I never realized just how important it was to connect content with business goals until I had a particular conversation with a client. What happens when you don’t set business goals for content? The problem is: With no business goals in place, the content doesn’t do anything worthwhile for the client — and it makes me look bad. Without any benchmarks to measure success, it’s extremely difficult to measure what’s working and what’s not — and there are no metrics to inform future decisions about topics, formats, etc. Business goals matter for content creation because they help make each post part of a larger, big-picture strategy. In short, business goals are the foundation of any solid content creation effort — and over time, they help marketers build effective campaigns. Prioritize the objectives that matter most for the business Step one is to think long and hard about which results matter most for the business when it comes to content. Create a list of content topics that address both areas From there, create a running list of topics that can both help you accomplish your most important goals and answer common audience questions. Cross-reference your list of topics with your SEO or ad teams to see how this list can work alongside their efforts. Whatever you do, don’t “wing it.”
I never realized just how important it was to connect content with business goals until I had a particular conversation with a client.
The client, excited to get started on blog content together, had a running list of topics for me to cover.
But then something strange happened.
When I asked for background information on their content objectives (like potential CTAs, a list of targeted SEO keywords, etc.), I got this response:
“We don’t really have that stuff yet. We’re just kind of ‘winging it’ for now.”
For me, this was a major red flag.
This statement meant I’d need to pump the breaks and help the client get a few preliminary goals in place before I could dive into any project work.
The reason: Without them, we’d both be spinning our wheels and wasting each other’s time.
What happens when you don’t set business goals for content?
Too many times, I’ve tried to go along with the “just winging it” approach.
The problem is:
With no business goals in place, the content doesn’t do anything worthwhile for the client — and it makes me look bad. It makes me look like I don’t know how to do my job as a writer and experienced content marketer, despite the client’s wishes to “play it by ear.”
In my experience, without clear business goals for content, the writer has a much harder job as he tries to execute valuable, results-producing material.
Without any benchmarks to measure success, it’s extremely difficult to measure what’s working and what’s not — and there are no metrics to inform future decisions about topics, formats, etc.
At the same time, the business’s marketing budget gets squandered on lackluster content — and the content manager starts to get frustrated that there are no meaningful results to share with the leadership team. It’s lose-lose all around.
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