a content map that reflects your vision. This technique shouldn’t be too difficult if you know where to start.
If you wish to develop content that helps you make decisions, mapping is the way. Collaborating with creators and clients will help you churn out ideas. It will also help improve your website design.
You can also identify any failings and potential opportunities in your website design. Then, you can address them the right way. In other words, content maps will help you enhance the quality of your website content. It will also help you keep your clients happy.
To simplify things for you, here are some important tips on how to build a content map
Know Your Reader or Buyer Personas
This tip might sound strange if you’re unfamiliar with creating ideal personas. But it’s pretty straightforward once you break it down. Every business has a target audience consisting of various customers.
Not every customer belongs to the same demographic and social structure. It, therefore, makes sense that different marketing strategies appeal to different customers. This simple fact is the idea behind creating buyer or reader personas.
The beauty of this strategy is that it’s versatile and has a universal appeal. How? Look at it this way, not everyone reading your content online is a potential client. For instance, imagine you own a pest control business and run a pest control blog alongside it.
Your blog features tips on how to market pest control businesses. It can also feature promotional material for your business. In this scenario, customers for your services and other companies will read your blog. Here, your readers are the companies, and buyers are your customers.
Whatever the case is, one thing’s for sure: creating personas helps. You can craft elaborate personas based on several factors. These factors include the demographics, preferences, and habits of your customers. This way, you’ll better understand what they’re looking for in your website.
Catalog Your Content
Content planning is a challenge at the best of times, so a little help never goes amiss here. If you own a rapidly-expanding business, you should consider cataloging your content. There is software available online like to help you with the same. But, you can do it yourself if you can spare the time.
One way to catalog content to create a content strategy map is by sorting your assets. The content featured on each site is unique. It requires unique cataloging solutions. Sorting your content by category will help here.
First, focus on the vital content featured on your site. Ask yourself what users look for when they log on to your site. The answer to this question should be loud and clear on your landing page. After all, it makes sense to offer a broad solution to users before breaking it down.
Next, think about how you can group different pieces of content. For instance, you can group products in the same category for an e-commerce website. In the same way, you can group articles belonging to the same niche in a blog.
Presenting information like this helps users understand the extent of your products and services. Using more than one entry point for a different audience will help here too.
Also, remember to rank content based on relevancy. No user wants to sift through your content for hours to find what they want. Deciding what content is relevant to users is the essence of content mapping.
Following are a few ways in which you can catalog content online:
Whitepaper
Companies use whitepapers to delve into topics they consider important. Sales stats and market trends are among the topics often featured in a whitepaper. These papers outline the operations carried out by a company in detail.
Whitepapers are also useful for generating leads. Companies often send these via email to potential customers. They generate leads and boost sales in this way.
Many companies prefer e-books over whitepapers. But whitepapers are ideal if you want a detailed analysis of a certain topic.
Website
Websites are among the most common content mapping catalogs available today. It’s easy to create personalized shopping experiences for customers using websites. On a website, you can catalog content in several ways.
For instance, you could have blog posts, product pages, and more. You could even offer users information on your brand, operations, etc. Mapping out a customer’s buying cycle is convenient on websites.
Blog
Cataloging content using blogs is another way to map your ideas. Blogs are perfect for those looking to brainstorm concepts. You can use content maps to write short ideas for blog topics.
Also, developing a keyword strategy for an article is convenient while cataloging blog content. You could even rank keywords for their SEO value and catalog the same.
Videos
Using promotional videos as content assets is an effective way to map content. Videos help break down complex information and make it interesting. You could make videos creative and engaging to simplify detailed content.
Visual content is perfect for analyzing statistics and trends. Therefore, information on buying patterns and sales can be in the form of videos.
Choose the Right Tools for Content Mapping
One of the most important aspects of content strategy mapping is using content marketing tools that help you with the same. This tip isn’t as complicated as you think. There are a few special tools for those wanting to create content maps.
These tools include MindMeister, Popplet, and Mind42.
You can use a spreadsheet or Google Sheets to create your content map. A quick Google search will reveal generic content map templates. But, you shouldn’t use these templates for one simple reason. Your company isn’t the same as the company using the template you found on Google.
Using a generic content map template with a tool of your choice doesn’t make sense. Instead, use one of the simple tools to outline customer needs and preferences.
Remember, content mapping isn’t all that different from mind mapping. If you have difficulty creating a spreadsheet, use a mind map first. This technique will help you execute your ideas better. It will also help you create your content journey map.
Work With Your Clients
You must ensure you and your clients are on the same page while creating a content map. These maps help you share your client’s vision and goals about what they expect from your business.
Your content map should feature your client’s expectations. In this way, you can build trust with them and nurture long-term relationships. Your content goals should align with what the client considers relevant.
If you follow this tip, it’ll help cut potential misunderstandings with your clients. You might need to review your existing assets and organize new content. But this depends on your client’s goals.
Clear and prompt communication is the key here. Ensure you stay on top of these at all times. Aligning your vision with your clients will also help you save money in the short and long run. Working with them will therefore be of mutual benefit.
A content map works best when you’re sure about your goals. Determining your goals without considering client expectations isn’t workable.
FAQs
1. What are the tools used for a content map?
Some content map tools include MindMeister, Popplet, and Mind42.
2. How is whitepaper used in companies?
Companies use whitepapers to delve into topics to consider whether they are important. whitepapers are used to generate leads and boost sales.
3. When to consider cataloging your content?
When the business rapidly expands, consider cataloging your content for easy accessibility.
4. What is a buyer persona?
A buyer persona is a research-based profile that depicts a target customer. A buyer persona describes who your ideal customers are, what the challenges they face, and how they make decisions.
5. How does the content map hold your brand?
A content map is to bring the vision of your website to fruition. It is proof of how you mapped out your site in your mind. Content map reflects your vision and helps enhance your website’s quality.
Wrapping Up
Finally, it isn’t all that hard if you’re wondering how to create a content map. A little practice and the right guidance will go a long way here. Few organizational tools available today are as effective as content maps.
After all, they ease clear visualization and prompt execution of business goals. If you’re confused about whether to create one, the answer is always yes. Read our blogs to learn more about content marketing and strategies.
